Migration Blues 1997

Benny Andrews's "Migration Blues" (1997) is a vibrant and evocative mixed media painting. It depicts a Black man playing a guitar, a mule and plow, and a colorful tree laden with fruit, all set against a bright, almost childlike background. The painting suggests themes of movement and displacement, rooted in Andrews's own experiences with the Great Migration of African Americans from the South to the North in the early 20th century. The use of fabric and mixed media further emphasizes the complex history and artistry of Black culture.