Clio
2021
Info
Title: Clio
Year: 2021
Size: : 90x60cm
Technique: Acrylics on Canvas
The three paintings on display are part of a series of nine acrylic paintings on canvas aims to pay tribute to the Muses of Greek mythology, who presided over different artistic fields. The nine Muses and their gifts of song, dance, and joy helped the Godsand the ancient Greeks for-get their troubles and focus on art and beauty. The Muses were the embodiment of certain artis-tic ideals, and they inspired musicians, writers, and performers to reach even greater artistic and intellectual heights. Chris Barley had fun assigning them a background and different colors to each one, according to their particularities. The set of nine paintings exudes both strength and an incredible variety of colors but which tend to form a single entity not lacking in harmony / This painting is dedicated to Clio (“to make famous” or “celebrate") who was the goddess of epic poetry and history and was also considered the inventor of the guitar. The common belief was that Clio had the power to immortalize anyone: whether they were heroes, poets, or politi-cians. She did this by making their deeds so unforgettable that they would be remembered throughout the eons. History was named Clio in the ancient years, because it refers to “kleos” the Greek word for the heroic acts. In one Roman mosaic, for example, her scroll identifies Clio as one of the two Muses standing beside the famous poet Virgil. Because his works were con-sidered historical, she would have been one of his patrons.