Multitudes

In Multitudes, Norman Lewis rapidly layered calligraphy over a ground of pulsating color. The dense array of lines subtly evokes figures in a crowd, revealing his interest in incorporating nonrepresentational forms evocative of the energy of American cities. The only black member of the first generation of Abstract Expressionists, Lewis took a unique approach among his peers by addressing social concerns through his art. The title of this work alludes to lines from Walt Whitman’s poem “Song of Myself” (first published 1855), which perhaps was intended by Lewis as an acknowledgment of the complications his artistic practice presented at this moment: “Do I contradict myself? / Very well then I contradict myself, / (I am large, I contain multitudes.).”