Hello from day seven of quarantine in Seattle! When perusing Davidson’s permanent art collection, I immediately noticed Hot Dog Bridge, a colored lithograph created by Russell Gordon (American, 1936-2013). The piece offered a bright pop of color amidst the dreariness of our current pandemic situation. With its simple clouds and colorful rainbow, reminiscent of drawings from elementary school, Hot Dog Bridge pulls us away from our fast-paced, modern lives and invites us into a space for both humor and reflection.
Although Gordon first started his college career as a math major and basketball player, he eventually switched to studying art and went on to obtain an M.S. and M.F.A. from the University of Wisconsin in 1966 and 1967, respectively. Later, he taught at a number of universities such as the University of California-Berkeley, Mills College, Concordia University and East Carolina University. His works can also be found at many museums across the country, most notably at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco. With regards to his artistic process, Gordon notes that he has always tried to use variety and juxtaposition of subjects in his works—for him, meaning comes by expressing differences in his pieces. Certainly, we get to see a snapshot of this process in his juxtaposition of hot dogs and rainbows. In this piece, we might wonder what on earth is the hot dog trying to bridge and how does it relate to the colorful rainbow? Gordon also cites context as an important part or redefining an image, which also changes over time.
The more I look at Hot Dog Bridge, the more I wonder what it’s really about, which is the beauty of art. There’s always more an image gives us to ponder on, if we stop and take the time to do so.