Suspended narrative is one of the most compelling forms in art. It gives a snap short in time of an on going story, one that may be banal on the one hand, but incredibly important on the other. They allow us as the viewer to become a part of that story and for a moment connect with the ‘actors’ in that story, allowing us to imagine what the rest of the story might be.
Edward Hopper (1882 – 1967) was a prominent American realist painter. Working in oils he created scenes through extensive research and sketching often trying out different poses for his characters many times ( the tilt of the head, the position of a hand etc) before deciding what would go in the painting and even as he executed the painting would often make fine adjustments. All his pictures, therefore, whilst having the feeling of a real snap shot in time in real places and people, are often actually of his own creation, taking pieces from different places and people to create a scene where a story is taking place and the relationship between people within that narrative the focal point.
Nighthawks – the iconic painting of a New York diner, as his sketch books portray went through many iterations with each character depicted in significant detail to ensure that the story is told . Below we can see the full painting and a close up of a section of the painting showing more detail of the characters held in suspended animation of their story.
A more contemporary artist of suspended narrative is Gregory Crewdson, who specialises in photography creating film sets of small town America. His works are taken in twilight emphasising light and dark, and the transition between two states. Like Hopper, he is obsessed with attention to detail down to how much salt is in the pot
“I have always been fascinated by the poetic condition of twilight. by its transformative quality. its power of turning the ordinary into something magical and other worldly.” – Gregory Crewdson
A critically acclaimed documentary has now been made about the work of Crewdson and the immense scale of producing a single moment – Gregorgy Crewsdon: Brief Encounters
Mannaz ARt 