Ernie Barnes (1938-2009). Bluebird, 1982. Oil on canvas. 18 x 24 inches (45.7 x 61.0 cm). Signed lower right: ERNIE BA...

Description

Ernie Barnes (1938-2009)
Bluebird, 1982
Oil on canvas
18 x 24 inches (45.7 x 61.0 cm)
Signed lower right: ERNIE BARNES

PROVENANCE:
The artist;
Private collection, Tigard, Oregon, acquired from the above, 1985.

NOTE:
Bluebird is included in the forthcoming Ernie Barnes catalogue raisonné. We thank Luz Rodriguez for her assistance cataloguing this work.

Born in 1938 in Durham, North Carolina, Barnes grew up in a community that nurtured both his athletic and artistic talents. He attended North Carolina College, on a football scholarship and later played professionally in the National Football League, an experience that gave him an intimate understanding of the body in motion. After retiring from sports, Barnes devoted himself fully to art, developing a style that combined athletic dynamism with lyrical expression. His paintings are celebrated for their unique ability to capture motion, rhythm, and the essence of human vitality. Barnes brought a deep understanding of the human body into his art, elongating forms and stretching gestures to emphasize movement and grace. His background in athletics gave him an insider's perspective on the beauty of physical exertion and balance, while his experiences growing up in segregated North Carolina shaped the themes of resilience, community, and joy that permeate his work. More than just depictions of people, his paintings are expressions of life itself, transforming ordinary moments into profound celebrations of the human experience.

Bluebird is a charming example of Barnes' extraordinary vision. A young woman in a yellow dress strides across an open field, her limbs elongated in his signature style, suggesting not only physical motion but also the spirit's determination to move forward. In her hands, she grasps a flowing piece of blue fabric, which sweeps dramatically behind her like a wave or gust of wind. The scene is dynamic, a composition built around contrasts: the stability of her stride against the turbulence of the fabric, the warmth of her dress against the cool sweep of blue, and the open serenity of the landscape against the vigorous energy of her figure. These juxtapositions infuse the painting with both tension and harmony, making it more than a mere snapshot of movement; it becomes a symbolic meditation on freedom, resilience, and joy. Barnes' choice to elongate the woman's body elevates her action into something poetic. Her impossibly long stride does not seem awkward but graceful, as though she transcends the limits of natural motion. This stylistic choice reflects Barnes' enduring interest in the rhythm of life, where bodies are not static forms but living lines that flow with music, sport, dance, and struggle. By exaggerating her proportions, Barnes does not distort her humanity; instead, she amplifies it, offering a glimpse into the spiritual dimension of physical movement. Her stride becomes emblematic of perseverance, as if each step carries not only her body across the field but also her will across life's challenges.

Color further deepens the meaning of the work. The yellow dress radiates vibrancy and energy, evoking optimism, vitality, and the warmth of the sun. Against it, the blue fabric unfurls like the sky itself, both a resistance she must push against and a partner in her motion. Blue often symbolizes freedom, expansiveness, and melancholy, and in this context, it serves as both an obstacle and an opportunity; the force of wind that challenges her but also lifts her into a state of grace. Together, yellow and blue strike a balance of joy and struggle, offering a visual metaphor for the human condition.
The open field surrounding the figure reinforces this theme of possibility. Rather than confining the woman within walls or urban boundaries, Barnes situates her in a limitless natural space, where her movement is unbounded and her form dominates the canvas. She becomes an emblem of liberation, her body a declaration of independence and vitality. The painting suggests that resilience is not only an act of survival but also a dance of beauty, where even resistance can be transformed into a work of art.

Barne's title, Bluebird, contributes to the poetic nature of this scene as the bluebird often symbolizes happiness, hope, optimism, and renewal. In this lyrical composition, Barnes demonstrates his mastery of turning everyday actions into timeless expressions of the human spirit. What might have been a simple image of a woman walking against the wind becomes, through his vision, a celebration of strength, grace, and perseverance. His elongated figure reminds viewers that motion itself is a form of poetry, while his careful use of color and space elevates the scene into a metaphor for life's challenges and triumphs. Ernie Barnes' art remains powerful because it does not merely show people as they are, but as they aspire to be, resilient, graceful, and always moving forward.




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