Heartbreak_fullscreen

Beyond the Limits: “Heartbreak”

Spread the love

Welcome to the new Clive Barker Podcast Feature: Beyond the Limits where we’ll analyze a Clive Barker painting or photograph and express how it makes us feel. When I’m having a bad day one of the things that I do to cheer myself up is to look at a piece of art that Clive Barker has created. There’s so much effort put into his art that it’s hard not to look at it and smile. And what I love most about it is how he lets the viewer take whatever they want from the image and allows them to come up with their own stories from what he’s created. One aspect of Clive Barker’s work is that it never really ends. Whether it’s on the written page, a canvas, or the silver screen he always leaves the possibility for the story to continue and that’s very important to me.

Like all of his work there’s a mixture of surrealism and down to earth themes that creates a powerful and rewarding experience. For me, the painting known as Heartbreak tells the story of two brothers that are twins and one of them has reached a point in his life where he doesn’t want to go on anymore. As a lot us know twins have strong bonds and can sense one another’s most personal feelings. The hellish inferno that surrounds them represents the situation that both them are facing: Mental Hell.

One brother wants to die, while the other wants to save his brother from his internal struggles. Barker shows this by literally having the brother tearing into the other’s flesh and trying to inject him with the simple touch of life. It’s a great image showing brotherly love and how much we care about the one’s that mean the most to us.

Also worth noting after examining Heartbreak is that it reminded me of the excellent film Dead Ringers directed by David Croenberg. That film also deals with the strong bonds between twins and the negative effects it can have when they share their lives with other people. Maybe that’s what has brought the two brothers in Heartbreak to their current situation?

So does he save his brother? Who knows? Like I stated above Barker’s work never ends. And that’s the true power of it. So let your imagination run wild and share your thoughts on what you think Heartbreak means to you?

 




There are 2 comments

Add yours
  1. Kip

    These two know the pain of heartbreak. They do look alike; I don’t know if they actually “are” brothers as they are painted in this, however I do see one figure in pain & the other casually thrusting himself into the chest cavity of the other…(he does it with almost a tenderness…an expression of love…his head seems to gently lay upon the shoulder of the other as he does it…

    Is he preparing to ruthlessly tear out the heart of the one he feels so intimately bonded to? Is he merely crushing it, instead, leaving it inside to ache & wither because he can? Either way…for me, I see something which I am only too familiar with : that being the (passive) permission given to someone that is clearly loved in some way by someone that is willing to accept the pain & suffering that that heartbreak brings…(let them do it over & over & over again, like the suffering of Prometheus…suffering that renews & reenacts itself with every new day…)

    Also, in regards to the “heartbreaker”, one must understand “his” ability & reason…(apparently, he must enjoy the act he commits. There is a sense of comfort, of correctness…of love…) To be able to reach inside someone that one claims to “love” and be able to inflict pain & suffering while maintaining a calm, cool demeanor is no small feat. One must be “invited” in order to do so. This figure clearly has clearly accepted the offer.

    I believe that I now adore this piece of art so very much. I can relate…most definitely…

  2. Rob Ridenour

    Great insight Kip. I love the Prometheus analogy you found in the image. I totally see that. Thanks again. 🙂


Comments are closed.