With his distinct thin brushstrokes in acrylics and Indian ink, Glenn Brown’s swirling portraits offer both art-historical reverence and his own distinctive sensibility. Elsewhere, in his work in oils have a particularly unsettling quality, the textured faces of his subjects melting into different hues.
“He is known for the use of art historical references in his paintings,” Brown’s site says. “Starting with reproductions from other artist’s works, Brown transforms the appropriated image by changing its colour, position and size. His grotesque yet fascinating figures appear to be painted with thick impasto, but are actually executed through the application of thin, swirling brushstrokes which create the illusion of almost photographically flat surfaces. The effect is powerful–often unsettling–creating an artistic language that transcends time and pictorial conventions. Brown sees these appropriations and oppositions as key to his approach.”
See more of the artist’s work on his site.
Layering acrylic on transparent sheets, the ghostly work of David Spriggs towers over viewers. The artist places painted subjects inside these creations, from from varying figures to more celestial bodies. A view from behind works such as “In Utero II” shows how the illusionary quality of the installations carries to different perspectives.
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