I just wanted to make people laugh...

2018. India ink and acrylic on white rag paper.

42X30cm / 62X53cm framed.

Exhibited: 

Freakshow, Match More Art Gallery, Chania, 2018.

About

The title track of Mingus 'The Clown' features Jean Shepard narrating a story about a clown attempting to please the world with his performances. In the process he finds a disturbing fact about humanity.

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Mingus' thoughts on the composition

I felt happy one day. I was playing a little tune on the piano that sounded happy. Then I hit a dissonance that sounded sad, and I realized that the song had to have two parts, The story, as I told it first to Jean Shepherd, is about a clown who tried to please people – like most jazz musicians do – but whom nobody liked until he was dead.

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