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Edward Hopper, Automat (1922), oil on canvas [Seattle Art Museum, Seattle WA Nov 13-Mar 1] Des Moines Art Center Permanent Collection
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Edward Hopper, New York Movie (1939), oil on canvas [Seattle Art Museum, Seattle WA Nov 13-Mar 1] The Museum of Modern Art, New York
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Edward Hopper's iconic imagery of everyday American cityscapes, lonely gas stations, railroads and empty night-time street scenes depict modern life during the first half of the twentieth century. While other styles of art were gaining precedence, Hopper remained unaffected and committed to his own branch of realism.
Hopper captures people interacting in urban and rural environments with stark deliberation as well as capturing insights into human vulnerability. In Edward Hopper's Women, a concentrated group of paintings and etchings, the work shows the the changing roles of women in society as they populated cafes, theatres, restaurants and other public spaces in late 1920s New York, where Hopper resided.
Centred around his famous piece Chop Suey from 1929, Hopper's women evoke a sense of introspection and solitude amongst the interiors of the simplified architectural settings. His emphasis on colour, bold shapes, strong compositional lines and moody quality of light give his paintings a cinematic feel that is both bleak and nostalgic.
www.seattleartmuseum.org
