Between The Clock And The Bed

The Norwegian Master, Edvard Munch, Comes To Sfmoma

“THE CAMERA CANNOT COMPETE WITH PAINTING as long as it cannot be used in heaven or hell.” Enough said, now get to SFMOMA and view the fjords of art made by Edvard Munch, who spoke those words and had the ability to contain such vision and emotion within a frame. Between the Clock and the Bed, the title painting of the show, speaks to the hope, dread and resignation that can greet the morning and haunt the night. Each of the 45 pieces sizzle and weep with colors that transform and transcend figuration. And, by the way, Van Gogh wasn’t the only artist to master a breathtaking Starry Night. Associate Director of Painting and Sculpture at SFMOMA, Caitlin Haskell, answered my questions about the prolific Edvard Munch.

Gwynned Vitello: It wasn’t a surprise to read that Munch believed illness, anxiety and fear were integral to himself and his art, that, “They are indistinguishable from me.” It’s as though he had a compulsion to make art. What do we know about him wanting to make art, and what guided his style?

Caitlin Haskell: Once Munch made the decision to pursue art, roughly when he was 19-20 years old, he absolutely approached it with a fervor that you could say verged on compulsion. But, it’s interesting... I hesitate to use the word “compulsion” because it suggests his creativity was fueled primarily by tragedy, which makes for a gripping story, but is also a bit misleading in that it doesn’t actually explain the forcefulness of his work.