commissioned by Sylvester Stallone
acrylic on canvas 6 ft. x 20 ft
unveiled 1988
For almost 18 months, Ernie Barnes worked on one of the most challenging paintings of his career.
Actor/producer and art aficionado Sylvester Stallone commissioned Barnes to create a work of art to add to his impressive art collection that includes Degas, Chagall and Boltero.
In
his search for a concept, Barnes recalled the four Rocky motion pictures.
He began to make spontaneous figurative sketches, concentrating on the
movement of the images.
"While researching and studying all the movies, photos and information from the Rocky series, I continued to return to a particular memory of Rocky wearing the championship belt, says the artist. "After a while, it began to make sense. The story of Rocky is man's continuing effort to find meaning in existence. This is represented in the belt -- the ultimate symbol of a champion."
The first championship belt was awarded in 1831 to Jack Ward after he defeated Simon Byrne. Since then the belt's style and shape has been minimally altered. Barnes chose to use the frame of the belt to formulate his message. Four of the five ovals individually depict a scene from each of the Rocky series.
Careful not to retell the script, the artist instead highlighted the emotion and drama of each movie. In the center oval is the fictitious Rocky statue displayed in Philadelphia -- demonstrating the hope and celebration of the boxer's accomplishment. The final result of the painting is the message of courage, dedication, going the distance and achieving a dream despite obstacles -- a shared philosophy of the artist.
"I took a special interest to this piece because I believe in the ideals of Rocky," says Barnes. "I could easily relate to his experience. It reveals a person's willingness to suffer for his art."
Measuring 6 1/2 feet tall by 20 feet long, the mural was completed in the Spring of 1988 and was displayed above Stallone's desk in his private Santa Monica, California office.