Kipling Hotel 

Dan Graziano's painting, Kipling Hotel, captures a slice of urban life with its detailed depiction of a fire escape and hotel sign against a vivid blue sky. Graziano, born in 1953, paints with a perspective that is both intimate and detached, reflecting the observer's stance in contemporary society. The Kipling Hotel, with its functional fire escape, reminds us of the hidden narratives within cityscapes, alluding to histories of immigration, class divisions, and the transient nature of urban existence. The hotel sign, stark against the sky, points towards an era of affordable lodging, when hotels provided temporary shelter for travelers and workers. It's difficult to look at these places and not think of the unacknowledged labor and the personal stories that remain unseen. In this work, Graziano acknowledges the past. The fire escape and the hotel are testaments to city life, its dangers, and the hardscrabble lives that unfolded there. This work is a reminder of the importance of preserving the stories of the overlooked.