Hopper analysis at CityLit

I think many of us find a fascination in the life that is portrayed in many of Edward Hopper's paintings particularly the lonely city-scapes.

 On Saturday I spent most of the day finding out about Hopper, his paintings and what was going on in US painting at the time of his peak activity by courtesy  of Rachel Sanders who lead the class at City Lit.

Loneliness is significant in the city and countryside paintings -many have no people and even those where there are people there are often just a few lonely and disconnected people often uncomfortable couples - the railway and buildings are part of Hopper's vocabulary.

Ahead of the session I did a little research into the work he is famed for and was fascinated to learn of his antagonism to his wife and the nature of his misanthropic behaviour.

Josephine (Hopper's wife) seems to have resented to an extent the degree to which she sacrificed her own career to him and for Edward he appears to have resented that his life mirrored to an extent that of his parents and there unhappiness.

House at Dusk (1939)

Although Josephine was the model for many of the females that Edward depicted an element of an earlier love is part of the 'woman' he features in his works.  


We looked at the artist in the context of what was going in American art around the time of the depression (The Ashcan school was mentioned) -we didn't dwell on the sexual tension shown in many of the pictures or the often used 'lighthouse'- I suppose having visited Freud's London Museum earlier on the week I thought that such parts of his life would be significant.

Room in New York (1932)

Hopper spent a long time making studies for his work sometimes as many as 50 - there is a connection (which seems to work both ways) between the style of Hopper's paintings and ' Film Noir'.


The 'eye' that Hopper uses often has a suggestion of Voyeurism and the women are often exhibiting sexuality frequently behind windows.

Nice Youtubes on Hopper, Nighthawks analysis and an interpretation (from his wife's Diaries) of how Jo might have thought about her married life .

Unlike many artists Hopper once he'd discovered his style seems to hold fast to it - my comment would be that he depicts his life lonely both with and without his wife  he died in 1967 her the next year.

Money - getaway 

The two hundred is within reach

Now am talking about  £192 50p

Posh baguette in Holborn

A building Hopper might like

Today at CityLit finding out more about American artist Edward Hopper and his work (more about that later).

A place of Learning

Lunchtime particularity enjoyable as I find myself  considering the London as a a place where Edward would have found material - also really have a bit of a thing at present for Pret-a-Manger's Posh Cheese and Pickle baguette.

A fast food  chain with values 

Having read an item in the paper about the guy (Julian Metcalf) who really established the business as a more ethical fast food chain who is now focused on Itsu - he really does come across as  having a philosophy for catering that sees the customer at the centre of the enterprise  

Here we go

Now £190

Planting and Hopper (84)

When things are not good or could be improved we should (perhaps) try and make them better by one means or another - with this in mind I put some fresh plants in the front border near our front door Blue Pansies and Some Sweet William 'Indian Carpet' - hoping for a nice bit of colour there.

Nice in the hall

But better in the border

Hopper

And to be able to have something to look forward to in May I have now booked a 'Focus on Hopper' day -  the course will be led by Rachel Sanders  (with who I focused before on Duchamp about 18 months ago).

Western Motel  (1957) 

Fantastic -£108.20p

Doors

 So Fetter seems to go well with an olde worlde view of things -Shackles and horses are brought to mind and area (EC4) undoubtedly historic too .

Fetter sounds historic (and Greek!)

Could be good if you're moving large items in and out

East Meets West at RA exhibitions (82)

You say you want a Revolution

One of the fortunate by-products of my volunteering is that I'm able to get entry to some rather fantastic exhibitions and Museums.

I've not been to the RA (The Royal Academy) before but chance to see two sides of difficult challenges (East Versus West) felt like a real opportunity.

Started off with Revolution (It's in the air as recent V&A and the current Design Museum exhibition suggests).

The West takes on the East

Not at all sure that the layout and curation of the Russian  Art is wholly successful and as we know the way it all goes perhaps a video of 'Political' prisoners who were (generally) executed could be considered a little heavy handed.


 Noticed that BBC Newsnight's Steven Smith was looking  around the   'Revolution' exhibition - which I felt in places was a  bit depressing  to see.

Really nice pictures

In fact a reminder of how it all began to go wrong even before Lenin's death  and then with Stalin as boss those in the countryside and Artists began to suffer.

Having said that it was a revelation to find new artists and  some good stuff  from Kadinsky and Chagall for example and there were some film clips from influential pioneers like  an excerpt from Vertov's Man with a Movie Camera .

Great to see pictures by Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin with his quirky use of colour - a favourite being the  Petrograd Madonna (1920) and thought the Girl in Football Shirt (1932) by Alexander Samokhvalov looked almost contemporary.

America after the Fall

This was a more manageable sized  and optimistic group of works.

Greatly  enjoyed seeing the Edward Hoppers  (Gas and New York Movie) and  Grant Woods' curious American Gothic (as I've been reminded of before) though in the America- After The Fall exhibition.

Very clear that the USA at this time was looking to Europe for inspiration with examples of surrealism and an early (non splattered) Pollock.

Doors

£105 90

Still Doors from the West End..

Well it was new once

Another posh looking door