CECILY BROWN

Cecily Brown was born in 1969 in London, England. Her painting style is reminiscent of American Abstract Expressionists such as De Koonong and Guston but is different in that it is less abstract and more figural than the majority of their work. Brown's father exposed Cecily to fine art and painting at an early age because he was a famed art critic in England and was acquainted with artists like Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon. Cecily attended the Epsom School of Art in Surrey, England to study art and design from 1985 to 1987. In 1987 she enrolled in printmaking and draughtsman classes at Morley College in London. In 1989 Brown attended the Slade School of Art and in 1992 studied at the New York Studio School. 1997 proved to be a breakthrough year for Brown due to her first solo exhibition with Deitch Projects in New York, since then she has had numerous solo exhibitions.

New Louboutin Pumps, Cecily Brown,Oil on linen, 206 cm x 205 cm, 2005

Cecily Brown's paintings walk a thin line between figuration and abstraction, but she does not consider her work to be abstract because of the distinct figures often present. Brown strays from typical figural painting because of her belief that it is too close to illustration or a definition. Brown strives for her paintings to have a conflict or argument within themselves and from one painting to the next, but details are ambiguous because she wants her works to have a life of their own. Not only is Brown heavily influenced by Abstract Expressionists, but also by more classical artists like Reubens, Titian, and Bosh. Brown works seven days a week on her art and has become a widely acclaimed contemporary painter.

Single Room Furnished, Cecily Brown, Oil on Canvas, 60 x 75 ", 2000

I was immediately captivated by Brown's paintings because of their aura of raw energy. Her paintings appear to be entirely intuitive responses to the erotic world that paint has created within her mind. They radiate energy outward and depict an entropic sensuality. The sporadic lines and splotchy combining of other visual elements makes for an intriguing visual path and immediate stimulation of the viewer. Her subject matter is not conceptually cutting edge, but the content and manner in which she depicts it once again pushes the boundaries of paint as a medium. I would like to progress my painting in a direction of looseness similar to Brown's and emphasize the painting process more then the painting itself.

The Fugitive Kind, Cecily Brown, Oil on Linen, 229 x 190.5 cm, 2000