Albert Ernest (Beanie) Backus (1906 - 1990) Indian River School Founder, Florida Art Hall of Fame Artist and Florida Highwaymen Mentor. Print of a pencil sketch entitled "Backwoods", part of an early print series. Framed under glass with custom frame, measures .A painter whose career was almost entirely focused on Florida landscapes, skyscapes, people and botanics, Albert Backus is regarded as the Dean of Florida Painters. He first received attention for his still-lifes, especially hibiscus, and later for his landscape and figure works of the Florida backwoods country. Although he was basically self-taught, taking summer classes at the Parsons School in New York City, he gave lessons to numerous artists. Today, among persons knowledgeable about American folk art, Albert Backus is known as the most influential person of The Highwaymen, a group of 1950s African-Americans who are arguably the best known of the Florida folk-art painters. Using art expression as a way of working through their despair at having no future beyond their jobs as workers in citrus groves and packing houses, The Highwaymen sold paintings out of their vehicles. Described as creating "hybrid versions" of the painting style of Backus

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