Albrecht Durer / Jasper Johns Exhibits

Recently, I meant to add this post with my post about Spamalot, that I went to the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine arts (since I had a field trip to go to the Jasper John’s Exhibit at the Arts Center, which I wanted to anyhow so it worked out?) and they had a Durer Exhibit. Man I can tell you his work is incredibly meticulous, and amazing. The interaction the viewer is enabled goes a step further, with thanks to the museum giving people the ability you use a magnifying glass to examine the details, and even seeing the grain on the paper. I mean to me its like touching artwork. You can’t of course due to preservation of the images, but a piece you’re able to. You gently run your fingers across the canvas, paper, or medium and become attached somehow. Although your not physical able to do so, you are entwined with the ability to be up close and see Durer’s techniques, lines, and compositions. His work can be intimidating, especially if you’re into printmaking.

HOWEVER, people think I’m being cruel when I do this, but it’s not out of being cruel. Whenever I look at a piece, I admire it, then find mistakes, then admire it again. I’m not doing to say ‘ha they make mistakes or to make myself feel better’, its idea that it brings them a point to where I can admire them on an artist and admirer level. Since you know that there are those points where you can like something, then begin to critique as an artist. So it helps me keep me at the middle point where I can swing either way, but it helps me appreciate the work a bit more too. So it was an experience I will never forget, along with the exhibit they had with Ansel Adams earlier, that was great to be able to up close to master’s work like that.


The second one, was the Jasper Johns Exhibit the had at the Arts Center. I have of course hear of him, and knew his work from having an art history class back when I was in Key West, I knew his work, but was never a fan. Still, I felt it was great to see a modern artist’s work, to me he’s along the ranks of how Pollack is. It was cool to see his work in a setting.

So if you’re ever bored and need something to do I definitely recommend go seeing those exhibits, and to those places, they have amazing pieces and works often and if you need a bit of culture I’d recommend going.