Contemporary American painting and sculpture

(Chris Devlin) #1
174

BROOKS,JamesD.,No.44,33'/2x59. Illustration—Plate 51


"Mypaintingstartswithacomplicationonthecanvassurface,donewithasmuch
spontaneityandaslittlememoryaspossible.Thisthenexistsasthesubject.Itisas
strangeasanewstilllifearrangementandasconfusingasanyunfamiliarsituation.
Itdemandsalongperiodofacquaintanceduringwhichitisob.scr\cdbothinno-
centlyandshrewdly.Thenitspeaks,quietly,withitsownpeculiarlogic.Between
paintingandpainteradialoguedevelopswhichleadsrapidlytothebareconfronta-
tionoftwopersonalities.Atfirstarhythmofthepaintingismodified,thenachainof
formalreactionssetsinthatcarriespaintingandpainterthroughviolentshiftsof
emphasisandintosuddenunfamiliarmeanings.
"Atsomeundeterminedpointthesubjectbecomestheobject,existingindepend-
entlyasapainting."
JamesBrookswasborninSt.Louis,Missouri,in1906.liestudiedatSouthern
MethodistUniversityinDallas,Texas,attheArtStudentsLeagueofNewYork,and
withWallaceHarrison,andhastraveled throughoutthiscountry.Brookscreated
muralsforpostofficesinLittleFalls,NewJersey,andVVoodside,NewJersey,and,
in1942,fortheMarineBuildingatLaGuardiaAirportinNew^'orkGity.He
formerlytaughtatColumbiaUniversity,now teachesatthe Pratt Institute.Art
SchoolinNew^'ork.HisworkisrepresentedinthecollectionsoftheMuseumof
ModernArtandWhitneyMuseumofAmericanArtinNewYork;the Brooklyn
Museum;andtheDallas(Te.xas)MuseumofFineArts.BrookslivesinNewYork
City.

BROWN,Carlylr.TabletrilhGlassesandRoses. 36 .\40.


Illustration—Plate^70


".\paintingisitsowncomment.Itsonlyinterpretationistoldbytheeye.Itis
enoughtolook,seeandgainpleasurebythatsense.Thepainterhasputeverything
there,thespectatortakesawaywhathewishesorwhathesees."
CarlyleBrownwasborninLos.Angeles,California,in1919.Hewaseducatedin
Californiaandstudiedforoneyear(19;?9-194(1)attheRudolphSchaefferSchoolof
DesigninSanFrancisco..ServicewiththeL'nitedStatesNavyoccupiedfouryears
ofhislife.HecametoNew^'orkin1946,butsince 1948 heandhiswifehavebeen
livingandtravelinginItaly,particularlySiena,Rome,andIschia.
CarlyleBrown'sworkhasbeenshowningroupexhibitionsinthiscountrysince
1947 andinone-manshowsontheeastandwestcoasts.Hispaintingshavebeen
acquiredbyprivatecollectorsinNew^'ork,Washington,D.C.,Paris,Rome,\'icenza
(Italy),and.Sussex,F.ngland.HispermanentaddressnowisFnriod'lsihia,Italy.

BROWNING,Colleen,Confirmation, 23 .\8V2. Illustration—Plate 28


"Thestartingpointofmypicturesissomeeventintheworldaroundmewhich
Ihavepersonallyseenandfelt.Icanneverpaintsomething 1 donotknowwell.
"ThispaintingbeganwiththesightofchildreninHarlem,whereIlive,blossom-
ingoutoftenementsintheir 1 onlirniationdressesinasuddencontrasttotheir
environment.
"Imadeseveralsmallsketchesofthisidea,reducingittotwocomponents,a
doorwayandagirl;whendoingtheactualpaintingIwentdailytosketchandobser\e
littlegirlsanddoorwaysinordertotrytoextractfromdetailedknowledgetheright
imaginativeemphasis."
ColleenBrowningwasbornatC'reggCastle,Fermoy,('ountyClork.Ircl.uul.in
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