Topping It Off 

Dan Graziano's painting, "Topping It Off", presents a modern oil-on-canvas scene of a bartender at work. It's a contemporary take on a classic theme: the social ritual of drink. This image reflects the renewed interest in traditional craftsmanship that we've seen in recent years. The bartender, with his vest and tie, evokes a bygone era, yet the painting's loose brushstrokes and vivid colors firmly place it in our time. The setting suggests a certain level of social refinement. But what does this image tell us about contemporary social values? Is it a celebration of skilled labor? Or does it romanticize a world of consumption and leisure? To answer such questions we can look to sources like social media, news reports and advertising to gauge the cultural values of our own time and how these are portrayed in art.