Chorus 1969

Ivan Eyre made this large oil painting titled Chorus, but when I look at it, process is at the fore! Just look at the way the space is constructed, built up from flat geometric planes, which almost resemble stage sets. Everything seems slightly misaligned, like a dream slipping out of focus. I love the way Eyre uses blocks of color, particularly the shades of pink and purple, to create a sense of depth and atmosphere. There’s a real tension between representation and abstraction here. Take the figure in the centre panel, it’s rendered with crisp outlines. The shadow is purple, echoing the flat tints used in the background. It's a nod to Giorgio de Chirico. But the painting is all Eyre's own, in its dream-like approach to the figure. It reminds us that art isn't about answers but about a continuous flow of looking, thinking, and feeling.