An Inner Strength 2007

Ernie Barnes made *An Inner Strength* using paint to build up layers, kind of like life itself, you know? Barnes isn’t trying to hide the work; you can see the texture, the way the brushstrokes almost lovingly define the figure and the walls. There's a crack in the ground, and a tiny rose emerging from it, so delicate. The figure, with limbs stretched out, is leaning in close to the flower, like offering it support, or maybe drawing strength from this tiny thing. The wall behind him, it’s got this mottled, broken quality – it’s not smooth, it’s not perfect. And that's real, life isn't pristine. You could even say the painting reminds me of Bob Thompson, with his use of dynamic figures and the emotional charge of the scene. It's all open to interpretation, and that's the beauty of it.