Ernie Barnes

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Ernie Barnes
Barnes's painting Sugar Shack featured on the cover of Marvin Gaye's album I Want You.
Date of birth	July 15, 1938 (1938-07-15) (age 69)
Place of birth	Durham, NC
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight	250 pounds (113.4 kg)
Position(s)	Offensive Guard
College	North Carolina Central
Jersey Number	55
Career highlights
Honors	Official Artist of the American Football League
Stats
Statistics	DatabaseFootball
Teams
1960 1961-1962 1963-1964	AFL New York Titans AFL San Diego Chargers AFL Denver Broncos

Ernest Eugene "Ernie" Barnes Jr. (born July 15, 1938) is an American Neo-Mannerist artist and former professional football player.

[edit] Life and work

Ernie Barnes was born in Durham, North Carolina, and attended North Carolina Central University.

Barnes played offensive guard for five seasons in the American Football League (AFL). He played for three teams: the New York Titans in 1960, the San Diego Chargers (1961–1962) and the Denver Broncos (1963–1964), and was designated as "Official Artist of the American Football League".

Barnes painted Sugar Shack which is featured on the cover of the Marvin Gaye album I Want You and in the credits of the 1970s U.S. sitcom Good Times. He also created many other paintings which were featured throughout the show. Barnes also appeared in small roles in a couple of episodes of the series.

His artwork is characterized by elongated figures, usually in motion. Owing to his athletic background, many of his paintings have a sports theme. He was named Official Artist of the 1984 Summer Olympics. He is the recipient of the 1984 and 2004 Sport Artist of the Year Award presented annually by the American Sport Art Museum and Archives.

In 2004, rapper and record producer Kanye West commissioned Barnes to paint an interpretation of West's recovery from a 2002 near fatal car crash. The painting, named A Life Restored, measures 9 ft x 10 ft and hangs from West's dining room ceiling.