Notes

Malding Like Crazy: Lessons From The Mega Stars
A few weeks ago, they requested for me to compose an essay about the work of Hopper and one of the Nighthawks, and I, as a good researcher, went to inform me. Because malding is known or at the very least, learned from experience, that in order to appreciate a painting it is necessary to know the history of the painting as well as the artist and, most importantly, the setting in which he painted it. Art is certainly an universal thing, that transcends the space and time, which makes it accessible even over the course of many centuries. The meanings alter, as does the way society and the world change and what used to be seen clearly, possibly years later, is no longer so obvious. What was not considered before, today could reveal our work in a completely different way.

Re-defining a work over time
This 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 a fish tank, in the same position as the characters he observed.

I believe that , in the painting Hopper wanted to give space to the viewer, allowing him to observe the silent tranquil, precise and serene scene that we are presented by the darkness.

The space, designed to be a place for active viewing could be the keystone, which allows the painting to be reinterpreted over time and consequently to remain timeless, eternal and even modern.

The painting, made in 1942, isn't immediately attributable to an exact time period however it appears that its date can be altered according to the changes in the viewer, according to the exact time at which the piece is seen.


In my opinion this is what is essential to reading, the space that is occupied by the observer that Hopper wanted to create.

I'll explain.

In my research for information and news about Hopper's " Nighthawks" I was able see how people describe it by highlighting these elements:

"[...] the loneliness, the sense of being empty in the world that's shimmering patina begins to give way [...] The uniquely commercial element, the false myths take off their masks and show an unrealized reality, devoid of valid points of reference in the face of uncertainty and a lack of morality. "

Night and transformation
I am of the opinion that this interpretation is partial, that is, it's a interpretation provided by the social context and by the date that is attributed to the work: it was the United States between the 40s and 50s during the period of economic growth which redefined the social and cultural values in the life of people in a society that was even a bit bourgeois, where nightclubs are viewed as places of loneliness, despair and existential emptiness.

This is somewhat true and it's not the whole truth.

First time that I saw this painting, and without having studied, it gave me a lot of happiness and peace with its bright contrast and nighttime stillness.

If I'm from the midst of a huge, noisy and bustling city, nighttime is one of those times that I am able to enjoy the city more calmly with fewer people in the area more cars as well as less noise. There are also more space between the streets to make the most of, and which place to rest under the night sky that is starless. The night is a different meaning for me from the people who drank in bars across the United States during the 40s as the sun's path down and the city is transformed into its face, the streets are more open and easy.

We cannot ignore how society has changed through more than a half century of social and cultural changes. This is the case between Pop and Rock culture, and between the psychedelic movement as well as the decade 2000.

Personally, as a daughter in the 90s, I have also grown up at night and by that I am referring to every one of the "formative" experiences that the night gave me. For me it is always normal to go out at night, often walking through the streets, and on Saturdays , looking for the most memorable nightclub, dancing till dawn and riding around on a motorbike or car to locate the last open bar where you can grab a bread or hot pizza, where to drink the last glass of wine and light the last cigarette before dawn was set. Perhaps from the 80s to the present, nightlife stopped from frightening those who stayed home (let's take a look at the anti-prohibitionism movement and jazz movement and the Cursed Poets who were all great evening owls) and it has become the place where many of the prominent personalities of society find the tranquility and security of the other night hawks.


Hopper's contemporary realism
Nowadays Hopper's painting reminds me of many scenes of real modern life. It makes me feel satisfied and sympathetic, with the three main characters, who exchange an exchange of words while the bartender clears the bar in order to conclude the day and then open another. People who are nocturnal seek peace in the quiet of the nocturnal company, meditate on their lives observing their surroundings through a glass, and gather as a tribe of the night, welcoming everyone , and never judging anyone. It's no accident that in the most ancient civilisations, such as the Indian one the hour and a half before sunrise is known as Brahmamuhurta or the time of Brahma, the best moment to commit oneself to meditation, prayer, study and introspection. This is the time of day when the energy levels are higher, intense but of a calm, spiritual intensity.

I see no solitude or empty space in Hopper's painting. I saw more of it in the gentrified streets of the night quarters, since even the right-thinking people started going out at night.

In other words, the most famous and oldest neighborhoods had to be transformed into showcases for the consumer as well as the spontaneous aggregations of people in the square had to arrange their groups in line waiting to get their turn; and the music of the drums on the other side of the street was silenced by the police sirens. This is what worries me today because the night is desnatured by its sacred timeless atmosphere as an occasion of aggregation for lone wolves, and becoming an additional uncovering tool of the system, demanding the highest level of professionalism and clarity even in the most secluded corners in the city.




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