Chorus 1969

Ivan Eyre made this painting, Chorus, with paint on canvas. I can imagine the canvas lying flat on the floor, while he dripped, smeared and pushed around paint, coaxing a scene into being. I feel like I'm looking into someone's memory. The color is mostly pink, in different shades, and then this cast of characters starts to emerge. There's a lot going on. I'm particularly drawn to this figure in the center who seems to be in freefall, suspended in this pink ether, a stark white with black outlines. It gives the painting a feeling of surreal drama, like he's singing a song. It reminds me of Philip Guston, his contemporary. I feel like they're kindred spirits, these painters helping each other see the world in new ways. They both inspire me to embrace ambiguity and uncertainty. Like, let the painting be what it wants to be, and see what happens.