Struckmann Studio
'we are all edward hopper paintings now'
No Client
Visual Design, Motion Design, Illustration
(2020)
A sequence of four recreated and modernised pain-tings by Edward Hopper, capturing the original lighting and atmosphere. A recognition of the fleeting mo-ments of loneliness that exist in all of us.
The Story
The project was initiated as an assignment within my design education at The Royal Danish Academy. The assignment was to create something visually communicative that referred to the theme 'Social Distancing'.
Within that frame, I found inspiration in a
Tweet conveying the feelings of isolation,
caused by the lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic, through paintings by the ameri-can oil-painting artist Edward Hopper.
As an admirer of Hopper's work, I selected four paintings to recreate for the project as an opportunity to show recognition of his works.
a.
Recreating the Hopper world
b.
Edward Hopper defined 20th century realism with austere, eerie scenes that convey the iso-lation of modern life. He infused his paintings with spare architecture, desolate interiors, coastal views and cityscapes with an appreciation of light and shade - all contributing to a significant sense of alienation. Many of these narratives draw parallels to the Covid-19 pandemic in which many face an immense loneliness as we practice social distancing.
a. In Hopper’s most famous painting, Nighthawks (1942), three customers sit at the counter of a well-lit diner while the streets outside remain dark and empty.
b. In the recreation, a slightly more urban ambience is added with the addition of an altered apparel of the characters to indicate a scenery in a more present time, the 21th century.
c.
A touch of cinema
Much of Hopper's work is composed with a cinematic appearance. To emphasise this quality, animation, camera movement and audio was added to the sequence, reinfor-cing the ambience and thereby the com-munication with the viewer.
The recreated paintings are brought to life, telling the story of loneliness in a pandemic-ridden existence, inspired by the evocative Hopper scenery.
c. Sunlight in Cafeteria (1958) by Edward Hopper
d. Modern recreation painted digitally
d.
Visual references:
01 Morning Sun (1952)
02 Sunlight in Cafeteria (1958)
03 Nighthawks (1942)
04 Automat (1927)
Audio:
I Remember Clifford (1957), Benny Golson