A Creative Take: Exploring Van Gogh’s World ‘Cafe Terrace at Night’
By Presha Mehta
I stood on a cobblestone street mesmerised by a dull, gold glow. The chill in the air carries a scent of freshly made bread. Warm and buttery, I can sense its trail from the kitchen out to the patio. The sound of my footsteps as I walk into the cafe brings the city of Arles to life.
Compelled by the constellation, I turn my head to the night sky, squinting my eyes to focus on the rhythmic gleam of each star. With stars still clouding my vision, the subtending lines of each building pull my gaze forward. The faint strumming of the guitar echoes through the street; singers harmonise in a language I do not recognise. Each note greets my ears, flowing through me, from my head to my toes.
I notice the group of cafe-goers in front of me. Although the chair beside me is empty, I am comforted by the soft embrace of indistinct chatter. I am simply a quiet observer, enjoying the people-watching. I feel at peace. For once, entirely present.
The impressionist lines that once subtended from my laptop screen retreat to their pixel form, creeping back to their rectangular confinement. I am forced back to my reality, in my room. In hindsight, it was probably time to sleep, but I wanted to go back to Arles.
I tried to close my eyes and take myself back. I hummed the tune out loud again and tried to surround myself with the wafting scent of the bread. Nothing seemed to work. The ephemeral experience of being transported into Vincent Van Gogh’s ‘Cafe Terrace at Night’ will be a perennial moment of my life. A moment where I could feel alive and breathing in a work of art.
There I was, sat in silence, mildly overwhelmed, trying to comprehend what I had just experienced. All I could see was Van Gogh’s impasto strokes decorating my walls, and the sharp chiaroscuro of the candle on my bedside.
It felt as though I was just discovering what it meant to be an artist, in a phase of my life completely devoid of art; as if someone had found the ‘off’ switch to my creative drive.
As artists, we are inherent observers; we study, notice and curate. Refining and shaping narratives that have the power to command people’s attention. We build bridges between worlds, connecting the intricate invisible strings to engulf viewers in our ‘mini-worlds’ that often go unnoticed. We have been bestowed with the ability to make people feel and experience a version of our reality, things that often go unnoticed.
As I continue to render my world, one layer at a time, I keep ‘Cafe Terrace at Night’ close to my heart as a reminder of my creative power and purpose, reigniting the once-faltering flame of my passion for art and inspiring me to capture beauty in the mundane. I use my art as a medium to connect, advocate for change and celebrate my experiences on this Earth.
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