A Storm of Paint Entangles the Enigmatic Subjects of Glenn Brown’s Winding Portraits

“Lactate (Midwinter)” (2020), oil and acrylic on panel, 78 3/4 x 55 1/2 inches. All images © Glenn Brown, courtesy of Max Hetzler, shared with permission

Winding lines and sinuous strands form the textured labyrinths that surround Glenn Brown’s subjects. The uncanny portraiture that comprises his series And thus we existed seamlessly revitalizes icons of pop culture and art history with the London-based artist’s distinct aesthetic. Bold prismatic hues whirl in curling strokes that intertwine outward across each panel, centering the figures while emphasizing the individual lines that provide their shape.

Prior to painting a backdrop or enigmatic subject, Brown begins with a source image, which he then digitally alters before transferring to the panel. While he evokes the aesthetics of surrealists or artists like Karel Appel, Frank Auerbach, Georg Baselitz, and Chris Foss, each of Brown’s acrylic and oil paintings transcend simple appropriation. Instead, he identifies the unexplored possibilities within the original image, casting unusual and complex lines that bolster the works’ mysterious and unsettling qualities. His deviation from the primary source also entangles his own narrative with that of his predecessors.

And thus we existed will be on view at two of Max Hetzler’s spaces in Berlin—Bleibtreustraße 45 and Bleibtreustraße 15/16—through January 23, 2021. To see where Brown’s work is headed next, check out his Instagram and his site.

 

“Cathedral Gin (after Castiglione)” 2020), oil and acrylic on panel, 52 x 37 3/8 inches

“The Crystal Escalator in the Palace of God Department Store” (2020), oil and acrylic on panel, in artist’s frame, 83 7/8 x 54 3/8 x 3 1/2 inches

“Bring on the Headless Horses” (2020), oil and acrylic on panel, 78 3/4 x 55 1/2 inches

“Drawing 2 (after Delacroix/Raphael)” (2019), acrylic paint on polyester film over cardboard, in artist’s frame, 43 x 37 x 2 3/8 inches

“And Thus We Existed” (2019–2020), oil and acrylic on panel, 78 x 48 1/8 inches

“Myths of the Near Future (Painting for Georgiana Houghton)” (2019), oil and acrylic on panel, 77 3/4 x 48 inches

source https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2020/12/glenn-brown-thus-we-existed/