Ernie Barnes Ernest “ Ernie ” Eugene Barnes , Jr . ( July 15 , 1938 – April 27 , 2009 ) was an African - American painter , well known for his unique style of elongation and movement . He was also a professional football player , actor and author . Early life . Childhood . Ernest Barnes , Jr . was born during the Jim Crow era in “ the bottom ” community of Hayti , Durham , North Carolina . His father , Ernest E . Barnes , Sr . ( 1900 – 1966 ) worked as a shipping clerk for Liggett Myers Tobacco Company . His mother , Fannie Mae Geer ( 1905 – 2004 ) oversaw the household staff for prominent attorney Frank Fuller , Jr . On days when Fannie allowed “ June ” ( Barnes ’ nickname to his family and childhood friends ) to accompany her to work , Barnes had the opportunity to peruse the art books and listen to the classical music in Fuller ’ s study . The young Ernest was intrigued and captivated by the works of master artists . By the time Barnes entered the first grade , he was familiar with the works of such masters as Toulouse - Lautrec , Delacroix , Rubens , and Michelangelo . When he entered junior high , he could appreciate , as well as decode , many of the cherished masterpieces within the walls of mainstream museums – although it would be a half dozen more years before he was allowed entrance because of his race . A self - described chubby and unathletic child , Barnes was taunted and bullied by classmates . He continually sought refuge in his sketchbooks , hiding in the less - traveled parts of school away from the other students . He was caught one day in a quiet area by Tommy Tucker , the masonry teacher who was also the weightlifting coach and a former athlete . Tucker was intrigued with Barnes ' drawings . He asked the aspiring artist about his grades and goals . Tucker shared his own experience of how bodybuilding improved his strength and outlook on life . That one encounter would instill in Barnes discipline and dedication that would permeate his life . In his senior year at Hillside High School , Barnes became the captain of the football team and state champion in the shot put and discus throw . Education . In 1956 Barnes graduated from high school with 26 athletic scholarship offers . Because of segregation , he was prevented from considering nearby Duke or the University of North Carolina . His mother promised him a car if he lived at home and attended the all - Black North Carolina College ( now North Carolina Central University ) which was then located across the street from his high school . He enrolled there on a full athletic scholarship and majored in art . His track coach was Dr . Leroy T . Walker . Barnes played the football positions of tackle and center at NCC , and was selected to the All - Conference team . At age 18 , on a college art class field trip to the newly - desegregated North Carolina Museum of Art , Barnes inquired where he could find “ paintings by Negro artists . ” The docent responded , “ Your people don ’ t express themselves that way . ” Poetic justice prevailed 22 years later in 1978 when Barnes returned to the museum for a solo exhibition , hosted by North Carolina Governor James Hunt . In 1990 Barnes was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts by North Carolina Central University . In 1993 Barnes was selected to the " Black College Football 100th Year All - Time Team " by the Sheridan Broadcasting Network . In 1999 Barnes was bestowed " The University Award " , the highest honor by The University of North Carolina Board of Governors . Professional Football . Baltimore Colts . In December 1959 Barnes was drafted in the 10th round by the then - World Champion Baltimore Colts . He was originally selected in the 8th - round by the Washington Redskins , who renounced the pick minutes after discovering he was a Negro . Later that month , on December 27 , 1959 , Barnes was invited to see the Colts ’ NFL Championship Game vs . the New York Giants at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore , Maryland . The Colts won 31 - 16 and Barnes was filled with layers of emotion after watching the game from behind the Colts ' bench . He had just signed his football contract and met his new teammates Johnny Unitas , Jim Parker , Lenny Moore , Art Donovan , Gino Marchetti , Alan Ameche and " Big Daddy " Lipscomb , who Barnes called " the greatest defensive tackle in the game . " After he returned to the hotel that evening , and without making any preliminary sketches , he went directly to a blank canvas . Using a palette knife , “ painting in quick , direct movements hoping to capture the vision . . . before it evaporated , ” Barnes said , he created " The Bench " in less than an hour . Throughout his life , " The Bench " remained in Barnes ' possession , even taking it with him to all his football training camps and hiding it under his bed . It would be the only painting Barnes would never sell , despite many substantial offers , including a $ 25 , 000 bid at his first show in 1966 . Shortly after his 22nd birthday , while at the Colts training camp , Barnes was interviewed by N . P . Clark , sportswriter for the Baltimore News - Post newspaper . Until then Barnes was always known by his birth name , Ernest Barnes . But when Clark ' s article came out , it referred to him as “ Ernie Barnes , ” which changed his name and life forever . Titans of New York . Barnes was the last cut of the Colts ’ training camp . After Baltimore released Barnes , the newly - formed Titans of New York immediately signed him because the team had first option on any player released within the league . Barnes loathed being on the Titans . He said , “ ( New York ) was a circus of ineptitude . The equipment was poor , the coaches not as knowledgeable as the ones in Baltimore . We were like a group of guys in the neighborhood who said let ’ s pretend we ’ re pros . ” After a 27 - 21 loss to the Oilers on October 9 , 1960 at Jeppesen Stadium , his teammate Howard Glenn died . Barnes asked for his release two days later . Glenn had sustained a broken neck in the first half of the game and it was reported that injury caused his death . However , Barnes and other teammates have long attributed it to heatstroke . In a later interview , Barnes said , “ They never really said what he died of . ( Coach ) Sammy Baugh said he ’ d broken his neck in a game the Sunday before . But how could that be ? How could he have hit in practice all week with a broken neck ? What he died of , I think , was more like heat exhaustion . I told them I didn ’ t want to play on a team like this . ” San Diego Chargers . Barnes then accepted a previous offer from Coach Al Davis at the Los Angeles Chargers . Barnes joined their team at mid - season as a member of their taxi squad . The following season in 1961 the team moved to San Diego , joining the NFL . It was there Barnes met teammate Jack Kemp , and the two would share a lifelong close friendship . During the off - seasons with the Chargers , Barnes was program director at San Diego ’ s Southeast YMCA working with parolees from the California Youth Authority . He also worked as the Sports Editor for " The Voice " , a local San Diego newspaper , writing a weekly column called “ A Matter of Sports . ” Barnes also illustrated several articles for " San Diego Magazine " during the off - seasons in 1962 and 1963 . Barnes ’ first television interview as an artist was in 1962 on " The Regis Philbin Show " on KGTV in San Diego . It was Philbin ' s first talk show . The next time the two men would see each other would be 45 years later when Philbin attended a tribute to Barnes in New York . Denver Broncos . Midway through Barnes ’ second season with the Chargers , after a series of injuries , Barnes was cut . He was then signed to the Denver Broncos . On Barnes ’ 1964 Denver Broncos Topps football card he is shown wearing jersey # 55 although he never played in that number . His jersey was # 62 . Barnes was called “ Big Rembrandt ” by his Denver teammates . Coincidentally , Barnes and Rembrandt share the same birthday . Barnes was often fined by Denver Coach Jack Faulkner when caught sketching during team meetings . One of the sketches that he was fined $ 100 sold years later for $ 1000 . During the Broncos games , Barnes would run off the field and onto the sideline to give his offensive line coach Red Miller the scraps of paper of his sketches and notes . “ During a timeout you ’ ve got nothing to do – you ’ re not talking – you ’ re just trying to breathe , mostly . Nothing to take out that little pencil and write down what you saw . The shape of the linemen . The body language a defensive lineman would occupy , his posture . What I see when you pull . The reaction of the defense to your movement ; the awareness of the lines within the movement , the pattern within the lines , the rhythm of movement . A couple of notes to me would denote an action , an image that I could instantly recreate in my mind . Some of those notes have been made into paintings . Quite a few , really . ” Canadian Football League . In 1965 , after his second season with the Broncos , Barnes signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Canada . In the final quarter of their last exhibition game , Barnes fractured his right foot , in effect , ending his professional football career . Retirement . Shortly after his final football game , Barnes went to the 1965 NFL owners meeting in Houston in hopes of becoming the league ’ s official artist . There he was introduced to New York Jets owner Sonny Werblin , who was intrigued by Barnes and his art . He paid for Barnes to bring his paintings to New York . Later they met at a gallery and unbeknownst to Barnes , three art critics were there to evaluate his paintings . They told Werblin that Barnes was “ the most expressive painter of sports since George Bellows . ” In what was undoubtedly an unusual post in the history of the NFL , Werblin retained Barnes as a salaried player , but positioned him in front of the canvas , rather than on the football field . Werblin told Barnes “ You have more value to the country as an artist than as a football player ” Barnes ’ November 1966 debut solo exhibition , hosted by Werblin at the Grand Central Art Galleries in New York City was critically acclaimed and all the paintings sold . In 1971 Barnes wrote a series of essays ( illustrated with his own drawings ) in the " Gridiron " newspaper titled " I Hate the Game I Love " ( with Neil Amdur ) . These articles became the beginning manuscript of his autobiography , later - published in 1995 titled " From Pads to Palette " which chronicles his transition from professional football to his art career . Work . Barnes credits his college art instructor Ed Wilson for laying the foundation for his development as an artist . Wilson was a sculptor who instructed Barnes to paint from his own life experiences . “ He made me conscious of the fact that the artist who is useful to America is one who studies his own life and records it through the medium of art , manners and customs of his own experiences . ” All his life , Barnes was ambivalent about his football experience . In interviews and in personal appearances , Barnes said he hated the violence and the physical torment of the sport . However , his years as an athlete gave him unique , in - depth observations . “ ( Wilson ) told me to pay attention to what my body felt like in movement . Within that elongation , there ’ s a feeling . And attitude and expression . I hate to think had I not played sports what my work would look like . ” Barnes ’ first painting sale was in 1959 for $ 90 to Boston Celtic Sam Jones for a painting called " Slow Dance " . It was subsequently lost in a fire at Jones ' home . Critics have defined Barnes ’ work as neo - mannerist . Based on his signature use of serpentine lines , elongation of the human figure , clarity of line , unusual spatial relationships , painted frames , and distinctive color palettes , art critic Frank Getlein credited Barnes as the founder of the neo - Mannerism movement - because of the similarity of technique and composition prevalent during the 16th century , as practiced by such masters as Michelangelo and Raphael . Numerous artists have been influenced by Barnes ’ art and unique style . Accordingly , several copyright infringement lawsuits have been settled and are currently pending . Framing . In homage to his father , Barnes would frame his paintings in distressed wood . In his autobiography , Barnes wrote of his father “ with so little education , had worked so hard for us . His legacy to me was his effort and that was plenty . He knew absolutely nothing about art . ” A few weeks before Barnes ' first solo exhibition , and as his father lay in the hospital after suffering a stroke , Barnes was at his parents ' Durham home and noticed the unkept condition of the usually well - maintained backyard . Barnes wrote about the “ once - white fence was greying . One day , I placed a painting against the fence and stood away and had a look . I was startled at the marriage between the old wood fence and the painting . It was perfect . In tribute . . . Daddy ’ s fence would hug all my paintings in a prestigious New York gallery . That would have made him smile . ” Eyes closed . A consistent and distinct feature in Barnes ’ work are the closed eyes of his subjects . “ It was in 1971 when I conceived the idea of " The Beauty of the Ghetto " as an exhibition . And I exposed it to some people who were black to get a reaction . And from one ( person ) it was very negative . And when I began to express my points of view ( to this ) professional man , he resisted the notion . And as a result of his comments and his attitude I began to see , observe , how blind we are to one another ’ s humanity . Blinded by a lot of things that have , perhaps , initiated feelings in that light . We don ’ t see into the depths of our interconnection . The gifts , the strength and potential within other human beings . We stop at color quite often . So one of the things we have to be aware of is who we are in order to have the capacity to like others . But when you cannot visualize the offerings of another human being you ’ re obviously not looking at the human being with open eyes . ” “ We look upon each other and decide immediately : This person is black , so he must be . . . This person lives in poverty , so he must be . . . ” Sports art . In 1984 Barnes was appointed the Official Sports Artist for the Games of the XXIII Olympiad . Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee President Peter V . Ueberroth said Barnes “ captured the essence of the Olympics ” and “ portray the city ’ s ethnic diversity , the power and emotion of sports competition , the singleness of purpose and hopes that go into the making of athletes the world over . ” Barnes was commissioned to create five Olympic - themed paintings and serve as an official Olympic spokesman to encourage inner city youth . In 1985 Barnes was named the first " Sports Artist of the Year " by the United States Sports Academy . In 1987 Barnes created " Fastbreak " , a commissioned painting of the World Champion Los Angeles Lakers basketball team that included Magic Johnson , Kareem Abdul - Jabbar , James Worthy , Kurt Rambis and Michael Cooper . In 1996 Carolina Panthers football team owners Rosalind and Jerry Richardson ( Barnes ’ former Colts teammate ) commissioned Barnes to create the large painting " Victory in Overtime " ( approximately 7 ft . x 14 ft . ) . It was unveiled before the team ' s inaugural season and hangs permanently in the stadium owner ’ s suite . To commemorate their 50th anniversary in 1996 , the National Basketball Association commissioned Barnes to create a painting with the theme , “ Where we were , where we are , and where we are going . ” The painting , " The Dream Unfolds " hangs in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield , Massachusetts . A limited edition of lithographs were made , with the first 50 prints going to each of the NBA ’ s 50th Anniversary All - Time Team . In 2004 Barnes was named " America ’ s Best Painter of Sports " by the American Sport Art Museum & Archives . Other notable sports commissions include paintings for the New Orleans Saints , Oakland Raiders and Boston Patriots football team owners . " Sugar Shack " . Barnes created the painting " Sugar Shack " in the early 1970s . It gained international exposure when it was used on the " Good Times " television series and on a 1976 Marvin Gaye album . According to Barnes , he created the original version of " Sugar Shack " after reflecting upon his childhood , during which he was not " able to go to a dance . " In a 2008 interview , Barnes said , " " Sugar Shack " is a recall of a childhood experience . It was the first time my innocence met with the sins of dance . The painting transmits rhythm so the experience is re - created in the person viewing it . To show that African - Americans utilize rhythm as a way of resolving physical tension . ” The " Sugar Shack " has been known to art critics for embodying the style of art composition known as " Black Romantic , " which , according to Natalie Hopkinson of The Washington Post , is the " visual - art equivalent of the Chitlin ' circuit . " On the original " Sugar Shack " , Barnes included his hometown Durham , North Carolina radio station WSRC on a banner . He incorrectly listed the frequency at 620 . It was actually 1410 . Barnes confused what he used to hear WSRC ' s on - air personality Norfley Whitted saying " 620 on your dial " when Whitted was at his former station WDNC in the early 1950s . After Marvin Gaye asked him for permission to use the painting as an album cover , Barnes then augmented the painting by adding references that allude to Gaye ' s album , including banners hanging from the ceiling to promote the album ' s singles . During the " " anniversary television special on March 25 , 1983 , tribute was paid to " Sugar Shack " with a dance interpretation of the painting . Music album covers . Barnes ’ work appears on the following album covers : Other notable art and exhibitions . In response to the 1960s “ Black is beautiful ” cultural movement and James Brown ’ s 1968 " Say it loud : I ’ m Black and I ’ m Proud " song , Barnes created " The Beauty of the Ghetto " exhibition of 35 paintings that toured major American cities from 1972 to 1979 . Dignitaries , athletes and celebrities , including Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley , the Hon . Jack Kemp and Ethel Kennedy each hosted several shows . Of his " The Beauty of the Ghetto " exhibition , Barnes said , “ I am providing a pictorial background for an understanding into the aesthetics of black America . It is not a plea to people to continue to live there ( in the ghetto ) but for those who feel trapped , it is . . . a challenge of how beautiful life can be . ” When " The Beauty of the Ghetto " was on view in 1974 at the Museum of African Art in Washington , DC , Rep . John Conyers stressed the important positive message of the exhibit in the Congressional Record . In the wake of the 1992 Los Angeles riots , Mayor Tom Bradley used Barnes ’ painting " Growth Through Limits " as an inspirational billboard in the inner - city . Barnes contributed $ 1000 to the winner of a slogan contest among the city ’ s junior high school students that best represented the painting . Barnes ’ work was included in the 1995 traveling group exhibition " 20th Century Masterworks of African - American Artists II " . Barnes ’ painting " The Advocate " was donated to the North Carolina Central University School of Law in 1998 by a private collector . Barnes was compelled to create the painting from his “ concern with the just application of the law . . . the integrity of the legal process for all people , but especially those without resource or influence . ” While watching the tragic events of 9 / 11 , Barnes created the painting " In Remembrance " . It was formally unveiled at the Seattle Art Museum . It was later acquired on behalf of the City of Philadelphia and donated to its African American Museum . A limited number of giclée prints were sold with 100 % of the proceeds going to the Hero Scholarship Fund , which provides college tuition and expenses to children of Pennsylvania police and fire personnel killed in the line of duty . Three of Barnes ’ original paintings were exhibited at the London , England Whitechapel Gallery in the 2005 " Back to Black : Art , Cinema & Racial Imaginary " art exhibition . In 2005 rapper producer Kanye West commissioned Barnes to create a painting to depict his life - changing experience following his near - fatal car crash . " A Life Restored " measures 9 ft . x 10 ft . and hangs on West ’ s dining room ceiling . In the center of the painting is a large angel reaching out to a much smaller figure of West . It was inaccurately reported in several media outlets that the angel in the painting is of West . Barnes ’ final public exhibition was in October 2007 when the NFL and Time Warner sponsored " A Tribute to Artist and NFL Alumni Ernie Barnes " in New York City . It was hosted by Donna Brazile , Susan L . Taylor , Brig Owens and his former teammate , the Hon . Jack Kemp ( who died five days after Barnes in 2009 ) . At the time of his death , Barnes had been working on an exhibition titled " Liberating Humanity From Within " which featured a majority of paintings he created in the last three years of his life . Plans will continue . The exhibition will travel throughout the country and abroad . Television & Movies . Barnes appeared on a 1967 episode of the game show " What ' s My Line ? " The panelists correctly guessed Barnes was the professional football player - turned - artist . Barnes played Deke Coleman in the 1969 motion picture " Number One " with Charlton Heston and Jessica Walter . In 1971 Barnes , along with Mike Henry , created the " Super Comedy Bowl " , a CBS television variety special which showcased pro athletes with celebrities such as John Wayne , Frank Gifford , Alex Karras , Joe Namath , Jack Lemmon , Lucille Ball , Carol Burnett and Tony Curtis . A second special aired in 1972 . Barnes played Dr . Penfield in the 1971 movie " Doctors ’ Wives " , which starred Dyan Cannon , Richard Crenna , Gene Hackman and Carroll O ' Connor . Throughout the " Good Times " television series ( 1974 – 79 ) most of the paintings “ created ” by the character JJ are works by Ernie Barnes . However a few images , including a Black Jesus , were not by Barnes . " Sugar Shack " made its debut on " Good Times " when it was used during the opening and closing credits during the show ’ s fourth season . In the fifth season it was only used in the closing credits . In the sixth season , " Sugar Shack " was only used in the opening credits for the first eight episodes and in a few closing credits during that season . In the fifth and sixth seasons , " Sugar Shack " appears in the background of the Evans family apartment . Barnes had a bit part on two episodes of " Good Times " : The Houseguest ( February 18 , 1975 ) and Sweet Daddy Williams ( January 20 , 1976 ) . In 1981 Barnes played the famed baseball catcher Josh Gibson of the Negro league in the television movie " Don ’ t Look Back : The Story of Leroy ‘ Satchel ’ Paige " with Lou Gossett , Jr . , who played Paige . Personal . In addition to his parents , Barnes was preceded in death by his half - brother Benjamin B . Rogers , Jr . ( 1920 – 1970 ) . His younger brother James ( b . 1942 ) resides in Durham , North Carolina . Barnes has five children : Deidre ( b . 1957 ) and Michael ( b . 1961 ) with first wife Andrea Burnett ( 1957 – 1965 ) ; and Sean ( b . 1965 ) , Erin ( b . 1969 ) and Paige ( b . 1972 ) with second wife Janet Thaleen Norton ( 1965 – 1983 ) . He was also married to Bernadine " Bernie " Gradney ( 1984 - to death ) . Barnes died on April 27 , 2009 at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles , California from a rare blood disorder . He was cremated and his ashes were scattered in Durham , North Carolina near the site of where his family home once stood , and at the beach in Carmel , California , one of his favorite cities . Quotes . “ An artist paints his own reality . ” “ The artist uses creative visualization and the athlete uses the same thing . . . It ’ s the muscle of the mind , that ’ s the main muscle . ” “ I am bound by the strongest ties with the organic life of all people . And being an artist has created in me the desire to continually affirm beauty . ” “ The five years I lived in ( the Fairfax district ) a Los Angeles Jewish community led me to learn of their unyielding spiritual strength and internal sense of grandeur . I met people who had survived a hard school of struggle . ” “ My early paintings have all the rawness and passion of the ( football ) game . ” “ I was angry . I wanted to show and tell people what I had seen and felt . I wanted to show the dehumanization that is professional football . My only expression is through art . I painted until I had exhausted the hate . I had so many ideas that I couldn ’ t put a canvas up quick enough . ” “ One day on the playing field , I looked up and the sun was breaking through the clouds , hitting the unmuddied areas on the uniforms , and I said , ‘ that ’ s beautiful ! ’ I knew then that it was all over being a player . I was more interested in art . So I traded my cleats for canvas , my bruises for brushes , and put all the violence and power I had felt on the field into my paintings . ” “ Throughout my five seasons in the NFL , I remained at the deepest level of my being . . . an artist . ”