La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
The glimpse of the artwork you saw yesterday in the background is an etching San Geraldo bought in the late ’70s in Seattle. He had it when we met and it’s one of my favorite pieces. It’s called The Lunch Counter and is number 31 in an edition of 100 printed in 1976 by Art Hansen (1929–2017), an American artist and native Washingtonian (the state). The image is a poor quality old photo I managed to take through the glass. The print has always hung in our dining room or kitchen. It’s back in the kitchen again.
El atisbo de la obra de arte que vieron ayer al fondo es un grabado que San Geraldo compró a finales de los 70 en Seattle. Lo tenía cuando nos conocimos y es una de mis piezas favoritas. Se llama The Lunch Counter y es la número 31 de una edición de 100 ejemplares impresa por Art Hansen (1929-2017), artista estadounidense del estado de Washington. La imagen es una foto antigua de mala calidad que logré tomar a través del cristal. El cuadro siempre ha estado colgado en nuestro comedor o cocina. Ahora está de vuelta en la cocina.
It’s marvelous! I’m glad to see it close up — love the symmetry of all those elbows on the counter, all those hands near the people’s mouths — eating, drinking, and smoking (those were the days). Now that I know what it is, it’s making me think of all the now-obsolete lunch counters I’ve known and enjoyed over the years!
Debra:
I have loved this since the first time I saw it.
Knowing the history of the 1960’s there is a ton of meaning in the image.
David:
Knowing Olsen’s other art (he did a few like this of diners, bars, etc.), it doesn’t appear to have any connection to the racial injustice of the 60s. There was no diversity in his counter patrons.
LOVE this!
Jim:
I’ve been looking at it since 1981 and have never tired of it.
I’m glad that you are feeling better 🙂 I’ve never in my life heard of turning off the AC so that a baked item wouldn’t fall while cooling… ha!
It’s one of those pictures that the more you look at it, the more you see. There is a LOT going on there. I like it very much.
M. Moon
Ms. Moon:
I’ve spent hours looking at it over the years. Too bad my photo isn’t sharp.
Judy C:
Apparently, the more slowly it cools, the less chance of collapsing. I always thought that’s how brownies looked.
Thank you for the info on the Lunch Counter. Or cliff face, which it can be, too. It’s a wonderful piece and now I’m off to learn more about the maker.
Boud:
I love his work.
It’s so full of character! It may as well be a tapas bar somewhere in a back street in Spain – how appropriate! Jx
Jon:
Looks to me very much like a working class diner in middle America.
We never had “diners” like that. Our cafes and restaurants would all have tables and chairs. The only place you’d get bar stools would be in a pub – and they wouldn’t serve food… Jx
It certainly a very interesting vantage point for drawing. And if you think about it it’s actually what you would see at a lunch counter. Sort of cool artwork for a kitchen.
Mistress Borghese:
Yes, I love the perspective. He did several pieces like this.
It does look like a great piece! Is there a deeper connotation here, given that lunch counter protests helped give birth to the Civil Rights era in the ’60s?
Steve:
I doubt there’s a deeper connotation. Hansen did some other etchings with the same perspective (diner, tavern, cafe, talking, singing). No diversity in any of them.
Thanks for giving us more info on the artwork! I like it.
Kelly:
Glad to. It’s fun to focus on.
The cigs gave the date awayxxx
finlaygray:
Oh, yeah. I remember those days.
I like it. The guy sure knew how to draw hands.
Kirk:
He had a special style.
Interesting viewpoint. It reminds me of my favourite 1930’s photo of Mohawk steelworkers sitting on an I-beam high above NYC and eating their lunches (with no safety harnesses in sight)!
Tundra Bunny:
There are even places here that have that enlarged photo. A classic.
I really like this piece of art. And as John says, the cigarettes give it a 60’s sort of vibe.
Michael:
Yes, the cigarettes definitely set it in history.
It is a complicated piece, tons of details, love it.