Ram's Head (facing left) 1968

Graham Sutherland made this print, Ram's Head (facing left), in 1968. There's something so raw and immediate about the way he’s worked here, almost like he's wrestling with the image. You can see it in the restless line, the way the colours are built up, layer upon layer. It's a real peek into the process, you know? Look at the texture, the way the dark inks sit on the paper, giving the ram's head this brooding presence. The paint isn't trying to hide, it's right there on the surface. And that single black vertical line to the right – it's so minimal, but it throws the whole image off balance, adding to the tension. For me, it's all about how Sutherland captures the animal's energy, its wildness. Sutherland's work reminds me a little of Francis Bacon. Both artists aren't afraid to dig into the darker side of things, to explore the unsettling aspects of existence.