Chile Pepper Chorus Line St I

Chile Pepper Chorus Line State I, an R.C. Gorman oil pastel, is a playful and highly unusual composition that reimagines the artist’s celebrated female figure vocabulary through the form of three anthropomorphic red chile peppers dancing in a loose chorus line. Rendered in vivid scarlet, tomato, and deep burgundy pastel strokes on a bright white ground, each pepper has softly curved hips, breasts, and stem-crowned head that echo Gorman’s classic feminine silhouette. The witty visual pun demonstrates the artist’s irreverent side and celebrates the Southwest chile heritage. Signed by Gorman, this original is a rare acquisition for collectors of whimsical Gorman work, Southwest chile imagery, and Native American fine art with a sense of humor.