Blue Finial, Roof of Arbaugh's Restaurant Connecticut Ave., Washington, D.C. 1977

Curator: Today we’re examining “Blue Finial, Roof of Arbaugh's Restaurant Connecticut Ave., Washington, D.C.” a 1977 photograph by William Christenberry. Editor: My first impression is one of intriguing contrasts. The smooth, cool blue of the finial juxtaposed against the rough, warm texture of the brickwork creates an unexpected tension. It almost feels like a stage set. Curator: Christenberry had a remarkable eye for structure and detail. Notice how the verticality of the brick wall emphasizes the geometric forms – the sphere atop the carefully delineated base. It's a play of hard lines against soft curves. Editor: The blue, that vibrant almost unnatural blue against the brick… I wonder if this signifies a visual rebellion against the mundane. Blue is often connected to fidelity, the infinite or freedom – could the artist be hinting at something hidden behind the brick facade? Perhaps freedom, creativity or imagination contained and almost fighting against the earthy reality of our world? Curator: The photograph adheres to the “rule of thirds,” which guides the eye to focus points along intersecting vertical and horizontal axes – this generates compositional harmony while encouraging deep viewing of the various planes and textures presented. Editor: Absolutely, and it resonates, I believe, on a deeper, emotional level. Consider how architectural details, like this finial, can take on monumental meaning within a specific community – and even after they’re removed and repurposed as public artworks like the Lion of Lucerne. Such transfers can also give birth to new symbolic narratives around historical structures and places. Curator: Indeed, it transforms the viewer into an almost accidental archeologist examining artifacts whose purpose can never be clearly explained. Editor: Absolutely. What seems at first glance like a simple city portrait evolves into a cultural and philosophical discussion. I enjoy finding echoes of other artistic traditions and media. Curator: And from my perspective, what begins as an ostensibly minimalist arrangement opens into a larger contemplation of structuralist elements, line and form, positive and negative. Editor: Christenberry definitely gives us a rich point for that debate to begin, and perhaps to evolve with each return to the image.