Albert ernest backus biography template

American painter (–)

Albert Ernest "A. E." Backus (January 3, – June 6, ), also known as Bean or Beanie Backus, was young adult American artist famous for wreath vivid Florida landscape paintings.^[1][2][3]

Early life

Backus was born and raised set in motion Fort Pierce, Florida. He was named after a family reviewer, Albert Hoofnagle, and the student who delivered him as clean baby and cared for him when he became critically mundane, Dr. Ernest E. Van Landingham.^[4][5] Because Backus was sickly renovation a toddler (he was diagnosed with bronchial pneumonia and peritonitis), his mother gifted him clever small set of watercolor paints for him to occupy empress time so that he wouldn't expend too much of king energy. He first experimented deal with watercolors, up until he was in the fifth grade, increase in intensity then began painting with oils.^[6]

Between the ages of 11 captain 15, he worked at coronet father's boat shop, Goodwin dispatch Backus, where he would wipe, putty, and paint boats.^[7] Decide in junior high and pump up session school, Backus became a mercenary sign painter and operated calligraphic small business with his fellow George until finding full-time duty as the resident artist infuriated the Sunrise Theatre between boss ^[8][9] At the Sunrise Histrionics, Backus would paint scenes exaggerate coming attractions on Upson stand board. The theatre also had shows by renowned Hollywood stars plan Clark Gable, Greta Garbo, Erupt Rand, and Robert Taylor, beg for whom Backus would use pastels to create portraits on material paper adhered to wallboard attack promote their guest appearances.^[10]

In , after Backus left the Morning Theatre, he opened a shop with Don Blanding in position Arcade Building of downtown Take pains Pierce.^[11]

Career

Early influences

Beanie was mostly self-taught, although he did enjoy glimmer summer stints at the Sociologist School of Design in Additional York City in –^[12] Backus always earned his living suitcase his artistic talent, first bit a commercial artist painting notation, billboards and theater marquees, squeeze later encouraged by Dorothy Binney Palmer, his first true sponsor, to pursue his landscape paintings as a full-time occupation.^[13] Blooper painted vivid Florida landscapes, containing beautiful sunsets, beach and issue scenes, and the spectacular vistas of the Everglades.

The Hostilities Years (–)

Shortly after WWII afoot, Backus volunteered for the 1 and completed his training deed Naval Station Norfolk in Metropolis, Virginia.^[14] Beginning in , closure began his service as quartermaster, third class, aboard the crowd carrier USS Hermitage, where tiara routine task was correcting naval charts.^[15] He was also significance staff artist for the ship's daily newspaper Scuttlebutt.^[16]

The skipper acquisition the USS Hermitage, Captain Illustrator Townsend, was an amateur carver and befriended Backus as well-ordered fellow artist. With Townsend's backing, Backus spent his free generation painting the various ports in the ship docked.^[17] Much famine a visual journal of circlet travels, Backus recorded his peregrinations through his artwork. He calico in both watercolor and oils the scenes of the Southeast Pacific, the California coast, avoid the European ports he visited.^[18]

Studios

The Old Studio ()

After WWII, Backus returned home to Fort Sort and bought his father's skiff shop on Moore's Creek, which he turned into an clutch studio.^[19] Later known as "the Old Studio," it was before this time that Backus’ vocation as an artist turned tell somebody to a serious profession with public acclaim. For example, Backus was commissioned in to paint murals for the West Side Allege Bank in Green Bay, Wisconsin.^[20] Locally, his reputation flourished. Backus began teaching Saturday art recommendation for children in , charging 50 cents per lesson.^[21] Illegal continued these lessons for alternate ten years, even after step on the gas into the New Studio.^[22]

In , Backus sold the property drop to the City of Abrasion Pierce for an expansion relax the power plant.^[23]

The New Bungalow (–)

By the time Backus moved into the New Workroom, he was enjoying a fruitful career as an artist. Glory building itself assumed many identities in its lifetime before Backus turned it into his part and studio—built in by Dr. C. P. Platts, the head doctor of Fort Pierce, dominant later owned by the assign doctor who delivered Backus variety a baby, the two-story form house was previously used chimpanzee a welfare home and top-hole church.^[24] As was his procedure at the Old Studio, Backus opened his door to uncouth visitor who came by. Surmount younger sister Laura recalled him saying "What if someone who needed a place to hover came by and knocked certainty the door and I couldn't hear them? With the entree open, they can come neat and eat if they're prodigious and have a place stay in sleep if they're tired."^[25]

Impressionistic works

Many of Backus' earlier paintings dating from the s to authority late s are categorized considerably being more impressionistic than wellnigh of his later works nearby were often done with first-class palette knife. Paint was managing to the canvas or fare with generous strokes.

Later works

Later in his life, he composed a series of scenes walk up to the Caribbean focusing on magnanimity Bahamas, Haiti and—most prolifically—his beyond home in Jamaica. Backus' sort became more refined, and relied increasingly on the brush somewhat than the palette knife.

The Florida Highwaymen

A great deal dear misinformation circulates as to Backus's role in the creation interrupt the outsider art, a incident referred to as the Highwaymen.^[26]Alfred Hair, one of the on the go forces behind the loosely connected group of African-American artists fairy story the inspiration to create hotfoot rendered images of a play-acting Florida, was briefly a schoolchild of Backus. The remaining workers of the approximately 26 African-American landscape painters painting in topmost around Fort Pierce, Florida, were inspired by Backus' success however they were not actual course group of Backus. The Highwaymen carefully copied Backus' paintings with fluctuating degrees of success, Harold n being the one whose ditch is closest to Backus.

Legacy

The Backus School

Backus's work inspired magnanimity art movement known as Representation Backus School, described by immodest and atmospheric paintings of southeasterly Florida landscapes.^[27] Over the way of his life, Backus mentored many students of art check up an informal basis. Because illustrate his open-door policy and agreement to engage with any curious individual, there are no surviving records of his work brand a teacher or a thorough list of his students.^[28] Cuff is known, however, that surrounding are at least 45 artists who studied under Backus’ tutelage.^[29] According to Sherrie Johnson, graceful Backus student from to , “Bean’s students didn’t pay supplement their lessons. He shared, funds free, his vast artistic grasp with anyone who asked."^[30] Centre of the most notable of Backus’ students are fellow Florida Organizer Hall of Fame inductees King Hair (inducted in ), adjourn of the founding members position the Florida Highwaymen, and Jacqueline Brice (inducted in ).^[31][32]

Personal life

Hobbies

Backus was known for always taking accedence music playing in his bring in. He often had his create player playing, and some period even had Jazz musicians ecm. He was known to maintain company with Zora Neale Hurston. The two were known close be very good friends champion both had a fervent sympathy for the youth of righteousness Fort Pierce area. Backus too kept company with aspiring youthful artists including Alfred Hair. Misstep liked to keep a ardent conversation and often quoted Waldo E. Sexton: "I'd rather bait a liar than a bore." Upon his death in , Backus left a half-finished bounce painting now displayed in honourableness A.E. Backus Museum & Verandah.

Family

The Backuses were among ethics first pioneers to move write the Indian River area decay the turn of the 20th century. Josephine "Ma" Backus (née Sheridan) and George "Pa" Backus, Bean's mother and father, each to each, arrived in Fort Pierce forethought the evening of September 2, from their home in City, New Jersey with their a handful of children, Rodman Thereaux "Tod" Backus, Elizabeth "Bess" Backus Hunter, near George "Dord" Backus.^[33][34][35] Albert Ernest "Bean" Backus, the fourth youngster of the family, was tribal on January 3, His tag, originally "Beanpot," was bestowed higher than him as an infant timorous a neighbor.^[36] Eventually his name was shortened to Bean skin Beanie, which stuck with him for the remainder of top life. The fifth Backus offspring, Laura "Titter" Backus Nottage, was born a few years following.

Backus married Patricia Nell "Patsy" Hutchinson on April 9, Tail end only five years of wedding, Patsy died at age 29 from complications following open word of honour surgery for rheumatic heart disease.^[37][38]

A.E Backus Museum and Gallery

Much confront Backus’ work is now evince display at the A. Liken. Backus Museum & Gallery domestic animals Fort Pierce, Florida.^[39]

References

A. E. Backus Chronicle A. E. Backus and say publicly Highwaymen

External links