Watching the inner darkness.
Summoning the higher self.
By Nyadzombe Nyampenza
Depressed people may feel like they are facing a deluge of insurmountable odds. In that sunken place it is overwhelming to try and make sense of things. Daryl Neros’ Drowning is not an attempt to understand by appealing to reason. It calls to witness, a higher self.
The colors are not loud. There are no familiar patterns. The viewer is immersed in black, grays, and brown. Overlaying lines and varying tones create a murky depth. Fixated on the dark and gloom one might overlook the rare splashes of yellow. Deciphering the squiggly lines and neutral shades would be like reading the shape of the clouds. One might see the Star of David, a kneeling supplicant, or a black hole. It may just be conjectural. Perhaps it was never meant to be understood.
Drowning is a widely used expression. Literally it means to be submerged. It implies inability to breathe. As a metaphor it stands for being swamped or buried under issues and concerns. Neros’ work is an abstract psychological landscape. Without the signature, it would be difficult to tell which side is up. He might have been inspired by a personal struggle with grief, depression, and despair. Symbolically he nails ambivalent feelings by the four corners of his canvas.
This piece may not resonate with everybody. It takes someone who has experienced some loss. In whose mind the thought of suicide may have crossed once. Daryl offers a mirror to the darkness within. For him this may have been the way out. To others, it is an offering of perspective.
