Because of his unusual appearance (an unfortunate case of Hypertrichosis ) Elmo lived a rather secluded life. This self-portrait shows him in his small room where he quietly went insane and tragically cut off both his ears. He would often suffer vivid hallucinations and imagine his furniture moving about the room. Although these hallucinations were psychologically devastating they nevertheless led to an unprecedented period of creative output. The fine line between creative genius and insanity has been debated ever since.

A colony of like-minded (and similarly afflicted) individuals founded the art movement known as Muppetism. They established an artistic commune in New York known as Sesame Street which soon came to rival Andy Warhol's Factory as a source of artistic inspiration. Unfortunately, it also rivaled The Factory as a den of debauchery. In particular, an inter-species sexual relationship between a frog and a pig drew much condemnation.

Although not pictured here, Elmo's longtime companion, a simple goldfish named Dorothy, eventually became his sole connection to reality. You can find more information about this eccentric artist at the following link: Elmo

-- Sister Randy