Rain in the City 

Editor: So, this is Vincent Giarrano’s oil painting, apparently titled "Rain in the City." The date is not specified, so I guess it could be from any point in time. It depicts people navigating a rainy urban scene. I am instantly drawn to the realism and the way he captures the reflections on the wet pavement. What do you make of this piece? Curator: Ah, yes, Giarrano, capturing the urban poetry we often miss. You feel that spray of the street, don't you? For me, the genius lies in how he transforms the mundane—a rainy day—into something almost… transcendent. It’s as if the city is breathing. Does it strike you how each individual is completely absorbed in their own journey, a world unto themselves, yet they're all connected by this shared experience of the rain? Editor: Absolutely! It's like a snapshot of a collective experience, where everyone's dealing with the same weather but in their own personal bubble. There's almost a melancholic feel. Curator: Melancholic, yes, but also vibrant, don't you think? The impasto technique gives such a life to the water droplets, and then the realism is cut with almost hazy impressions of modern city living… it's not quite photorealism; there's a softness, an emotional filter perhaps. Do you get the sense that it could be set anywhere? Editor: Now that you mention it, it feels universal, more about the feeling of rain in a city rather than a specific location. The focus really shifts to the human experience within that scene. Curator: Exactly! And for me, that's what elevates it beyond just a cityscape. It’s an investigation into human nature. Painting, particularly plein air, as Giarrano clearly demonstrates, is all about being present with our feelings and interpretations and sharing those subjective glimpses. Soaking in that city feeling, the smells and even the sounds. What an exercise in noticing! Editor: This painting makes you think, for sure. Thanks, it changed the way I look at rainy days, too! Curator: My pleasure! Perhaps it even helps us seek poetry everywhere!