Jakob L. Held
The Viewer’s Eye

I am a highly driven artist, always looking for ways to expand my knowledge and level of craftsmanship. Although I do not have a clear idea of my future, the one part that is clear to me is exploring my creativity and getting my hands dirty doing something that I love. I dream of becoming a creative of any kind. I believe that art is more than just self-expression and that it is a way to connect with the viewer.

In my art, I strive to catch the viewer’s eye and make them feel as though they are involved in the piece themselves rather than viewers just looking at it and walking away, taking away nothing from it. My goal is to make the piece last longer than the time they spend physically in front of it, whether that be 30 seconds or 30 minutes. I want the viewer to have a connection with the piece and feel as though it is alive.

I went to the Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt exhibit at the Neue Gallery on the Upper East Side. I had been staring at the famous portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, otherwise known as the Woman in Gold, for about 20 minutes, but as I walked away, I felt the piece behind me. It was indescribable. I was unable to pinpoint what I felt, but I still felt connected to the piece in a magical way. That is the connection that I aim to emulate within my work.