Sexism Study #25 1973

Benny Andrews made this drawing, Sexism Study #25, using what looks like ink on paper, and it feels like a raw, immediate thought. The thin, wiry lines scratch out these figures and objects, creating a kind of dreamscape. The texture of the paper peeks through, giving it an unfinished, process-oriented vibe, like he’s thinking out loud. I love how he uses the bare minimum of lines to suggest a whole world. Look at the figure on the right – the ladder going up its side, the suggestive curves, and how it relates to the title 'Sexism Study' – what’s going on here? Andrews reminds me a little of Guston, in that he’s not afraid to be direct and to use simple means to get at complex ideas. I think Andrews captures something essential about the way we see and process the world: not as a series of fixed images, but as a flow of impressions and ideas.