Last week I attended the Edward Hopper and Winslow Homer exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago. Homer's mastery of light as portrayed in his multi-layer washes and scrapings on watercolor paper are truly amazing. His ability to capture the nuances and reflectiveness of water is unparalleled. His pre-Photoshop habit of copying and pasting elements from one drawing or painting to another made me chuckle. There truly is nothing new under the sun.
Of the two artists, Edward Hopper was the most artistically inspiring. I admired Homer's technique and blending of his own watercolors, but Hopper's composition and portrayal of everyday city life better paralleled my own photographic interests.
Hopper's views through windows into the lives of others inspired me to shoot a few of views of city life through a window myself. I've posted one above. The exhibit will remain until May 10, 2008 at the Institute. Check it out and see what inspiration strikes.
