From the Artist: It's the residential part of the city (Chicago) but the view from the alley is a bit distorted - the city at night can be frightening. The woman under the streetlight seems to be in a more normal (less distorted) zone. Hopefully she can find directions on her map to another safe place!
From the Painting Guide: This is an intriguing painting. If you only give it a quick glance, you may not see the figure at all but be overwhelmed by the abstracted and distorted shapes in the foreground. But if you give the painting a little time (as one ought), your eye is pushed towards the streetlight, and then down to the figure beneath it. Towards the center at the top there's another street light that looks rather like an eye of something sinister watching.
From the Painting Guide: This is an intriguing painting. If you only give it a quick glance, you may not see the figure at all but be overwhelmed by the abstracted and distorted shapes in the foreground. But if you give the painting a little time (as one ought), your eye is pushed towards the streetlight, and then down to the figure beneath it. Towards the center at the top there's another street light that looks rather like an eye of something sinister watching.