Sargent Brewer’s Battered Bastards of Burma 1962

Mort Künstler made Sargent Brewer’s Battered Bastards of Burma, but I’m not sure when and what materials he used. I’m fascinated by how this image unfolds with each look, a process I think is vital to art making. The color palette is rich, dominated by earth tones, that create a kind of tension with the bright white background. Look at the brown on the shirt of the white man. There’s a real textural quality there. It's clear that Künstler wasn't afraid to let the paint do its thing. It reminds me a little of someone like Norman Rockwell in its illustration style and dedication to historical narrative, or even a bit of Winslow Homer in its adventurous subject matter, though Künstler’s painting is more illustrative and less poetic, but that's fine, too. Art is an ongoing conversation. It doesn't need to come to a consensus.