Morning Metro 

Curator: Here we have Dan Graziano’s “Morning Metro,” an oil painting that evokes a very specific sense of place. My first impression is the palpable stillness amidst what would otherwise be a bustling urban scene. Editor: Yes, that stillness is achieved through the artist's engagement with plein-air techniques and oil paints that build the atmosphere, so to speak. The paint is clearly applied in thick layers and dabs, which become evidence of a fast-paced yet disciplined application to catch a moment that could vanish anytime. Curator: I'm drawn to the warm hues dominating the color palette. The orange of the bus practically sings against the cooler blues and grays of the surrounding cityscape. It gives the bus almost symbolic weight. What does the bus *mean*? Editor: The color might signal warmth and accessibility, which are key for public transit. Looking more deeply at how oil paint can express these material conditions helps us read social themes in plain sight. We see the layering of gestures in how it was clearly and immediately painted "en plein air." Curator: It definitely resonates with an urban viewer who sees beyond the utilitarian bus ride. Its iconography transcends function. This modern, fleeting street corner suddenly seems ancient and emblematic, somehow. It's like Graziano reveals a new face on what’s supposed to be familiar, imbuing it with emotional meaning. Editor: The very material itself speaks of value, a readily available, almost disposable resource utilized in an environment—the street—normally taken up for industry. What statements are implied in terms of material culture? Curator: Perhaps, like street art or graffiti art, the transit symbolizes both motion and, paradoxically, also pause. This creates tension in otherwise a pretty normal subject. It represents a society in transit. Editor: Thinking about “Morning Metro,” for me, reveals the power of looking at material practices inherent in image-making— and the economic ramifications behind seemingly everyday aesthetics. Curator: For me, this close viewing emphasizes that the familiar and the symbolic aren't ever too far apart. There are secret worlds embedded even within public transportation.