Passengers 

Curator: Here we have Joseph Lorusso’s "Passengers", a painting that captures a roadside scene. It seems to be rendered in oil. The date is unavailable. What strikes you first about this image? Editor: That overwhelming sense of sun-drenched boredom, honestly! There's this gorgeous vintage car, but they’re just...waiting. The light is almost palpable, baking the scene in a heat that seems to amplify the feeling of stillness. Curator: I can see that. Lorusso often paints these genre scenes, very grounded in everyday moments, often with a quiet, melancholic air. You notice the vintage car. It seems to be from the 40s. It’s positioned on the far left, cropped to emphasize its gleaming black curves, providing a stark contrast to the figures and setting up the narrative, maybe implying a journey. Editor: The women themselves have a story, haven't they? Sunglasses, a summer dress, the straw hat. The pose. Are they broken down on the side of the road? Are they on a road trip taking in the local colour? The painting has this film noir thing that sucks you in to invent a story for these travelers! It's intriguing, even magnetic, with such common materials like canvas and oil paint! Curator: Yes, it also raises questions about who is given space and voice. If you examine Realist figurative work over the centuries, it’s always telling who is visible, what class, what gender, etc. So here are two women, the focal point in an outdoor, mundane scene. And also, let's think of paintings such as those from Hopper and his own use of Realism that provides a snapshot of modern America! Editor: Right, Lorusso certainly evokes that sense of solitude and American anomie that Hopper captured so brilliantly, albeit with a more sun-kissed, less explicitly alienated feel. It seems to speak volumes about waiting, adventure, memory, a paused moment...It reminds me a little bit of summer trips of my youth! Curator: So, on leaving "Passengers," what are your final thoughts? Editor: The charm resides in its enigmatic allure and open narrative, so wonderfully common yet subtly captivating. It makes one wonder about their destination! Curator: It really invites us to consider our relationship to everyday experiences.