Eben seems to have a comfort zone when it comes to landscapes. They are “safe.” A landscape can’t look at the picture you painted and say, “I look like that?” Is there life in a landscape? As a photographer/filmmaker, I think there is. A landscape is easy to compose because not much is moving in it. The “face” of a landscape doesn’t really change either. Looking at a landscape allows the viewer and even the artist to escape the reality around them. They’re looking at a world inside another world. You can see parts of the world you normally wouldn’t see. I think that’s why Eben paints them so much. It’s what he sees everyday and he tries to control it by painting it. He could make the sky green if he wanted to.
When you photograph or more especially paint a landscape, you have to take a step back and really concentrate. Otherwise you get a horrible photo or painting. But sometimes you need to take a horrible photo. It’s a different perspective. I think that is Eben’s problem. He said in the book he had problems painting what he saw. It’s hard to photograph what you see inside your head. What he was doing was the same old thing: pictures of new buildings and bridges. Once Jennie comes along, he gets inspired to paint something new, something fresh. But he didn’t do it for the money. He did the sketch to remember her face and be able to look at something real rather than just his thoughts. Jennie is part of the past and present. Her portrait meant so much to him. So much that he didn’t even think of selling it until the dealer brought it up. Of course he did not refuse because he needed the money. Her existence is helping feed that hunger Eben described in the beginning of the novel.
Landscapes are important works of art, but you can’t get the connection to it you can with portraits. Remembering a person is more meaningful than a building. Granted, Ansel Adams has done some amazing things. If you aren’t familiar with his work I highly recommend looking him up. But there’s something even more appealing in WeeGee’s photographs. He photographed a lot of crime scenes in New York and other cities. I also recommend looking him up but his work can be graphic.