What is it about Sunflowers?
“Then you're left in the dust
Unless I stuck by ya
You're the sunflower
I think your love would be too much”
– Sunflower; Post Malone and Swae Lee
Post Malone with sunflowers – by Vincent Van Gogh
Perhaps this is how Van Gogh would have painted Post Malone and their sunflowers should they have met. Both are rock-stars in their own right – Posty shot to stardom with ‘Sunflower’ and Van Gogh… no, wait. Van Gogh only sold one painting in his lifetime; his Sunflower painting was only sold almost a century after he died. – for $40 million!
I counted myself lucky for the opportunity to visit the Van Gogh exhibition and watch Post Malone perform live in the same week and couldn’t help but think if it was pure coincidence or is this some sort of sign pointing me to … the sunflower?
The Van Gogh exhibition also featured an evening of classical music performance by a string quartet.
So I bought myself a fresh stalk of sunflower. What is it about this petalled muse that inspired artists and a song in its name? A week later, the flower wilted. The questions in my head were left unanswered.
I could have sprinkled sunflower trivia here and go on about how Van Gogh’s Sunflower paintings symbolised gratitude, but I shan’t. In due time, the answer will present itself.