Clive Barker Cry (i)

Clive Barker painted Cry (i) in 1977 when he was 24. He created it on a sheet of paper that his father brought home from work, and Barker later signed it in 2011.

Russell Cherrington explains that the power of Cry (i) and Cry (ii) comes from the connection between them. Cry (i) shows a dark figure with a red mouth, surrounded by rough red and black strokes that suggest pain, suffering, and a struggle to speak. The sky is dark, with two poles rising into black clouds as beams of light reach toward the figure.

Thirty years later, Barker painted Cry (ii). It’s the same figure, now with more color and detail, yet the emotional pain feels unchanged. That long gap between the two works makes their connection even stronger.

Calling them “Cry” instead of “Scream” adds a sense of sadness and tragedy, as if something is deeply wrong in the world the figure lives in. Even with the darkness, both pieces still have a strange beauty and a powerful emotional pull.


---
http://clivebarkerimaginer.blogspot.com/2011/08/cry-i1977-and-cry-ii-2007-30-years-on.html