Wounded Sargent 1970

Benny Andrews created this painting, Wounded Sargent, with collage and oil paint on canvas. It's a moving portrait, built up with layers of texture and raw emotion. The material aspect is really striking; you can see the physicality of Andrews' process. It's like he's wrestling with the image, building it up, tearing it down, and rebuilding it again. The paint is thick in places, almost sculptural, and then thin and transparent in others, allowing the canvas to peek through. Look closely at the soldier's face – it’s obscured by a white bandage, the paint applied roughly, almost violently. This creates a sense of unease and disorientation, which amplifies the feeling of the piece. It reminds me a little of Guston's late work, that same willingness to embrace ugliness and rawness in the service of truth. It's not about perfection or beauty; it's about honesty and feeling.