Some Art, And A Tune

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I have occasionally posted about paintings I like, going back to those dim and distant days when I studied History of Art at Uni. I first did this back in 2014 and have repeated the idea several times since then, but with an added element: more recent posts have been built around a painting that has a song attached to it. You may have seen the previous one of these, The Starry Night, which I shared last September. Today I’m taking you on a little journey, covering two paintings that lead to a song, with another musical link as a side alley down which I’m not going.

The first of these paintings is one that you may well know: Nighthawks, by Edward Hopper:

 

Nighthawks dates from 1942, and portrays four people in a downtown diner late at night as viewed through the diner’s large glass window. The light coming from the diner illuminates a darkened and deserted urban streetscape. The figures were ‘posed’ by Hopper himself, looking at images in a mirror, and by his wife, Jo. It has been suggested that Hopper was inspired by a short story of Ernest Hemingway’s, either The Killers (1927), which Hopper greatly admired, or the more philosophical A Clean, Well-Lighted Place (1933). Either way, it is part of a long history of artworks that have been inspired by literature. And it in turn inspired the title of Tom Waits’ 1973 album Nighthawks At The Diner. That phrase is the opening line to one of the songs on the album, Eggs and Sausage (In a Cadillac with Susan Michelson). The album’s cover, designed by Cal Schenkel, evokes the mood of Hopper’s painting:

 

Nighthawks has inspired many others, who have done their own versions of this theme. One of these is a spoof by an artist of whom you may not have heard, Gottfried Helnwein, an Austrian-Irish visual artist, known for creating album sleeves of his own for the likes of The Scorpions and Rammstein, and for collections of photos of The Rolling Stones. He is multi-faceted, having worked as a painter, draftsman, photographer, muralist, sculptor, installation and performance artist, using a wide variety of techniques and media. His pastiche is this:

Gottfried Helnwein | Boulevard of Broken Dreams | MutualArt

 

Helnwein produced this in 1984, and it features 1950s pop culture icons – James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, and Humphrey Bogart, with Elvis Presley as their waiter – in a moody, deserted diner. His intent, in which I think he succeeds, was to symbolise the tragic, lonely fate of celebrity, as many come to feel it. In doing so I think he has captured the spirit of Hopper’s work through later eyes, and given it added meaning. The title for his painting has also been the inspiration for a song – it was Boulevard Of Broken Dreams:

Boulevard Of Broken Dreams was a track on Green Day’s seventh album, American Idiot, which was released in September 2004. The album’s narrative is focused on the story of a teenager (who refers to himself as the “Jesus of Suburbia”) growing up in the United States under the presidency of George W. Bush during the Iraq War, criticising both. This song and album were hugely successful, and amongst massive sales figures this track won the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Song, as well as peaking at #2 in the US and #5 in the UK. This video won six awards at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2005, most notably for Video of the Year. It also won Best Group Video, Best Rock Video, Best Direction, Best Editing, and Best Cinematography. The album made #1 in the US, Canada and the UK, among others, and has sold 16m worldwide.

One of the things which fascinates me in pursuing connections like these is how something which first appeared over eighty years ago can still resonate today, through a timeline of homages and inspirations by and for others. Green Day’s album came out twenty two years ago but still feels fresh and relevant now, particularly in the light of current events in the US, about which Billie Joe Armstrong, who wrote this song, has been equally scathing.

Art, music and literature: they go together, don’t they?

 

81 thoughts on “Some Art, And A Tune”

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  4. I love how you trace the thread from Hopper’s quiet, introspective diner scene to Green Day’s energetic anthem it’s fascinating to see how a single image can inspire decades of artistic expression across different mediums. Art, music, and literature really do create a rich, interconnected dialogue.

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  6. I’ve loved Hopper since my mom gifted me a book on his work. I have Ground Swell on my bathroom wall. The way he works in light is incredible, like it’s another character in the piece.
    Music and art sure do go together. Everything I look at Ground Swell I hear the Beach Boys 😆

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  24. That painting sure is Groovy-a glass fishbowl of insomnia where time has clocked out and coffee is an IV. Neon hums like a guilty conscience, the counter gleams with unslept thoughts, and the people are mannequins auditioning for loneliness. No doors, no exits, just a sugar bowl full of silence. Boom. 💥

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  25. Great post! Yes, I think art, music, and literature are closely interconnected. I think it’s because, at their core, they all tell a story in some capacity.

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  33. Wonderful post, Clive. It’s one of the few paintings I am familiar with, and one that I like. Amazing how it has inspired other artists, even musicians. Great song to include as well.

    Nice job combining two of your loves into one post. Hopefully you do more of these.

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  36. This is a really interesting post, Clive. It reiterates the fact that nothing changes, nothing really evolves what was true back in the early forties has continued up to now and nothing changes. I love all the three works of art and their links to each other, through, books, music and life itself. Also Green Days American Idiot is very much a favourite Album of mine. ….A great post and I do remember your previously posted articles .

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  37. I had Nighthawks on the wall of my previous home for many years and it currently lies in one of my storage boxes waiting to come out and be hung in my new place, and you’ve reminded me how I need to do this. It has captivated me for years and thanks for the details on how it came to be.

    And of course you’re right, music, art and literature do come together, all about the human condition and how we instinctively react to them all.

    I’d decided to take a break from blogs till the middle of next month to concentrate on other things but as soon as I saw your blog I had to read it!

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    • I’m pleased you like that painting too, Paul. It has a good backstory, which I only touched on here.

      The arts are all linked, aren’t they, and I love making these connections.

      And thank you for making an exception for me. Much appreciated 👍

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  38. This was an unexpected treat, Clive. I don’t recall seeing previous ‘art and a tune’ posts by you; either I missed them or I’ve forgotten (what else is new?!). This is a lovely and well-put together article and your choice of song is excellent. Another song that works for me is the enchanting “Celluloid Heroes” by The Kinks. Thanks for a very enjoyable read and listen, my friend. ☺️

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  39. This painting has always fascinated me. I especially like the Gottfried Helnwein take on it. And Green Day are a favourite of mine, much to my grandchildren’s delight. I love how it is all connected.

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