Night Light

Continuing on from moonlight we will stay up late and look at night light which adds something special to paintings, especially genre works which tell a story.

The Hero Image is Gas Station by Edward Hopper.

I will let Alberto Ortega introduce himself to you with these words: My landscapes are places where people live and work, although the people themselves aren’t seen. The quality of light becomes the central subject: human presence is suggested by parked cars, the flicker of television sets, or the glow from a bedroom leaking out to the quiet outside world. As an immigrant to the United States, I am intrigued by American suburban life as depicted in film, literature, and visual art. Through the images I create of American homes, buildings, and man-made environments, I seek to portray society and some of its contradictions. These scenes represent hopes and dreams, the threat of their failure, and alienation. I hope that my paintings set a stage that allows a drama to play out within the viewer. (Ref: https://albertoortega.art/bio/)

Ortega uses his titles as a teaser to encourage the viewer to go deeper into the image. They are not just pictures of suburban houses and buildings. Each painting is the front cover to a novel. In this painting we are given a reminder of distant friends and relatives as it is poignantly titled Long Distance Call.  

You can see more paintings by Alberto Ortega @ https://albertoortega.art/

Notice how the inclusion of the dogs totally changes the feel of the painting. I like dogs so I see them as unexpected but welcomed visitors. But are they? The dark clouds, the large black bird flying over the house seem to be sending a different message.

I will do some research on Leonard Koscianski to see if he reveals what is going on in his mind. Back in a couple of days.