Hi there! Thank you so much for visiting my site! My name is Meredith Massey, and I am currently enrolled at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro as a Studio Art major.

Ever since I was young, Van Gogh has been one of my favorite painters of all time. His use of color, his simple subject matter, and his unique perception of the world intruiged me. When I would then go on to study his personal life, his paintings meant all the more to me. Van Gogh turned the "ugliness and chaos of his life into beauty and controlled power," and we have the privilege of seeing just that in his artwork today (Hershman, 175).

As someone who is passionate about mental health awareness, and the importance of art, Van Gogh is the perfect subject for my research. He exemplifies the tragic artist with his "rejected endeavors, mental illness, and suicide" (Hershman 174). His struggles bring to light the cultural view of "madness," and the lack of knowledge surrounding mental illnesses, especially manic-depressive disorder. His creativity, despite his illnesses, brought forth research that would introduce "the belief that artists are more susceptible to a range of mental illnesses..." (Adams). Despite the fact that Van Gogh hardly valued his life or his work, he would become one of the most beloved painters to date, and rightly so.

I truly hope that after exploring this website you will fully understand this pain that existed behind Van Gogh's passion. Thank you for reading!