Edward Hopper

Went to the Whitney for their Edward Hopper exhibit, Modern life: Edward Hopper and his time. The exhibit focused on Hopper's influences and contemporaries, each room about a certain group of artists he shared themes and influences with (the Ashcan School of painters from the early 20th century, the Precisionists who like him explored abstract architectural shapes, another group who depicted common American life scenes, etc...).

Edward Hopper is one of my favorite painters, and seeing his works in person was amazing. It has little to do with looking at a reproduction. What struck me the most, and that I've always liked anyway, is the way he paints light. And apparently he has said that his favorite thing was to paint light on the side of a house. But he can paint it remarkably well on someone's face as well, like in Soir Bleu (1914):

It's hard to see on the reproduction, but there is this little patch of light on the standing woman's shoulder, it's so delicately rendered. I like the composition too, it's one of my favorites of his.

Most of the time I buy postcards when I go to a museum, usually of the exhibit I just saw, but this time I just couldn't, it made me sad looking at books about Hopper and posters. It would've ruined my memory of it. Strangely, I found better reproductions on line, and maybe it looks better on a computer screen because of the light already in here. Anyway, here are a few of my favorites that I got to see live yesterday:

Night Window (1928)

Gas (1940)

Railroad Sunset (1929)

That was my favorite of the show I think. There was also a funny little one, Untitled (Solitary figure in a theater) - which was actually...in black and white. An oil painting from his beginnings, 1902-04:

Autumn in New York

Pretty...

This is the upper west side. Did you notice the 2 awesome ladies crossing the street? They had the best style, but unfortunately I didn't take the photo fast enough...this neighborhood is so full of characters.

The land of the free

On Sunday I went to Philadelphia and learned all about America's forefathers, the Liberty Bell and the beginnings of this 'great country'.

Independence Hall was under renovation, which seemed pretty metaphorical...

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Then on tuesday I went to see a play - which I first thought was just going to be a historical farce set in Louisiana, but ended up being a reflection on the founding of the United States - how it came to be so big with the Louisiana purchase from Napoleon, the quest for a waterway to the West, the Lewis and Clark expedition,  and the irony of Thomas Jefferson's words ('all men were created equal') in light of the practice of slavery. I never go to the theater, so it was a treat...

...and a history lesson, courtesy of the East Coast!

The show was at the Lincoln Center, it's called A Free Man of Color.

Full moon rising

...over JFK this morning:

The anticipated unexpected

Sometimes I think I go out of town only so I can see this:

It's like those times when you've been wishing for something for a long time, and when it finally happens you're still slightly unable to believe it actually did. Still surprised by your own dreams...

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Speaking of deer, I am still raising funds to release the new album on vinyl (with a download card!). I am  planning an early 2011 release at the latest, and you have until November 9 to contribute and reserve your very own copy. Visit the project here. 

Linda Perhacs

Tonight I went to see Linda Perhacs at the San Francisco Art Institute. She was so cute with her reading glasses, her music stand and her knit vest. A great show,  she had talented musicians backing her up, not to mention her own sweet voice...

Here she is doing a duo with Julia Holter on Delicious:

and a couple of songs from the 1970 album:

hauntingly beautiful.