Notes

Malding Better Than Guy Kawasaki Himself
a few weeks ago, they asked for me to compose an essay on one of the paintings by Hopper and the Nighthawks, and I, as a good researcher, went to learn more. It is well-known, or at least is learn by experience, that in order to appreciate a painting it is necessary to know the history of the painting, the author and above all the setting in which he painted it. Art is definitely something universal, transversal to both space and time which makes it is recognizable after many centuries. The interpretations, however, are subject to change as society and the world change and what used to be easily seen, maybe decades after, is not as obvious. What was not considered before, today could reveal the work to us in a totally different manner.

Re-meaning a work through time

It's a little like what I imagine happens when you see the work of Hopper's " Nighthawks" which was closed by the bar late in the night, in that window wich looks like the inside of a fish tank, in the position of characters that are observed.

I believe that , in this work, Hopper wanted to give space to the viewer, inviting viewers to take in the quiet serene, well-detailed and peaceful scene given to us by the darkness.

This space, conceived for an active audience, is perhaps the keystone, which allows the painting to be changed throughout time and, consequently, to remain timeless, indestructible and even contemporary.

The painting, made in 1942, is not immediately linked to a specific date, but it seems 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.

My opinion is that this is the key to reading, the time and space occupied to the reader Hopper desired to create.

I'll explain.

Researching information and news on Hopper's " Nighthawks" I was able to see how people describe the film by highlighting these aspects:

"[...] the loneliness, the sense of emptiness of the world that's shimmering patina begins to give way [...] The distinctly commercial character, the false myths take off their masks and show the world as a blurred reality, with no any valid reference points Isolated by doubt and a lack of morality. "

Night and transformation
I believe this interpretation is not complete which means that it is an interpretation given in the context of society and by the dating attributed to the work of it was the United States between the 40s and 50s, in the economic boom which redefined the social and cultural values in the lives of individuals in a society that was even a bit bourgeois where night bars are seen as places of isolation or despair.

It's true in a certain degree, and it's not the whole truth.

The first time I came across this painting, and without having studied, it gave me lots of peace and joy, thanks to its vibrant contrast and nocturnal stillness.

If I'm from an extremely noisy and crowded city, night is one of the moments when I can experience the city in a more peaceful way with fewer people in the area and fewer vehicles, less noise, more open spaces to make the most of, and where to stay , under the starless urban sky. The night is a different meaning for me than those who went to bars in the United States during the 40s: when the sun goes down and the city is transformed into its appearance, and streets become more open and simple.

malding is impossible to ignore the way society has transformed itself through more than a half century of cultural and social changes. This is the case that occurred between Pop and Rock culture, between popular psychedelic scene in the 1990s and 2000s.

Personally, as a daughter of the 90s, I grew up also at night and by that I mean all the "formative" experiences that the night brought me. For me , it's normal to go out after dark, often walking around the neighborhood, and on weekends, searching for the best party, dancing until the early hours while riding a motorbike, or car to find the last open bar where you can grab a hot pizza or croissant or hot pizza, and then where to sip the last glass and smoke the last puff before dawn arrived. From the 80s and onwards, the night stopped from frightening those who stayed the house (let's keep in mind the jazz movement, anti-prohibitionism and the notorious Cursed Poets, all perfect night owls) and has since become the cradle where many personalities are able to enjoy the tranquility and security of the other nightclubs.


Hopper's modern realist style
Today, Hopper's painting is reminiscent of a variety of scenes from contemporary life, and make me feel proud and in any case compassionate, especially with the last three characters, who exchange an exchange of words while the bartender clears the bar in order to conclude a day and open another. People who are nocturnal seek peace in the solitude of their nightly companions. They meditate on their lives observing them through a glass and form a group of the night, welcoming everyone and judging no one. It's not a coincidence that in the most ancient primitive civilizations like the Indian one, the time between midnight and sunrise is known as Brahmamuhurta or the time of Brahma which is the ideal time to dedicate oneself to meditation, prayer, study and introspection. In this space of time the energy levels are higher and intense, but they are of tranquil, spiritual intensity.

I see no solitude or absence in the painting of Hopper. I saw more of it in the gentrified streets of the night quarters, since even the right-thinking citizens began drinking in the evening.

In other words, the oldest and most popular neighborhoods had to be transformed into marketplaces for consumers as well as the spontaneous aggregations of people who gathered in the square had to arrange their groups in line waiting to get their turn while the sound of the drums on the other side of the street was drowned out by police sirens. It is a worry for me now, that the night is desnatured by its mystical, timeless ambience, by its being a moment of aggregation for lone wolves, and becoming an unintentional and productive element of the system, demanding the highest level of professionalism and clarity even in the darkest parts within the cities.


Here's my website: http://danklab.co.za/members/castbaker0/activity/99065/