The Greatest Duke Painting Ever Painted

[CameronBornAndBred]

When I was in high school, I remember walking into South Square Mall and into a print shop. I am mostly positive it was next to the tobacco store, to the left of the main entrance. I loved art, so it was a place I'd go check out. And one day, I remember seeing the craziest most insane print. It was Duke! But it was also something more than Duke; it was something I grew up with. It was Good Times.

It took me a few years to piece together that Ernie Barnes was the guy who painted The Sugar Shack. It took me more years to learn he was a professional athlete. (NFL, numerous teams). It took me more years to learn that he was a Durham native. And when I learned that, then the painting of Johnny Dawkins and the '86 Final Four team made sense.

There are two paintings of Cameron that I love. One I'm selfish about. But the other is this one. It is a celebration of Duke in K's infancy. It is a celebration of the diversity of that team. There is so much to love about it. The stillness of the net. The prominence of the ref getting ready to call JD for the foul. (Tongue in cheek, but prob did), the look on the visitor bench, the elation on the Duke bench.
There is so much crazy detail in that painting. I have mad respect for that. I love painting details, but you ain't seeing eyes at thirty yards in mine.
When you see the newish "Duke Planet" graphics with our guys over muscularized, don't think Marvel. Think Barnes. He was the originator. And being an athlete, he knew what he was painting.
Anyway...just wanted to take a minute to celebrate a guy who celebrated us. If you have time, there is another month left at the NC History Museum to see his work in person, including the well known "The Sugar Shack".

Thanks, Ernie, for inspiring me.

EBDuke.jpg

[Reilly]

Thanks for sharing that. The artist captures JD's poise and dignity -- the same attributes on display recently in the tournament. And I guess that is a Dick Enberg shout-out with the "Oh" and "My" signs in the stands?

[budwom]

Perhaps I'm in the minority (and I once had a copy of this print) but if it were the greatest Duke painting ever, it wouldn't have any tarheels in it, seriously. As if we are honored to be on the court with them. No thanks.

[devildeac]

When I was in high school, I remember walking into South Square Mall and into a print shop. I am mostly positive it was next to the tobacco store, to the left of the main entrance. I loved art, so it was a place I'd go check out. And one day, I remember seeing the craziest most insane print. It was Duke! But it was also something more than Duke; it was something I grew up with. It was Good Times.

It took me a few years to piece together that Ernie Barnes was the guy who painted The Sugar Shack. It took me more years to learn he was a professional athlete. (NFL, numerous teams). It took me more years to learn that he was a Durham native. And when I learned that, then the painting of Johnny Dawkins and the '86 Final Four team made sense.

There are two paintings of Cameron that I love. One I'm selfish about. But the other is this one. It is a celebration of Duke in K's infancy. It is a celebration of the diversity of that team. There is so much to love about it. The stillness of the net. The prominence of the ref getting ready to call JD for the foul. (Tongue in cheek, but prob did), the look on the visitor bench, the elation on the Duke bench.
There is so much crazy detail in that painting. I have mad respect for that. I love painting details, but you ain't seeing eyes at thirty yards in mine.
When you see the newish "Duke Planet" graphics with our guys over muscularized, don't think Marvel. Think Barnes. He was the originator. And being an athlete, he knew what he was painting.
Anyway...just wanted to take a minute to celebrate a guy who celebrated us. If you have time, there is another month left at the NC History Museum to see his work in person, including the well known "The Sugar Shack".

Thanks, Ernie, for inspiring me.

EBDuke.jpg

Yours is better. Far better. And you *know* which one I'm posting about and I fully expect you to post it here. Soon.

[aimo]

Geez! I had forgotten all about this painting! Very cool! I worked a couple of years in the old Mutual Bldg downtown, and the stairwells there had Barnes pictures at every landing.

But, yeah, I'd like it even better w/o that other team in it.

[killerleft]

When I was in high school, I remember walking into South Square Mall and into a print shop. I am mostly positive it was next to the tobacco store, to the left of the main entrance. I loved art, so it was a place I'd go check out. And one day, I remember seeing the craziest most insane print. It was Duke! But it was also something more than Duke; it was something I grew up with. It was Good Times.

It took me a few years to piece together that Ernie Barnes was the guy who painted The Sugar Shack. It took me more years to learn he was a professional athlete. (NFL, numerous teams). It took me more years to learn that he was a Durham native. And when I learned that, then the painting of Johnny Dawkins and the '86 Final Four team made sense.

There are two paintings of Cameron that I love. One I'm selfish about. But the other is this one. It is a celebration of Duke in K's infancy. It is a celebration of the diversity of that team. There is so much to love about it. The stillness of the net. The prominence of the ref getting ready to call JD for the foul. (Tongue in cheek, but prob did), the look on the visitor bench, the elation on the Duke bench.
There is so much crazy detail in that painting. I have mad respect for that. I love painting details, but you ain't seeing eyes at thirty yards in mine.
When you see the newish "Duke Planet" graphics with our guys over muscularized, don't think Marvel. Think Barnes. He was the originator. And being an athlete, he knew what he was painting.
Anyway...just wanted to take a minute to celebrate a guy who celebrated us. If you have time, there is another month left at the NC History Museum to see his work in person, including the well known "The Sugar Shack".

Thanks, Ernie, for inspiring me.

EBDuke.jpg

I have a damaged copy of that print! And I bought it at the same store in South Square Mall. Something had been spilled on the edges, so I just cut the white margin off and stuck the print in a cheap poster frame. It cost me $35. They didn't want to sell a damaged print, but I got it for a much lower price than the perfect ones. I had it on a wall for several years before my wife convinced me it didn't belong in the living room.

As soon as I saw it, I knew the artist was the same guy who did the Good Times paintings. I don't think I've ever seen a work of art that catches the frenzied motion of a basketball game so well.

Dang, we almost went to the NC History Museum about a month ago. Went to the Museum of Art instead. That's where they should have put Barnes' work!

Edit: the foul was going to be called on the foul tar heel!

[quahog174]

Perhaps I'm in the minority (and I once had a copy of this print) but if it were the greatest Duke painting ever, it wouldn't have any tarheels in it, seriously. As if we are honored to be on the court with them. No thanks.

I think you can infer the opponent is UNC, but I see nothing to definitively support that. I like the painting.

[Rich]

I'm partial to this one hanging in my home office. A print of a CB&B original!

fssadfassdaf.jpg

[CameronBornAndBred]

Perhaps I'm in the minority (and I once had a copy of this print) but if it were the greatest Duke painting ever, it wouldn't have any tarheels in it, seriously. As if we are honored to be on the court with them. No thanks.

That isn't Carolina, it's a nameless generic team. With all the details Barnes put in, if it were Carolina, he would have made it so on the jerseys. (And it's not the right ugly blue.)

[CameronBornAndBred]

I'm partial to this one hanging in my home office. A print of a CB&B original!

fssadfassdaf.jpg

Ha, well that's my 2nd favorite Duke painting ever. The original looks great on DD's wall.

[devildeac]

I'm partial to this one hanging in my home office. A print of a CB&B original!

fssadfassdaf.jpg

Ha, well that's my 2nd favorite Duke painting ever. The original looks great on DD's wall.

I am indeed staring at the original right now. Our two Duke grad children also have prints of the same painting.

[yancem]

I don't know, a couple of you are seriously dating yourselves talking about South Square 😁. That's been gone longer then most of this year's team have been alive. Sadly, I also remember seeing this painting in the same store. It is a classic.

[Indoor66]

I don't know, a couple of you are seriously dating yourselves talking about South Square 😁. That's been gone longer then most of this year's team have been alive. Sadly, I also remember seeing this painting in the same store. It is a classic.

Gee, I remember when South Square was a valley with a creek running through it and had Mike Rubbish's driving range and 9 hole, lighted par three course just to the West.

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

Gee, I remember when South Square was a valley with a creek running through it and had Mike Rubbish's driving range and 9 hole, lighted par three course just to the West.

We're pretty old, Indoor.
Love, Ima

[wk2109]

Attachment 2655

Here is my newest Duke painting that I have been working on for the last few months, "903 and Kounting" depicting the legendary career of Coach K. The background of the painting features a team picture of every team Coach K has coached starting with his West Point teams all the way to last year's Duke team. The background also features highlights from his career including the 4 National Championships, Christian's shot to beat Kentucky, and Wojo embracing Coach after their dramatic victory of UNC. The foreground of the painting features Coach K diagramming a play to the 9 players that have had their numbers retired during Coach's tenure at Duke: Ferry, Battier, Redick, Hurley, Laettner, Hill, S. Williams, Dawkins, and J Williams.

Let me know what you all think of it.

I've always liked this painting by user dukefan1980.

[devildeac]

Gee, I remember when South Square was a valley with a creek running through it and had Mike Rubbish's driving range and 9 hole, lighted par three course just to the West.

Sounds like right about the same time that dean's myth removed the bottoms from peach baskets.

[devildeac]

I've always liked this painting by user dukefan1980.

Very interesting. How would K shorten *that* rotation to 6.5 players?

[aimo]

Gee, I remember when South Square was a valley with a creek running through it and had Mike Rubbish's driving range and 9 hole, lighted par three course just to the West.

I remember that. And the Blair House and Kobe Steak House were where the Green Weenie stands now.

[-jk]

Gee, I remember when South Square was a valley with a creek running through it and had Mike Rubbish's driving range and 9 hole, lighted par three course just to the West.

Yeah, you're getting old... "Mike Rubish". (Maybe you couldn't help yourself - the unc=trash thing.)

-jk

[ikiru36]

I remember that shop as just down from the Piccadilly Cafeteria on the short arm of South Square opposite the Belks/Nordstrom(?). Not far from that cool shop on the end, providing any last minute onyx chess set, shuriken, and nunchuk needs. More to the point of why we're all here, I think that is the store Grant Hill has mentioned regarding beginning his art poster collection, and subsequent love of visual art and art collection.