Portrait Of A Collagist By An African American Artist Name Benny Andrews

My first piece of artwork that I found interesting is called “Portrait of a Collagist” by an African American artist name Benny Andrews in 1989. His artwork is mainly abstract impressionism and realism and the medium he likes to use and is using in the particular piece is oil and collage on canvas and stands roughly 92inx51in. In this piece his work is abstract and realism, as is most of his pieces. (Source?)

In this piece Benny has depicted himself in the artwork creating another piece of artwork. He is standing at a 45° angle as if he has been interrupted by us, the viewer. This is how Benny engages us, the viewer into his painting. As if we are just as much a part of it as he is. When looking at his painting from a distance it seems as if it is just another oil painting but upon closer observation you can clearly see the different fabrics that he uses to create the collage and which gives the painting its textures. He shows space in the painting by leaving the wall on which the canvas hangs, bare, as is the floor with the exception of the box of rags that he uses in his collage.

In his painting/collage, line is emphasized in the floor and moves up into the line of his pants which forces you to focus in on the texture of his pants because they are real jeans. It makes you want to reach out and touch it and feel it for yourself. The line continues up to the rest of his body only to notice that his collar too is a piece of fabric which sticks out a few inches from the painting. The line also forces you to look over to the paining that he is creating and notice once again his use of fabric in the collage he is creating and then down to the box of rags at his feet. His use of fabrics throughout the paintin...

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...e and now. By depicting himself in his work it’s as if he is saying this is who I am, take it or leave it, or in his own words “If you want to see me, you will see me as I am, and that self is thoroughly an artist, I will take on no second self that poses generically to keep with some tradition.” (Source?)

As different as both artists are in their form and how they each create their art, they both see how hard it is to be an African American artist. Through their work they tell a story of triumphs and failures and the issues in the world for African Americans and the struggles they face. Even though Benny died in 2006, his work has shown how as an artist he has overcome many hurdles in his life to become the wonderful artist he is today. Hank tells the stories of what it is to be an African American in today’s world and the new struggles they face from day to day.