This past weekend, I was fortunate to be coerced into doing something that normally I rarely do in my free time: go to the North Carolina Museum of Art. I was very glad I went when I realized how great a time it is right now to go to the museum. I am referring to two specific exhibits that are currently featured at the museum: “The Worlds of M.C. Escher: Nature, Science, and Imagination” and “Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Leicester and the Creative Mind.” Both of these exhibits are incredible, for different reasons, and you should go see them.
“The Worlds of M.C. Escher: Nature, Science, and Imagination” is my favorite exhibit of the two. This exhibit is very extensive and features many works of art by M.C. Escher who is famous for his prints, and many of his most famous works are showcased in the exhibit. Anyone who grew up around the same time as me is familiar with many of Escher’s works whether he or she realizes it or not. His works are frequently used in textbooks for elementary through high school students. It is important to go see an exhibit like this because it is very different from what you might expect from an art museum exhibit and features a very different form of art and artist.
As previously mentioned, Escher is quite famous for his prints rather than what you may expect from an artist like paintings, drawings or sculptures. This is a particularly unique form of art and is worth looking into, especially if you have never seen something like that before. Escher himself is also different from what you may think about when you think of famous artists, in large part because he lived so recently. Escher died in 1972, making him a fairly contemporary artist. These factors make the Escher exhibit worth looking into, and you will find yourself recognizing a lot of his works from your time in grade school.
The second exhibit “Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Leicester and the Creative Mind” is also very interesting, but for different reasons. Firstly, everyone has heard of Leonardo da Vinci, and having the opportunity to see some of his notes and sketches in the exhibit is quite a privilege. Secondly, the exhibit is exactly that: a collection of notes and sketches from da Vinci. Again, this is not the kind of thing you expect to see at the art museum and makes for a very intriguing experience. I learned many interesting facts about the notes from the exhibit, and it was surreal to see notes and sketches from a historical figure who we all know so much about and have seen images of before. To see those notes in person was a valuable experience.
It’s easy to get caught up in the fast-paced media that has become so readily available today in the 21st century. However, we should all take the time needed to look into other forms of media, especially from the past. Art speaks to us in ways that Twitter can’t. This is a very important educational opportunity for students of today and even can be enjoyable, believe it or not. With free entry for college students on Friday nights, you really have no excuse not to go.
