Just Gogh

Our latest episode discusses the 3D, immersive Van Gogh Exhibit. We highly recommend going to see it if you are a fan of 3D and immersive experiences.

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Show Transcription

[00:00:04] David: Hey everyone, this is David Allen Lambert, and I’m with Terri O’Connell we’re your Virtual Historians. We’re here for another fun, exciting adventure down the world of virtual history, using all sorts of technology and actually this episode is starring Terri’s adventure in Chicago.

So I’m going to turn it over to Terri and you can Gogh ahead and tell us what you did.

[00:00:28] Terri: That was awesome. So we played tourist about a month ago and we went to the Van Gogh Exhibit Chicago down in the city towards the Chicago History Museum. This was the best 3d virtual experience I’ve ever witnessed. I will tell you, I am not normally a big art fan. I don’t like going to the art museum. I find it very boring. 

[00:00:52] David: Sure

[00:00:53] Terri: I don’t want to sit there and think about what they were trying to tell me. Just tell me what you want. I’m not good into interpretive stuff.

[00:01:02] David: Okay. 

[00:01:03] Terri: So. 

[00:01:06] David: Did you have to wear a headset?

[00:01:09] Terri: No, no headset, literally it was projection on all the walls around you and on the floor. 

[00:01:16] David: Oh, immersive then.

[00:01:17] Terri: Completely immersive. I think it was like four different rooms and we sat in a couple different rooms to get different views of it. It was absolutely amazing to see these pictures transform as they, they went on because it was like, if it was the painting, if the painting was a picture of a tree with all these things going around, it’s like the tree would start first and then other things that start to appear around it.

So it totally gave you the feeling of, he was actually sitting there painting it for you and on some of the pictures the recording was so close that you could see the brushstrokes. 

[00:02:02] David: Oh really?

[00:02:02] Terri: I found it really fascinating that you could just see how it swirled, in the colors, mixing together, the whites and the reds becoming pink.

Absolutely amazing. Again, not an art fan, but anything like this, I definitely would Gogh and see it again. Now, here’s the interesting thing I learned because I did post about it on Facebook with some pictures and in the Netherlands his stuff is there’s no copyrights on it, so his work can be reproduced.

But I guess now, like whoever’s put this light show together. The copyright is on the show itself, not on the work. Right? Does that make sense? 

[00:02:44] David: The style.

[00:02:45] Terri: Yeah, but just the absolutely coolest thing. And now that we we’re doing this well, I want to say, you know, weekly every other week, but you know, when we have a chance, my thought process, as I sat there, wasn’t just about, wow, this art’s amazing and it’s great that you could see these brush strokes. I was thinking, how did they do this? How did they film it? How are they making it work? 

There was one point where you started at a top of a picture and it scanned down and it was a brick wall. And you literally felt almost like you were on the Tower of Terror coming down.

[00:03:23] David: Oh really, that’s strange.

[00:03:25] Terri: I was like, oh, you know yeah, but I’m telling you well, worth going to see. I know here in Chicago they have different ticket levels. They have a regular entry and VIP entry. I think here at off-peak hours and starting at $39.99 and peak is $49.99, but they also have VIP. So they pretty much walk you in, give you a lanyard, give you a bag of goodies.

So we have, cause we did VIP. We have three Van Gogh, posters. I don’t know what I’m doing with them. They’re all sitting in my room. And then some seat cushions, which there, it was very much appreciated, like, because you’re sitting on like. Almost like wooden squares just to make for everybody.

And then they had a couple of chairs. So my daughter, you know, she’s like, oh, this is definitely a big difference, but I’ve used them here and I’m like at home, on my swing in the back and I’m like, oh, that’s, it’s not enough comfort for me. The swing is better. Yeah. But again, truly, truly fascinating. I know if you watch on Facebook, a lot of people are starting to post about it. Oh, we just got tickets. Oh, it’s coming here.

[00:04:40] David: Yeah, it’s coming to Boston again. Apparently it was already, 

[00:04:43] Terri: I don’t know if it was here, if it was there or if it’s just coming. I know like people have said they’re getting tickets. I’ve seen that in my friends list. 

[00:04:51] David: Yeah. I’ll have to check it out. It sounds fascinating. I think it’s arriving in December or January. 

[00:04:56] Terri: Highly recommended it. And you don’t need all day. I mean, honestly, if you watch it in one room and you’re good. Going in the other rooms, it’s just going to give you a different visions because honestly, there’s one part where it’s a sun and the sun comes up on the side and goes down on this end and then it keeps moving around the room.

[00:05:16] David: I started an art installation. I was kind of like that at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington. Gosh, it must have been about two or three years back now. Back when we all traveled. It was like you walked into the room and art was like all around you. And it was almost very trippy, like sixties, but it wasn’t like psychedelic or trippy. It was just kind of just the use of the color and the lights and flowers and things like that. It was very immersive. Vincent Van Gogh is definitely an amazing 19th century artists and someone I would definitely check out. So that is cool.

It is cool. 

[00:05:54] Terri: And I honestly, I didn’t really, I mean, I didn’t know much about him, but he cut his ear off, right? That was it. That’s what I knew .Again, art was never my thing. I just.

[00:06:08] David: Are you one of those kids who just drew stick figures?

[00:06:12] Terri: Yeah. And they’re bad and they’re bad. 

[00:06:17] David: Can we have a virtual walkthrough of Terri stick figures on the next episode of virtual, has it, we’re going to actually make you want to return your virtual headset as you walked through Terri’s art gallery. 

[00:06:28] Terri: I will tell you this, my senior year I took an art class and I did a lot better.

And I do have some cool things from it. A couple of cool things, but it just was never my cup of tea. Again, I don’t like having to interpret what somebody is trying to say. It just was never, I mean, the same with poetry, it just, it never caught me, like give me a book, tell me what it is. I’ll visualize myself.

[00:06:51] David: Well, you’re a Genealogist and historian. Facts are important. 

[00:06:54] Terri: Exactly good point. Good point. Good point.

[00:06:58] David: You don’t think in abstract.

[00:07:00] Terri: I don’t. I don’t. So it was really cool. I do have a lot of videos and pictures and I’m going to, pardon me, My eyes hurt. It’s getting late here. I’m going to actually pull them all together and set them up on our Patreon page (coming soon) because we’re going to get that moving.

So if you want to see some background stuff. You’ll be able to get it. I’ve got quite a few little video clips I did, and many pictures because they were very much take pictures, take videos do as you wish. And I was like, wow, that’s really weird. 

[00:07:30] David: So you’re going to have to offer one of those posters or seat cushions to a Patreon member who gets us another Patreon member.

[00:07:40] Terri: There you go. We can have a little contest.

Yeah. Yeah, no, I will tell you and I have, I’ve not seen this yet, but the Sistine Chapel also has a exhibit here in Chicago. You go in, you walk in and it’s just like, you’re walking in through the chapel. I’ve never been there. That’s next year’s plans, hopefully. But we have 

[00:08:04] David: You don’t want to ruin it.

[00:08:06] Terri: I’m still going to go because what happens if COVID is still around and I can’t go.

So I’m going to make sure I go and see it just in case. You’re not allowed to video and take pictures there. And I will tell you this, my oldest went to Italy, her senior year, and this was just when the smart phones were coming out and she literally had hers on record and held it like this.

So it was facing up and took a little video and sent it to me. She’s like, “mommy, I knew you would want to see this.” 

[00:08:35] David: Oh, that’s amazing.

[00:08:36] Terri: I was like, oh, you’re such a bad girl. 

[00:08:38] David: I actually, videotaped years ago in the White House when you’re not supposed to have my smartphone and I’m like, you know, the carpet where the president walks down, like, Hey. I’m like, oh, I’m not supposed to do this, but I didn’t delete the video. 

[00:08:52] Terri: Oh, that’s good. It’s like second nature now. Right? Like you have to capture everything you’re doing. You gotta get a selfie. You gotta check yourself in. You’ve done this. You’ve done that. 

[00:09:04] David: I’m not the one that takes pictures of all their food though. There are some friends who would take a picture of every meal and I’m like, is it less calories? 

[00:09:11] Terri: I only do that if I’m traveling because that’s a good like look at all the great food we had, like on the cruise ship, I definitely take pictures of my food.

[00:09:21] David: That’s where you’re about to go cruising again. Aren’t you? Congratulations, welcome to the world of travel again. But on that note, if you haven’t gone traveling lately and you have that travel itch, Terri, why don’t you tell him about the exciting news for next year and the year after next? 

[00:09:42] Terri: So next year, David and I are doing a transatlantic September the second. I believe it’s the second or the fourth. So we’re going from Copenhagen to New York City. It’s 15 days. It hits Ireland. And it’s what, what’s the anniversary in Ireland? 

[00:10:03] David: Hundredth anniversary? 

[00:10:04] Terri: Yes. Yes. So that’ll be exciting to be able to step on the grounds. 

I think it’s Cobh and Belfast, I believe. 

[00:10:13] David: Oh Belfast and Cobh.. 

[00:10:14] Terri: And then it goes to the ASR. So it’ll be exciting. So we’ll get to see a couple of new places. Have some on ship learning, but also time to enjoy the ship. And maybe if there’s time or any great stories out there, we might do some recording for Virtual Historians on the ship as well.

So that should, that should be really fun. We’re fun to travel with. Then in 2023, March of 2023, March 12th, to be exact. We are doing the Caribbean with Cheri Hudson Passey’s, GenFriends. Within that group, it’ll be Cheri, Laura Hedgecock, and Dan Earl. 

So we’re going to the Caribbean 

[00:11:02] David: warm weather.

[00:11:03] Terri: I don’t remember all the ports off the top of my head, but Jamaica was one of them. And I think that one’s out of Fort Lauderdale. 

So that’ll be fun. I, and that one we’ll be doing two days of learning. While we’re at sea. And then in the evenings, if people would like consultations, we’ll set some of those up. And again, maybe some recordings here or maybe Cheri might do some recordings for her GenFriends. I’m not sure what her plan is for that.

So that should be a fun one too. They’re a fun group. If you haven’t watched any other videos. Again, that’s on a genealogy side of things. Right now they’re covering Relative Race week to week with some of the participants or past participants.

So that’s always good. But that’s a good show to watch as well. So lots of great things coming ahead for us.

[00:11:54] David: Hey, if you have ideas for an episode or you think that you’d like to be on the show, we’re always looking for exciting new stories and exciting new guests. So please keep us informed of what you’re doing. May it be archeology, history, genealogy, virtual reality, or any of the above. Let us know.

Well, I think that’s about wraps up this episode of Virtual Historians. And don’t forget, you can reach us at virtualhistorians.com or VR historians on Twitter. And I know you can also reach us on what else, Terri. 

[00:12:30] Terri: Oh, everywhere. We’re everywhere. We’re on Instagram or on Facebook. We’ve started Patrion.

It’s not really up and running, but it will be hopefully by the end of this week, if I get it done before I leave.

[00:12:43] David: Hope to see some of you folks on our upcoming cruise with Terri and I and others. But more importantly, we hope to see you on our next episode. So to spread the word, we really appreciate you.

And until next time we’re virtually yours, have a good night.