Edward Hopper (1882-1967) was an American realist painter – one of the best of his time. Many of his urban and rural scenes, reflecting his personal vision of modern American life, have become iconic. His subject matter has two primary sources: common features of American life (gas stations, motels, restaurants, theatres, railroads) and their inhabitants; and rural landscapes. One of his best-known works is Gas. 1940 (pictured). It depicts a clean, well-lit refuge for those in need as they navigate the night. It fuses several Hopper themes: the solitary figure, the melancholy of dusk, the lonely road. The original hangs in MoMA in New York. A print of it hangs in our Mole Creek bedroom. Most nights it’s the last thing I see before I turn out the light. And most mornings it’s the first thing I see as I open my eyes. Ergo I’ve looked at it long and plenty. I think it’s perfect. But yet it contains errors, or at least distortions. For example the pumps are as tall as the office building, and the vehicle lane behind the attendant is too narrow for a vehicle. It’s emblematic of life, I suppose: It looks fine, wonderful even, if you don’t look too hard. But the harder you look, the more disturbing it gets. I’m married to an artist – not a visual artist, but one who works with words. So I know artists have a special way of looking at the world. And my world is so very much the better for them. Happy birthday, Sweetheart Vivienne.
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