The Museum of Modern Art in New York is home to Van Gogh’s famous painting The Starry Night and apparently the brightest star depicted in the scene has been checked out astronomically as Venus. I bumped into a friend on the main street of McLaren Vale on a sundrenched Saturday morning yesterday and in the midst of the conversation this painting got a special mention. I was struck that here we were on the other side of the world, one of us encouraging a visit to MOMA and the other one preparing for one. Noting recommendations of what to look for in the streetscape, the social histories, landmarks, foods and music of that vertical city on the Hudson, these famous stars also got a mention.
Art oozes in and out of conversations, offering insights, memories, invitations to creativity and seeing through another’s eyes and experiences. This painting was made from gazing out the window of an asylum. Van Gogh admitted himself and used the respite to release to the world images of night and days, fields of gold and irises. This sanctuary gave him safety and us forever gifts.
Taking refuge to have others hold space, so we can create, rest from our wearying thoughts, be comforted by others taking care of us in tough times, always reminds me of a few lines from T. S Eliot. As a teenager I would pour over a series of inspirational books for words and images of quotes to ground and inspire me. One of the books in the series took its name from a line of Eliot’s – still point in the turning world. This resource, taught me how to reflect, how to put pictures and words together, how to stop and see or read a few lines to capture a moment and enter into the mystery of the Divine.
At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless; Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is, But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity, Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards, Neither ascent nor decline.
The Starry Night is one of those still points, and I wonder if Van Gogh got some stillness and peace in making that art. The swirls of the sky, the dark outline of the village and the whirling cosmos captured in time on a canvas. Not unlike the conversation halted by this image, holding on to a moment of stillness as one moved towards New York in memory and another in anticipation.
As the coffee lifted its own swirls of steam into the very fresh winter morning, the almond croissant dripping with icing sugar, and the delicious folds of scrambled eggs unravelled at our table, the conversation moved on, and as I left it was those stars that followed me in my thoughts. When I eventually made my own landfall into bed I looked to the stars and the waxing gibbous moon was well lit in the sky and I could detect Venus too.
Thank you Vincent for being in that safe place and sharing what you saw. Thank you friend for the conversation that drew me back to his painting and closer to your adventures dancing in stillness where past and future kiss over these stars.
Letters to 
ah Moira, as I think of being in New York on July 3, your words, again, resonate. Oh…. To find that still point. I will be finding this painting.
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How wonderful xxx
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