No. 3 Study for Skins + Shirts c. 1994

Ernie Barnes made this, No. 3 Study for Skins + Shirts with paint on some kind of board; it looks like he's trying to capture a feeling, not just an image. I mean, look at those limbs! They're so elongated, like he's stretching the moment out. There’s a real physicality to Barnes’ work. The paint isn't trying to hide. You can see the strokes, the way he layered the colors to build up the figures. The texture is smooth, but the gestures are loose and free. Those figures in motion seem to grow right out of the brush strokes. Take a look at the way the artist paints the jeans on the figures. They're all the same wash of blue, but he uses shadow and highlight to show the way the fabric moves and folds around the body. It's this kind of attention to detail that elevates the painting. I'm reminded of Jacob Lawrence, in the way Barnes uses shape and color to tell a story.