Kisses in the rain 

Curator: What a beautifully evocative piece. We’re looking at Joseph Lorusso’s oil painting "Kisses in the Rain," a work of the Figurative style. Editor: It's romantic, almost idealized. The way the light filters through the umbrella… very soft and diffused. There’s an obvious emphasis on mood. I am particularly struck by the rich texture that oil paints afford in pieces such as this. It suggests tangible reality despite the haze of the romantic scene depicted. Curator: Exactly! Note how Lorusso captures that fleeting, emotional moment with an everyday intimacy. Rain is such a powerful symbol – cleansing, melancholic, but also a shared experience. The artist presents how the characters become almost one as the painting seems to reflect a broader experience of togetherness. Editor: True, though one does wonder about the implied labor here. What kind of urban experience necessitates rain? Are they members of the working class without autos at their disposal, taking joy regardless, or are they middle class in the West seeking out an aesthetic experience, sheltered from economic necessity, indulging a kind of bourgeois pastoral fantasy in the middle of an advanced city? The bike and clothes almost demand this type of examination. Curator: Interesting lens to adopt, although the fact they choose to embrace rather than run from it— sheltered beneath a symbolic canopy— to me implies more a deliberate choice and celebration. It evokes that feeling of defiance against dreariness that speaks to a profound connection. Editor: Yes, I see what you mean. And, of course, there’s no denying that these materials speak volumes themselves! This is an expert painter who can translate so much to canvas using color to help portray not only the exterior world, but intimate and internalized meaning too. The application creates palpable feeling, of moisture, love, and time. Curator: Indeed, "Kisses in the Rain" reminds us how artists uses a potent symbolism of love and time, asking what are the personal and cultural associations of this fleeting, yet resonant act that feels accessible in almost any culture. Editor: I think understanding its material nature ultimately enhances our viewing, highlighting that behind the image, layers of materiality, both those deliberately represented in-image and on the canvas, provide an even greater insight into its emotional resonance.