The Chorus Within

Medium : Watercolor on paper

Date: 1969

The Chorus Within 

This week's piece is a striking dive into the surreal—five distorted, grinning faces merge into a single creature, each one a slight variation of the other, yet all held together in a grotesque harmony. The color palette is bold and intense: vivid pinks and reds command attention, set against a rich, deep crimson background. This intensity in color pulls you into a scene where the boundaries between playfulness and menace blur.  

I created this piece back in 1969. I had just come home from work when a sudden, almost inexplicable urge to draw took hold of me. I can’t recall the specific inspiration that triggered this image—perhaps it rose from the depths of my subconscious, or perhaps it was an instinctual reaction to some unspoken feeling. Looking back now, I see it almost as a premonition, a glimpse of the artistic identity I would come to embrace. It’s as if, in this piece, I captured the essence of my creative voice before I even knew it consciously existed. 

Visual Elements 

Each face has its own expression, from sly winks to wide-eyed stares, but they all share those exaggerated teeth and dripping tongues. Their forms are exaggerated and cartoonish, almost comically misshapen, yet there’s an underlying tension in their eyes and smiles. The bright pinks of their bodies contrast with the darker red background, creating a dichotomy between the warmth of their hues and the underlying eeriness of their expressions. 

Techniques 

In this work, I used bold, minimal outlines to delineate each head, letting the simplicity of line amplify the piece’s surreal feel. Watercolor or ink washes appear to have been layered for that vibrant pink and crimson background, achieving a slightly textured, almost pulsating effect. The repetitive forms create a rhythm, a visual echo that suggests movement or even a chorus of overlapping voices. 

Symbolism and Emotional Impact 

These creatures feel like avatars of multiplicity within a single mind—each face perhaps representing a different emotion, impulse, or facet of the self. The shared body reflects our innate interconnectedness, the way our seemingly separate personalities and thoughts ultimately form a single entity. This piece could speak to the inner chaos of a divided self, where humor, anger, and curiosity intermingle in a single being. It’s a portrait of how we are never truly one thing, but a chaotic blend of many. 

The initial reaction might be one of amusement; these faces, after all, have a cartoonish quality. But there’s a disquieting undertone, a sense that something is amiss behind those crooked smiles. This duality aims to evoke a mix of curiosity and unease, leaving the viewer torn between laughter and caution. I want the piece to feel like a snapshot of the inner dialogue we often keep hidden—a mix of playfulness, absurdity, and even a hint of darkness. 

This piece reminds me of the quote by Walt Whitman: "Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes." We are complex beings, capable of embodying both joy and sorrow, courage and fear, sincerity and sarcasm. Embracing the multitudes within us means accepting the contradictions, the chaos, and the beauty of being wholly, messily human.