Beating the Bones, 1998
Benny Andrews (1930-2006) was born in Planview, Georgia, to a family of sharecroppers. His father, George Andrews, was a self-taught artist. Andrews attended Fort Valley College for a short time before joining the United States Air Force and serving in Korea. After an honorable discharge, Andrews used the G.I. Bill to receive a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. During his time in Chicago, Andrews worked as an illustrator for theater and record companies, and regularly sought inspiration from the Chicago jazz scene. Following his time in Chicago, Andrews moved to New York, where he became a prominent figure in the art scene. Andrews used bold colors and stylized representational elements to comment on social issues and portray the African American experience. Andrews was also well known for his social justice work, co-founding the Black Emergency Cultural Coalition and later serving as the director of visual arts for the National Endowment for the Arts.
