ERNIE BARNES

(1938-2009)

Oh Happy Day

Footnotes

This work will be included in the forthcoming Ernie Barnes Catalogue Raisonné. We would like to thank Luz Rodriguez for her assistance in cataloguing this work. The copyright to this painting is reserved by © Ernie Barnes.

Provenance
Private collection, North Carolina (gifted by the artist in 1967).

Literature
Lacy, B.A., 'People wondered if Durham's Ernie Barnes would be an athlete or an artist. He was both,' The News & Observer, July 1, 2018 (online).



Ernie Barnes' Oh Happy Day (1966) stands as a seminal work in the artist's oeuvre, not merely for its evocative aesthetic, but for its profound resonance with the Civil Rights Movement and its historic place at the genesis of Barnes' career. Painted during a time of immense social upheaval and hope, the piece exemplifies his signature style – elongated figures in kinetic, emotionally charged motion – imbued here with symbolic weight that transcends mere portraiture.

The painting depicts three singers, each rendered with expressive grace, their mouths open in jubilant harmony. More than individuals, they personify pivotal triumphs in the struggle for racial equality. The first figure represents the Supreme Court's 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education, a landmark ruling that dismantled the legal basis for segregation. The other two, emblematic of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, embody legislative victories that followed relentless activism. Together, these figures harmonize as visual metaphors of progress – a trinity of justice, equality, and enfranchisement.

The title, Oh Happy Day, was chosen in a moment of reflective celebration by Barnes and a close confidant deeply involved in the Movement. Their dialogue about the tides of change in 1967 drew inspiration from the gospel standard famously revived by the Edwin Hawkins Singers. The song, a jubilant anthem of deliverance and spiritual triumph, perfectly mirrors the hopeful spirit captured in Barnes' canvas.

Born in Durham, North Carolina in 1938, Ernie Barnes developed a connection to music at an early age. As a child he listened to his father play piano at home and absorbed the soulful sounds of the church choir. Long before his artistic practice evolved, Barnes was attuned to rhythm and movement; an awareness heightened by his years as an athlete. Excelling in football and track, he secured a scholarship to North Carolina Central University (then known as North Carolina College). Ernie Barnes developed a close relationship with the present owner of the painting, who was a graduate student during his time at North Carolina College. He recalled, "Some of Barnes' most notable painting came from scenes of Durham [...] He painted a rendering of the school's band during a parade going through the U.S. 15-501 underpass. When I moved into my second house in Durham in 1967, he brought me a painting on cork for my fireplace. We came up with the name 'Oh Happy Day' because it depicted two black men singing and one man playing a guitar. It was celebratory. It was after the Voting Rights and Civil Rights Acts passed" (Lacy, B.A., 'People wondered if Durham's Ernie Barnes would be an athlete or an artist. He was both,' The News & Observer, July 1, 2018 (online)).

Ernie Barnes' early paintings are instantly recognizable by elongated figures with emotive expression. Barnes translates the rhythm of music into a visual ballet of form, which is perfectly encapsulated in this early example. Barnes would often paint his figures with closed eyes as he believed in the importance of looking beyond the surface: "I tend to paint everyone, most everyone, with their eyes closed because I feel that we are blind to one another's humanity. So if we could see the gifts, strengths, and potentials within every human being, then our eyes would be open."

A testament to his early experimentation with non-conventional materials, the use of cork in the present work is both rare and unusual. Still more so, however, Oh Happy Day is unique for its explicit engagement with civil rights milestones. It transforms personal memory and collective struggle into a shared hymn of celebration. As such, it remains a testament not only to artistic brilliance but to a nation's pursuit of its highest ideals.