ment, Barnes was able to reinvent himself, graduating from high school with twenty-six football scholarships, as well as the respect of the community (Artist Vitae, 1999). Before Barnes went to college, at North Carolina College (now North Carolina Central University), he impregnated a young girl and was forced to marry her in order to save face, and his first child was born in 1957. Although Barnes’ marriage was not a successful one, he adored his newborn baby girl, and was heartbroken when his wife left him, taking his daughter with her. At North Carolina College, Barnes majored in art, and developed his own style (Artist Vitae, 1999). When Barnes was a freshman in college he went on a field trip to the newly desegregated North Carolina Museum of Art. At the museum Barnes noticed that there weren’t any works by black artist displayed, and when he asked the guide where the black artists were exhibited, the guide responded, “your people don’t express themselves this way” (Artist Vitae, 1999). That negative response encouraged Barnes to work hard at becoming an artist. However, football became Barnes’ life, since his neo-mannerist form of expression was contrary to the abstract paintings, which were popular at the time.In 1960, Barnes became the 10th draft pick for the then world famous Baltimore Colts. Barnes continued to play football for four years with various teams such as the San Diego Chargers and the Denver Broncos (Artist Vitae, 1999). In 1965, Barnes retired form pro football and began devoting his time to developing his art form. Nevertheless, since Barnes hadn’t saved much money from his football career, he was forced to obtain a job as a construction worker, in order to support himself, his wife and their two children. This was Barnes’ second marriage and like the first, it quickly ended in divorce.Barnes eventually moved to Los Angeles where he became a struggling ar...
