Anonymous
When you stand out on your balcony - immersed in the metropolitan scenery - you may observe paned buildings that touch the clouds and light up the night sky. If you are not too far above, you may also hear the sound of busy pedestrians and cars passing by. Ironically, the purpose of ‘urban living’ gives us reason to surround ourselves with other human beings - and yet, how can we feel so lonely?
Nighthawks. Edward Hopper, 1942, Art Institute of Chicago
Born at the tail of the 19th century in New York, United States, Edward Hopper spent his artistic career documenting life in the electrically uneasy city. While Hopper tended to resist the idea that ‘loneliness’ was a dominant trait of his art, the scenes of men and women in the construction of his metropolitan layouts remain as signature imageries of urban isolation. Moreover, Hopper’s people are often illustrated in uncommunicative groupings that seem indicative of distress.
By admitting that cities can be lonely places (especially since the recent resurgence of Vietnam’s pandemic cases), we acknowledge that loneliness may not stem from physical solitude but rather an absence of connection and kinship. As seen in the diner of Nighthawks, we may be in need of refuge for our current states of isolation - perhaps not physically, but introspectively when we reflect on our own human relationships.
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