31 1961

Benny Andrews made this painting, '31', in 1961 using oil and collage on canvas. Look at the colours, they are muted tones, and you can see how Benny has applied them with rough brushstrokes. I can imagine him in his studio, stepping back and squinting at the canvas as he works. This painting isn't about perfection, it's about something more human. The thick paint creates a tactile surface. The artist's hand rests on the table; the flowers, in the vase, are built up with these deliberate strokes. What was Benny thinking about, I wonder? Maybe he's thinking about how all artists borrow from each other, consciously or not. Benny's work reminds me that painting isn't just about what we see, but about how we feel and connect. Every brushstroke is like a little conversation, a question, an answer, back and forth in time.