Benny Andrews: About the Crop
In a 1975 interview in the literary magazine Ataraxia 4, Benny Andrews (1930-2006) told his interviewers, “The thing is that my existence has always been schizophrenic: coming out of rural Georgia and going into the art world is considered to be a very sophisticated thing, like the art world. And the problem is to hold on to your identity, but not to deny what you can learn in this profession.”
Andrews was born in Plainview, Ga., and grew up about three hours away from Albany in Madison, Ga. His paintings and drawings capture glimpses of Black tradition and culture, speaking directly to his experience growing up in Madison, a rural area from where he had to travel for resources like schooling.
Andrews notes in this interview that while in high school, he also had to fulfill duties as the son of sharecroppers. He often missed out on school in the spring and fall because he had to plant and pick cotton. Andrews went on to attend Fort Valley State College (now university) and the Art Institute of Chicago, which is known for producing renowned Black artists, including Wadsworth and Jae Jarrell, Charles White, John Green, and Sanford Biggers.
About the Crop is one of three works by Andrews in the AMA’s permanent collection. This piece feels as though it speaks directly to the artist’s experience growing up in Madison. In the drawing, two sharecroppers converse as the sun beams down on them, and the left figure holds the reins of a mule. It feels like Andrews is documenting a memory, something that he could have seen on a spring afternoon. About the Crop is a culmination of the artist’s experiences, illustrating the influence of growing up in Georgia and shaping it into a key element of his art practice.
— Sidney Pettice, Curator of African Collections and African Diasporic Art
See more art from the Albany Museum of Art permanent collection HERE.
See more bios of artists with works in the Albany Museum of Art permanent collection HERE.
