New York City is the “City of Lights”. My project, a painted cityscape, works to reflect the vibrancy and isolation of urban life, drawing inspiration from the Broadway show RENT! and the art of Edward Hopper. I wanted to capture the paradox Hopper focuses on of isolation in areas where there are people all around, and also highlight the untold stories of the residents in the city, as seen in RENT!.
After watching RENT!, I was struck by the importance, the beauty and tragedy of the story. It was a story that needed to be told and showcased. Then, I found myself reflecting on a conversation I had with my sister and mom. We were in Manhattan, and the lights from the windows of the residential apartment buildings were glowing in the dusk. We were marveling at the fact that in each window, there was a story unfolding we knew nothing about, things happening to people we didn’t know and will never know. They all contain important stories, beautiful and tragic. This conversation planted a thought in my head: the story of RENT! took place in one of those glowing windows. It tells the story of one apartment, one life, one community, yet countless equally compelling stories exist just outside the frame.
My painting showcases a residential cityscape, where there are people just going about their lives. The ‘protagonists’ of the piece—Mimi and Roger from RENT!—aren’t in the center; rather, their window is off to the side, done to put the scene in perspective. Around them, every window is illuminated, the shadows of the people inside living their own lives, with stories just as important. Some windows are open, some closed, some lights are on, some are dark. In some windows, the scenes are happy. In others, they’re angry or sad or calm. The reality of city life is relayed through the characters in these other windows.
My creative process was both meticulous and personal. To ensure the buildings felt as towering as they do in real life, I used string to scale the perspective lines, giving the scene a sense of depth and grandeur. I intentionally utilized darker colors inspired by Hopper to create a mood of somber beauty, balanced by the glowing yellow windows. Adding the sparkles for stars at the end was my favorite touch—it’s a nod to the rare glimpses of natural wonder in the city. However, as a perfectionist, spending so much time on each detail, from the tiny figures in the windows to the reflections on the taxi, was a challenge. Every brushstroke had to feel meaningful, and while it was difficult, it ultimately gave the piece its life.
My goal is for the viewer to be able to interpret this piece, to apply it to their own life like we do in our Arts of NYC Seminar. I want the stories to speak to the viewers, for them to find a window or a character they relate to, for them to see themselves in the piece. I want to deliver this message: in our own lives, it’s important to be the protagonist. It’s important for us to be on our own stage, to showcase our own selves and tell our own stories. But it is just as important to step into the audience from time to time, to observe someone else’s story and recognize that there are untold stories all around us.
The stories around us matter, but we won’t see them unless we look.

Citations:

Larson, Jonathan. RENT! 1996.
Whitney Museum of American Art. Edward Hopper’s New York.
Istel, John. Jonathan Larson Talks About His Writing Process and Making ‘Rent’. American Theatre, 1 July 1996, www.americantheatre.org/1996/07/01/jonathan-larson-talks-about-his-writing-process-and-rent/.
“Edward Hopper – The Complete Works.” Edward Hopper, www.edwardhopper.net.