Known for his ‘rough’ collage and socially committed artwork, late NYC artist Benny Andrews traveled the U.S. in his final years, following the paths of migrants he pictured in his ‘Migrant Series,’ now on view at Michael Rosenfeld Gallery. Linking to his own diverse ancestry, Andrews pictured the forced migration in the 19th century of Native Americans from the southeastern US in the ‘Trail of Tears’, the experiences of Black Americans participating in the Great Migration from south to north in the early to mid-20th century, and farmers and their families who left the Great Plains during the Dust Bowl era. Andrews’ characteristic open spaces of canvas lend themselves to the feeling of strangeness that pervades pictures of train stations, encampments and other points of departure as figures set out into the unknown. Here, Black migrants perform for or serve white patrons at the Cotton Club, a representation of skill and hard work that speaks to the resilience of those forced to make their way into new lives. (On view through Aug 7th).
