Country Ride 1982

Editor: So this is "Country Ride" by Ernie Barnes, painted in 1982. It's an oil painting of a jockey on a rearing horse. What strikes me is the starkness of the landscape – it feels both desolate and powerful. What do you see in this piece? Curator: What captures me immediately is the primal symbolism. The horse, of course, is deeply ingrained in our collective consciousness as a symbol of power, freedom, and virility. Notice how Barnes depicts it not in a graceful gallop, but rearing, almost fighting against the control of the rider. It’s an image of barely contained energy. Editor: Yes! And the rider, perched precariously, seems like he's trying to tame something wild. The colours are earthy, aren’t they? Almost like they drain the energy somehow? Curator: Precisely! Consider how Barnes employs color: the ochre and umber tones dominate. They suggest a certain rawness, connecting to deeper mythic images of conquest, or even, perhaps, frustrated ambition. Does that reading ring true for you? Editor: It does. The way the landscape dwarfs the rider also speaks to that idea. He seems so small against the hill, struggling to control this powerful animal. It’s a lonely struggle. It almost feels like he has chosen a lonely road. Curator: A road defined by choices of will, of desire – this lonely journey. Barnes encourages us to contemplate the burdens and triumphs we project into such charged images. We might well ask what road and destination are desired by the rider, by the horse, by us? Editor: Thinking about the psychological weight of the horse as a symbol and how it can be either in harmony with or opposition to the rider gives the piece more depth. Thanks, I appreciate that take on this powerful imagery! Curator: Likewise, our conversation helps highlight those very visual dynamics that make this seemingly simple image so powerfully resonant.