144 Columbus, OH: Spooks

Two other women entered the gallery. One ("Amanda") was older, with a hawk-like nose, lots of fluffy platinum blond hair, and green eyes that swam in a sea of blue mascara. She wore a white sweatshirt from Hard Rock Café, San Francisco. Her fingers curled around a purse strap at her shoulder, and she studied the paintings intently. The younger one (who looked like a "Tara") wore loose overalls and her hair casually fell into perfect waves.

Amanda ventured, "I enjoy the light. I like, in my house, to have lamps on. When I'm alone especially. Like a kid, I like to have them to scare off monsters. I'd turn on every light in the house if possible. They're kind of like houseguests. You know, I just like the warmth and light that they give."

The younger Tara put forth, "I don't really see it as a negative picture. Isolation has two very different connotations. Like I'm getting ready to leave and go to Europe, and I'm very excited about the fact that I'm not going to see a single person that I know for a good year. I think isolation can be a very nurturing, nourishing thing. In the context of big city life, it's a negative thing. But I don't necessarily see her in a negative light. Or I know a lot of Edward Hopper's paintings are very negatively based, very dark."

Amanda hmmmed, "I guess hadn't thought about it that way. I looked at it, and I really didn't see isolation. I guess I saw her enjoying the light."

Tara posited, "'Solitude' would be a better term."

"That's a good word for it!" Amanda cheered. "So I really didn't see it as a negative type thing." She squinted at the painting. "My mind is racing now."

"His paintings are interesting," Tara noted. "It will be interesting to see how different people interpret differently. I think it'd be fun to be an art interpretation-type columnist. Or even with a good book, get people to talk about these things."