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few weeks ago they asked I write an article on a painting by Hopper and the Nighthawks and I, being a good researcher, went to find out. Since it is generally known or at the very least, learned from experience, that to comprehend a painting it is necessary to know the history of the painting and the painter, and, most importantly, the context within the context in which Hopper painted it. Art is certainly an universal thing, that transcends time and space, making it readable after hundreds of years. The meanings are subject to change as the world and society change and what was once able to be easily seen, maybe decades later, is no longer as obvious. What was never considered prior to is now revealing our work in a totally different manner.Re-defining a work over timeThis is a bit like what I imagine happens when you see Hopper's " Nighthawks", closed at the bar, late at night, in that window that resembles an aquarium, from the same position as the characters he who were observed.I think that in this painting, Hopper would have wanted to provide space to the viewer, allowing him to look at the silent tranquil, precise and serene scene that we are presented by the dark night.<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lKIbT-4UFaE" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>The space, designed to be a place for active viewing, is perhaps the keystone, which allows the painting to be changed throughout time and, consequently, to be timeless, immortal and even contemporary.The painting, made in 1942, isn't immediately attributable to a precise date However, it is believed that the date of its creation can change with the change of the viewer, according to the moment at the period in which the work is viewed.I believe this is the key to reading, the space that is occupied to the reader Hopper desired to create.I'll explain.In my research for information and news about Hopper's " Nighthawks" I was able to observe how many describe it by highlighting these elements:"[...] the loneliness, the sense of emptyness of an environment whose glistening patina is beginning to fade. [...] The distinctively commercial essence, the false myths take off their masks and show an unrealized reality, devoid of any valid reference points in the face of uncertainty and unconscience. "The night and the transformationI am of the opinion that this interpretation is not complete and, therefore, it is an interpretation given in the context of society as well as by the dating associated with the work: the United States between the 40s and 50s, in the economic boom that redefined social and cultural assets in the lives of individuals, a society that is even a little bourgeois, where nightclubs are viewed as places of solitude and despair, as well as a sense of emptiness.This is somewhat true and it's not the whole truth.The first time I came across this painting, without having studied it, it brought me a lot of joy and peace, with its bright contrast and nighttime stillness.Perhaps, as a resident of an extremely noisy and crowded metropolis, the night is one of the times that I am able to enjoy the city more calmly there are fewer people, fewer cars as well as less noise. There are also more space between the streets to appropriate, which place to rest under the city's starless sky. The night is a different meaning for me from those who went to bars in The United States during the 40s as the sun's path down and the city is transformed into its face, streets become more open and easy.We must not forget how society has evolved through more than a half century of cultural and social shifts, in between Pop as well as Rock culture, between popular psychedelic scene as well as the decade 2000.<img width="476" src=" |
