As Daylight Saving Time ends on this chilly weekend, we are imagining the velvety darkness of the early evenings to come. While this is not always a welcome change, there is so much beauty in the city once the sun has gone down. This blog post explores some artworks by Studio Gallery artists to hopefully help you see the grandeur and magic of darkness while we all quietly look forward to Spring’s long hours of sunshine once more.
Supermoon by Elizabeth Curren.
Elizabeth Curren’s fantastical Supermoon has us moonstruck no matter the time of day! The complete blackness of this piece’s background really amplifies its effect. The overbeaten flax paper mimics the craters of the beautiful, full moon, and its deckled edges seem to imply that it is letting off that beautiful opalescent glow that we all know and love so much. While the moon is often considered a symbol of softness and quietude (especially when compared to the strength of the sun), Supermoon shows it in a new light. It pops out of the night sky very dramatically, a spherical, floating monolith. The moon holds much more power than we sometimes remember, controlling the rhythm and flow of our oceans’ tides, and this artwork reminds us very warmly of that strength.
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Snap Shot series by Gary Anthes
This photograph from Gary Anthes’ series Snap Shot reminds us of the extraordinary beauty of the rather ordinary sight of street lights on a rainy pavement. The black shadows and motion-blurred background bring us a sense of how chilly the air must feel on these bikers’ faces as they laugh and ride through the streets together. The splashes of blue, violet, and magenta light on the dark street add a mysterious and chilly aura to the environment, but the smiles on the bikers’ faces bring us nothing but warmth. There really isn’t anything quite like spending time with friends in the city long after the sun has set, is there?
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Silver Skyline at Night by Gordon Binder
Silver Skyline at Night by Gordon Binder is a peaceful, abstracted piece showing a tired city past sunset. His color palette of cool blues and grays tinged with soft yellows (perhaps the remnants of gently glowing apartment windows atop the skyscrapers?) add to the feeling of peace and subsequent sleepiness that arise alongside the moon in the deep azure sky. The buildings appear almost as though they are huddling together in an attempt to warm themselves up against the cool nighttime air. We love that sense of community and familiarity that cities often host, and the perfect way that Gordon has captured that feeling through this monolithic cityscape.
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Shadows and Acts by Steven Marks
Shadows and Acts by Steven Marks is a more dizzying representation of night life in the city. Though an intensely black image tinted with cool greens and yellows and blues, the softness of the blurred figure gives this photograph a warm feeling, almost similar to the warmth one might feel when pulling their coat a little tighter around themselves on a chilly evening on the town. However, despite that warmth, the cool uncertainty of the city is still made clear. This passerby, caught mid-walk, is only passing through. The city, though it can be a familiar and soothing place, is not always homely.
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Throughout this post, we have discussed the contrasting feelings that the city can evoke: cold vs warmth, dark vs light, and familiarity vs detachment. Cities are shapeshifting, morphing, and ever-evolving based on their locations and residents. Though the DMV area may soon be dark and chilly by 4 pm, we can create our own warmth and light by staying creative, keeping in touch with friends (especially our friends who struggle with seasonal depression! Be sure to send them lots of love), and by enjoying this transition of seasons for what it is despite its imperfections.
We, here at Studio Gallery, are wishing you a very lovely November. If you ever find yourself lacking in light and warmth, we welcome you to join us here in Dupont Circle for exciting selections of artwork by local artists (and also a nicely heated building two blocks down from Teaism, where you can indulge in a delicious, hot cup of chai to keep your hands toasty and your spirits up!). We hope to see you soon!
By director Halley Stubis