Reviews and Comments
Reviews
From the September 1998 issue of Gadfly Magazine:
Thousands will be flocking to see the Van Gogh exhibition at the National Gallery of Art this fall. But if you can't make it to Washington, D.C. to see "Van Gogh's Van Goghs," you'll want the next best thing-the CDrom Vincent van Gogh: Straight from the Heart. With more than a dozen options to click on there's enough on this CDrom to keep you busy during the four-month exhibition. It has four hours of spoken excerpts from Vincent's letters to his art dealing brother Theo and contains interactive elements which help illustrate Vincent's ideas and working processes (maybe Theo would have tried more vigorously to sell his brother's work if he had this program!). During the 12 minute "Potato Eaters" sequence, for example, you can access over 70 related drawings and paintings while listening to Vincent's words being read by moving the cursor around the painting. All in all, there are over 400 color paintings, 300 drawings and over 100 photos documenting his life and times. A CDrom like this might have made up for the lost ear. Too bad Vincent didn't have a computer. -JRW
From Mark Harden's Artchive:...Whatever your background "Straight from the Heart" will almost certainly please you. Regardless of whether your interest is academic or perhaps you just think that Van Gogh's works are "cool", you'll find something interesting and enjoyable on this CD-ROM... ...The final word--Chris Engel has been working on "Straight from the Heart" for years and his dedication is abundantly clear. This CD is, without question in my mind, by far the best Van Gogh CD-ROM available. It's an absolute must-have for any Van Gogh enthusiast. -David Brooks, The Van Gogh Information Gallery
See the complete review at Mark Hardens Artchive http://www.artchive.com/cdrom/vincent/cd_vincent.html
From Credible Computer Magazine Review
by Matthew Beale
"Vincent Van Gogh: Straight From The Heart" Vincent Van Gogh, who has permanently altered the world culture, never seems far away, in a sense, and for those of us in the U.S., he currently seems even closer than ever. The National Gallery of Art is hosting a major exhibition of his works entitled "Van Gogh's Van Goghs," which opened on October 4, and will run through January 3, 1999. For a wonderful multimedia excursion into the life of this absolutely brilliant man and his work, Vincent Van Gogh: Straight From The Heart is a must have, and probably my favorite software gift choice for this holiday season. Highlighting this presentation on CD-ROM is 4 hours of readings and narration, along with 450 paintings, and 350 drawings. The readings section begins with a biographic narrative on the life of the artist as a young, forming man, complete with accompanying photographs, and flows into the letters that formed the fantastic exchange between Vincent and his brother Theo, utilizing examples of the period as well as Van Gogh's own works. It was this unique and intense relationship with his brother that was probably a substantial portion of Vincent's foundation and thus his creative excursions, and was memorialized in Robert Altman's exceptional film, "Vincent &Theo." The painting and drawing sections are catalogued chronologically, and form a nice presentation of these inspired works. There is also a Craft/Technique section of the program that explores the artist's creative processes. This program is highly recommended for students, artists, art lovers, everyone.
Matthew Beale, The Credible Computer Magazine Seasonal Shopping Guide
User Comments:
Dear Mr.. Engel:
I have used you CD-ROM for almost a year now
and I'm still enjoying it. I particularly enjoy looking at the photographs
and comparing them to the final painting. It is also interesting to see
the drawings and painting of the same scene and study the changes. If
you plan on creating another
CD-ROM about another artist, I can promise you at least one customer...
Thanks again for creating a first class product.
Sincerely,
Steven Gamble
Dear Chris Engel,
This is an e-mail from two satisfied - very satisfied - customers in Denmark. We bought your van Gogh CD-rom last year and like it a lot. As we are very art-minded and interested ... - we certainly recommend it ever so often.Best wishes and thanks from
John & Anita Christensen--Denmark
Hi Chris,
the Van Gogh class just got underway. Students in Iceland, Japan, Guam, Turkey, Bahrain, Germany, Spain, etc. So far - so good. The CD Rom well received.....I will keep you posted.
Also - if I have not said this before - can't remember. You have done a magnificant job. The CD Rom is truly outstanding...
[in a later email...]
.....we are one week into the course and the
response to your CDRom is overwhelming.....They love it.......
Hope all is well.....
Jean Mandola, Art History Department--University of Maryland, Germany