Tuesday, July 14, 2009

I'm dancing with the stars, if by dancing you mean stumbling and if by stars you mean Vicodin.

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Today for the first time since moving to the USA, I visited the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg. What took me so long? I simply cannot believe this gem has been missed. I knew there was a small Gallery but I was not quite prepared for just how nice it is.

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Some of the beautiful surroundings at St.Petersburg.


Off I set out this bright, sunny Tampa morning, (they are all like that) and with my friend Gaby made the 20 minute drive over picturesque waterways to St.Petes.

Clearly having our priorities in order, we stopped first at the Museum Cafe. Food before Art darlings! We sat next to 3 storey high floor to ceiling windows and enjoyed the waterfront view while enjoying some very fine comestibles indeed. Finally, a place to go for excellent cappucino in the USA!

It was all rather posh and more than a tad cultural. I was happy as a pig in mud. It's not quite the National Gallery of Victoria, but it is a refreshing Oasis in a sometimes desolate cultural desert.

I always complain about the Floridians gadding about in the thong-t-shirt-tight shorts uniform, but today was quite taken aback by the sartorial elegance of the museum going folk. Asymetrical separates, large pieces of unusual jewelery, arty hair dos. It was not quite Brunswick Street, more like it's mild mannered US cousin. Where did these people come from? Do they go about the streets in the usual Florida wear because I know I NEVER see people like this as I flit around town. Perhaps they garb themselves in the ensembluhs so painfully familiar to me and then have a secret stash of stylish clothes hidden in the cupboard for their museum visits. It was very pleasing to see such colourfully attired people after so long staring at chubby thighs wobbling down the street before me.

Currently, an Andy Warhol exhibition is being held so off we went to view the Campbell's soup can and other works by the infamous Pop Artist. I began happily taking snaps until being very politely informed that it was not allowed. Shame, but I had already taken a picture of a Campbell's Soup can and a Marilyn Monroe portrait. It was rather special having seen these ultra famous works up close.


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Warhol is almost as famous for his bons mots as for his Art. What a strange, interesting man he was.




In January the Museum will be holding a retrospective exhibition entitled, 'The Baroque World of Fernando Botero'. I rather like his flat, Diego Rivera style paintings. Botero's signature large, avoirdupois figures are striking in a block like way.

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All animals are cuter when fat. Fact.



7 comments:

  1. I really like Botero's work. How fortunate are you to view an exhibit.

    'Food before Art darling' That's brilliant! Put it on a t-shirt Countess!

    Mx

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  2. I'm not a fan of Botero (sorry) but I am a fan of Warhol and his relatives the Dandy Warhols - Courtney Taylor-Taylor woof woof...grrrr....grrrrrr.

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  3. Courtney Taylor Taylor is very Dandy indeed.

    I don't know what it is about Botero but I am mad for those chubby figures. Patrizia, don't you just want to pinch the fat rolls on that chubby horse????

    Putting food before art too much will have me looking like a figure from a Botero. :(

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  4. No I don't as it reminds me of FH and the thought of pinching her jelly rolls is disturbing.

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  5. FH has had a bried hiatus from our gossip, but I am glad to see it's all over.

    I visited her blog today. Did you see the pic of FH with the Romance is Born cape? More like Romance just Died. Why is the lassie hunched over with her head, seemingly attached to a stumpy torso sans neck, thrust forward and with arms spread out like a bat? Why?? Why??? Whyyyyy?

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  6. She thinks she looks hot otherwise she wouldn't be posing like Quasimodo x Oompa loompa.

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  7. PISS MYSELF LAUGHING!! You two are hilarious!

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