About the 40th Anniversary Design: Night Radio at the Diner by Alison Caputo
Edward Hopper’s 1942 painting “Nighthawks” has been parodied many times over the years. “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” with James Dean and Marilyn Monroe is arguably the most famous them, but even “The Simpsons” did a version of “Nighthawks”.
Caputo’s Alaskan version brings humor to the design with the diner patrons depicted as a brown bear, a mountain goat and a red fox. When Caputo chose to transform the figures into animals we have in Alaska, She kept their physical characteristics, and their demeanors; that bear’s got a bad case of ennui and the fox has seen some hard times.
She also captures a little bit of a subtle quality about living in Juneau; walking downtown, in the long darkness of our winters, often in the rain, perhaps with a touch of melancholy. We are outside, in the darkness, looking in. Who are these creatures? Why are they up at that late hour, bathed in fluorescent light?
Caputo’s design is not only a tribute to Hopper’s “Nighthawks”, but also to Juneau’s streets. The 1930s working man’s Chicago of the original painting is strikingly similar to parts of today’s downtown Juneau. There is architecture from the same era in Juneau’s downtown, like the Baranof Hotel.
For the mug, Alison pulled the diner mug from the painting and made it in to one we can hold in real life.
The zipper pull and pin design is a 1.5 inch version of the diner mug.
About Alison:
Alison has been a professional graphic artist for over 25 years, 12 of those years in Juneau. She lived in Sitka for ten years before that.
Chances are you’ve seen her work around town. She works for the University of Alaska Southeast, and has showcased her skills on projects for the Juneau Arts and Humanities Council, Wearable Art, Sitka Photographer Dan Evans, KTOO, KCAW Public Radio in Sitka, and the Sitka Summer Music Festival.