movie playing. You can see it there on the left-hand side of the canvas. Well, you can almost see it. Notice how the canvas is divided nearly in half. To the left, the film that's playing, the backs of seats, dim lights above. To the right, a young woman in an usher's uniform leans against the wall near the exit door. Down the center, some nice architectural detailing of the kind you won't find in movie theaters these days, and a solid almost black mass divide the picture, cut it in half, separating the usher from the audience. What's an usher? Something else they don't have in movie theaters anymore. A person who would direct you to your seat. Notice that she's not watching the movie. She's probably seen it 100 times already. She's pondering something. Pondering it very deeply. Lost in her thoughts, we would say. What could she be thinking about so deeply? Don't know. The artist doesn't give us a clue. Perhaps she's thinking about the young man she loves. Or maybe she's thinking about the young man who doesn't love her anymore. Maybe she's planning a night out with friends. Or a night in by herself. Maybe there have been a lot of nights in by herself. Maybe her life is one endless chain of work and a solitary dinner and a lonely bed in an empty apartment. Maybe the thought of one more quiet night alone fills her with despair, the kind of despair that leads one to apathy. She certainly does not appear to be overly interested in anything around her. Perhaps the monotony of her quotidian routine has sapped all of the joy from her life. Then again, maybe I'm just full of beans. Maybe there's nothing wrong with her at all. Take another look at the painting. Notice that the right-hand side - the place where she is standing - is filled with light and color, while the rest of the painting is lost in shadows. The people in the theater are sitting alone in the darkness watching someone else's life unfold on the screen before them. She is standing in the light considering the events of her own life. Now look at her feet. This girl may be wearing an usher's uniform, but those are party shoes one her feet, shoes that are made for the dance floor, not for walking the darkened aisles of a movie theater. Those shoes seem to say, "I'm ready for dancing!" Those shoes speak of a night on the town. They speak, not of despair, but of hope.
Monday, January 16, 2012
New York Movie
Submitted for your approval - a painting by Edward Hopper. It's called New York Movie. Indeed, there is a 
movie playing. You can see it there on the left-hand side of the canvas. Well, you can almost see it. Notice how the canvas is divided nearly in half. To the left, the film that's playing, the backs of seats, dim lights above. To the right, a young woman in an usher's uniform leans against the wall near the exit door. Down the center, some nice architectural detailing of the kind you won't find in movie theaters these days, and a solid almost black mass divide the picture, cut it in half, separating the usher from the audience. What's an usher? Something else they don't have in movie theaters anymore. A person who would direct you to your seat. Notice that she's not watching the movie. She's probably seen it 100 times already. She's pondering something. Pondering it very deeply. Lost in her thoughts, we would say. What could she be thinking about so deeply? Don't know. The artist doesn't give us a clue. Perhaps she's thinking about the young man she loves. Or maybe she's thinking about the young man who doesn't love her anymore. Maybe she's planning a night out with friends. Or a night in by herself. Maybe there have been a lot of nights in by herself. Maybe her life is one endless chain of work and a solitary dinner and a lonely bed in an empty apartment. Maybe the thought of one more quiet night alone fills her with despair, the kind of despair that leads one to apathy. She certainly does not appear to be overly interested in anything around her. Perhaps the monotony of her quotidian routine has sapped all of the joy from her life. Then again, maybe I'm just full of beans. Maybe there's nothing wrong with her at all. Take another look at the painting. Notice that the right-hand side - the place where she is standing - is filled with light and color, while the rest of the painting is lost in shadows. The people in the theater are sitting alone in the darkness watching someone else's life unfold on the screen before them. She is standing in the light considering the events of her own life. Now look at her feet. This girl may be wearing an usher's uniform, but those are party shoes one her feet, shoes that are made for the dance floor, not for walking the darkened aisles of a movie theater. Those shoes seem to say, "I'm ready for dancing!" Those shoes speak of a night on the town. They speak, not of despair, but of hope.
movie playing. You can see it there on the left-hand side of the canvas. Well, you can almost see it. Notice how the canvas is divided nearly in half. To the left, the film that's playing, the backs of seats, dim lights above. To the right, a young woman in an usher's uniform leans against the wall near the exit door. Down the center, some nice architectural detailing of the kind you won't find in movie theaters these days, and a solid almost black mass divide the picture, cut it in half, separating the usher from the audience. What's an usher? Something else they don't have in movie theaters anymore. A person who would direct you to your seat. Notice that she's not watching the movie. She's probably seen it 100 times already. She's pondering something. Pondering it very deeply. Lost in her thoughts, we would say. What could she be thinking about so deeply? Don't know. The artist doesn't give us a clue. Perhaps she's thinking about the young man she loves. Or maybe she's thinking about the young man who doesn't love her anymore. Maybe she's planning a night out with friends. Or a night in by herself. Maybe there have been a lot of nights in by herself. Maybe her life is one endless chain of work and a solitary dinner and a lonely bed in an empty apartment. Maybe the thought of one more quiet night alone fills her with despair, the kind of despair that leads one to apathy. She certainly does not appear to be overly interested in anything around her. Perhaps the monotony of her quotidian routine has sapped all of the joy from her life. Then again, maybe I'm just full of beans. Maybe there's nothing wrong with her at all. Take another look at the painting. Notice that the right-hand side - the place where she is standing - is filled with light and color, while the rest of the painting is lost in shadows. The people in the theater are sitting alone in the darkness watching someone else's life unfold on the screen before them. She is standing in the light considering the events of her own life. Now look at her feet. This girl may be wearing an usher's uniform, but those are party shoes one her feet, shoes that are made for the dance floor, not for walking the darkened aisles of a movie theater. Those shoes seem to say, "I'm ready for dancing!" Those shoes speak of a night on the town. They speak, not of despair, but of hope.
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