Inclusivity and Isolation

[Senior School Assembly]

On this day, the 15th May in 1967, US painter, Edward Hopper died at the age of 82.
Born in New York in 1882 Hopper made solitude his life’s work. Unusually for an artist, his history is not fraught with exceptional drama or tragedy, however very typically for an artist he did suffer with depression through much of his life. Unable to find work early in his career, his painting languished. He wrote, "it's hard for me to decide what I want to paint. I go for months without finding it sometimes. It comes slowly." ​​

His peer Walter Tittle described Hopper's depressed emotional state in sharper terms, describing his friend as "suffering...from long periods of unconquerable inertia, sitting for days at a time before his easel in helpless unhappiness, unable to raise a hand to break the spell." 

In the 1920s, Hopper began painting the scenes that were to make him one of the most recognisable painters in modern history. While F Scott Fitzgerald was chronicling the party animals of the jazz age, Hopper painted the figures who looked as if they hadn’t been invited to the party. With his deserted cityscapes and isolated figures, Hopper captured the loneliness and alienation of modern life. Modern life was unfriendly in the extreme for Hopper. But it was the recent pandemic that gave his work a new foreboding significance.

During Covid, many in the Art World said that we were existing inside an Edward Hopper painting. We were coldly distanced from each other, sitting at our lonely windows overlooking eerily empty streets. But if we really were or even still are living in Edward Hopper’s paintings, a crisis of loneliness is impending that may be one of the most fraught social consequences of Covid-19.

Rather than any of Hopper’s more contented scenes, it was Hopper’s horrors that were being shared and discussed throughout the lockdowns– and horrors isn’t too strong a word. One of the painter’s biggest fans was Alfred Hitchcock, who famously based the Bates mansion in the film Psycho on a Hopper painting of a strange old house isolated by a railroad.
We all hope to defy Hopper’s terrifying vision of alienated, lonely individuals and instead strive to thrive as a community. But, ironically, during Covid we had to protect our community by staying apart. 

His figures appear as isolated among others in a diner or restaurant as they are at their apartment windows by themselves. In this, his work is typical of Modernist art. Edvard Munch had already shown in his nightmarish Evening on Karl Johan Street, that a crowd can be a very isolating place to be.

In a post-pandemic world, we should be more aware of the damaging effects of isolation, there is afterall a reason why it is used as a severe punishment in prisons and even schools around the world. And while we can all be grateful to be in an institution and society that doesn’t inflict solitary restrictions lightly, the feeling of isolation is much more prevalent than you might expect. 

As I’m talking, just have a moment of self-reflection. In what ways do you ever feel isolated but also, how do you isolate others- even unintentionally? Achieving true inclusion takes more than an assembly about isolation or a PSE session about being kind to your peers. The applications and definitions of inclusion are vast. It is about creating freedom from the fear and anxiety of discrimination and isolation. Inclusion is when each and every person is able to feel like they belong and that they are accepted for who they are. When people feel included they are better able to contribute to the group without fear of being ostracised. By bringing their ideas forward, they are offering a particular perspective, which stems from a completely different background. This makes space for further inclusivity and creates a cycle of growth and acceptance.

Inclusion also goes further than a poster that says: “your differences are appreciated”. And as I state that it takes more than words, words are actually a good place to start. 

The use of a common language is one of the easiest ways we can ensure everyone in our community is included and understood. We can avoid misunderstandings, poor conduct and even the paranoia that can be caused by not being included in a conversation. 

Say hello, hold the door open, smile back, make room on the corridor for others to pass through- basically empathise and think of others. This holds true for all members of our community, but also out into the wider world too. Regardless of age, job title, appearances etc. by upholding our basic manners and pleasantries we’re showing every person that we respect them and are therefore including them.

I’ve no doubt you’ve all seen this acronym before, but how often do you actually “THINK” before you post on social media. The same can be applied before you speak too. Is what you’re about to say or post True? Is it Helpful? It is Inspiring? Is it Necessary? Is it Kind? If it’s not, don’t post it. 

As a basic need, our environment must feel safe for everyone. And while this includes the physical facilities (for example working together to make sure spaces like bathrooms and stairwells are just as safe as classrooms and offices) … it also means building a culture in which diversity is celebrated. We show compassion and open-mindedness. We’re all very different, we have different views and beliefs and whilst we can’t always agree on everything, we must be tolerant and accepting of differences.

Of course, all of this must be the effort and actions of the many, but the many is made up of individuals. It is up to us, as individuals, to self reflect. Again, In what ways do you ever feel isolated? And do you ever isolate others? If you have moments of feeling isolated, reach out. If you see others actively going against our ideals of inclusivity, reach out. Talk to your peers, your tutors, your teachers. Nobody should feel isolated. 

On this, Edward Hopper’s deathday, let’s remember his paintings for what they mean to us now. Let’s apply them to our context. Let’s immerse ourselves into the landscape and place our feet into the shoes of those who occupy them. Empathise with others and be inclusive.