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Glenn Brown

May 8–June 21, 2014
West 21st Street, New York

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Installation video

Installation view Artwork © Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view

Artwork © Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view Artwork © Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view

Artwork © Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view Artwork © Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view

Artwork © Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view Artwork © Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view

Artwork © Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view Artwork © Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view

Artwork © Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view Artwork © Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view

Artwork © Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view Artwork © Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view

Artwork © Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view Artwork © Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view

Artwork © Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view Artwork © Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view

Artwork © Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view Artwork © Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view

Artwork © Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view Artwork © Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Installation view

Artwork © Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Works Exhibited

Glenn Brown, In My Time of Dying, 2014 Oil on panel, 52 ⅜ × 39 inches (133 × 99 cm)© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, In My Time of Dying, 2014

Oil on panel, 52 ⅜ × 39 inches (133 × 99 cm)
© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, Titania Awakes / Love-in-Idleness, 2014 Oil on panel, 72 1/16 × 48 inches (182 × 122 cm)© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, Titania Awakes / Love-in-Idleness, 2014

Oil on panel, 72 1/16 × 48 inches (182 × 122 cm)
© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, MOTHER, 2014 Oil on panel, 66 ⅞ × 133 ⅞ inches (170 × 340 cm)© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, MOTHER, 2014

Oil on panel, 66 ⅞ × 133 ⅞ inches (170 × 340 cm)
© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, Romantic Movement, 2014 Oil paint over acrylic paint and bronze, 27 ⅛ × 16 ½ × 15 ¾ inches (69 × 42 × 40 cm)© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, Romantic Movement, 2014

Oil paint over acrylic paint and bronze, 27 ⅛ × 16 ½ × 15 ¾ inches (69 × 42 × 40 cm)
© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, We Reeled in Drunkenly from Outer Space, 2014 Oil paint over acrylic paint, fiberglass, and steel, 55 ⅛ × 94 ½ × 29 ⅞ inches (140 × 240 × 76 cm)© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, We Reeled in Drunkenly from Outer Space, 2014

Oil paint over acrylic paint, fiberglass, and steel, 55 ⅛ × 94 ½ × 29 ⅞ inches (140 × 240 × 76 cm)
© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, Little Girl with Balloon, 2014 Oil paint over acrylic paint and bronze, 26 ⅜ × 19 ⅝ × 13 inches (67 × 50 × 33 cm)© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, Little Girl with Balloon, 2014

Oil paint over acrylic paint and bronze, 26 ⅜ × 19 ⅝ × 13 inches (67 × 50 × 33 cm)
© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, The Glory of Spain, 2014 Oil paint over acrylic paint and bronze, 49 ¼ × 28 ⅜ × 28 ⅜ inches (125 × 72 × 72 cm)© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, The Glory of Spain, 2014

Oil paint over acrylic paint and bronze, 49 ¼ × 28 ⅜ × 28 ⅜ inches (125 × 72 × 72 cm)
© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, Die Nebensonnen (The Phantom Sons), 2014 Oil paint over acrylic paint and bronze, 10 ¼ × 7 ¼ × 6 ¼ inches (26 × 18.5 × 16 cm)© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, Die Nebensonnen (The Phantom Sons), 2014

Oil paint over acrylic paint and bronze, 10 ¼ × 7 ¼ × 6 ¼ inches (26 × 18.5 × 16 cm)
© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, Reproduction, 2014 Oil on panel, 53 ⅛ × 39 ¾ inches (135 × 101 cm)© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, Reproduction, 2014

Oil on panel, 53 ⅛ × 39 ¾ inches (135 × 101 cm)
© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, Maddalena Penitente, 2014 Oil paint over acrylic paint on metal armature, 42 ⅛ × 36 ⅝ × 28 ⅜ inches (107 × 93 × 72 cm)© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, Maddalena Penitente, 2014

Oil paint over acrylic paint on metal armature, 42 ⅛ × 36 ⅝ × 28 ⅜ inches (107 × 93 × 72 cm)
© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, Everyone Sang, 2014 Oil on panel, 57 ⅞ × 41 ¾ inches (147 × 106 cm)© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, Everyone Sang, 2014

Oil on panel, 57 ⅞ × 41 ¾ inches (147 × 106 cm)
© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, Marie Berna / Die Toteninsel (The Isle of the Dead), 2014 Oil on panel, 63 × 39 ⅜ inches (160 × 100 cm)© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, Marie Berna / Die Toteninsel (The Isle of the Dead), 2014

Oil on panel, 63 × 39 ⅜ inches (160 × 100 cm)
© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, Necrophiliac Springtime, 2013 Oil on panel, 78 ¾ × 127 ⅝ inches (200 × 324 cm)© Glenn Brown. Photo: Mike Bruce

Glenn Brown, Necrophiliac Springtime, 2013

Oil on panel, 78 ¾ × 127 ⅝ inches (200 × 324 cm)
© Glenn Brown. Photo: Mike Bruce

Glenn Brown, The Death of the Virgin, 2012 Oil on panel, 90 ½ × 67 ⅞ inches (230 × 172.5 cm)© Glenn Brown. Photo: Mike Bruce

Glenn Brown, The Death of the Virgin, 2012

Oil on panel, 90 ½ × 67 ⅞ inches (230 × 172.5 cm)
© Glenn Brown. Photo: Mike Bruce

Glenn Brown, The Origin of the World, 2012 Oil on panel, 59 ⅞ × 44 ⅞ inches (152 × 114 cm)© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, The Origin of the World, 2012

Oil on panel, 59 ⅞ × 44 ⅞ inches (152 × 114 cm)
© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, Cactus Land, 2012 Oil on panel, 66 ⅞ × 55 ⅞ inches (170 × 142 cm)© Glenn Brown. Photo: Mike Bruce

Glenn Brown, Cactus Land, 2012

Oil on panel, 66 ⅞ × 55 ⅞ inches (170 × 142 cm)
© Glenn Brown. Photo: Mike Bruce

Glenn Brown, Nazareth, 2012 Oil paint on acrylic and bronze, 26 ¾ × 20 ½ × 14 ⅝ inches (68 × 52 × 37 cm)© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, Nazareth, 2012

Oil paint on acrylic and bronze, 26 ¾ × 20 ½ × 14 ⅝ inches (68 × 52 × 37 cm)
© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, Anna Bolena, 2012 Oil on panel, 47 ¼ × 29 ⅛ inches (120 × 74 cm)© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, Anna Bolena, 2012

Oil on panel, 47 ¼ × 29 ⅛ inches (120 × 74 cm)
© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, The Happiness in One’s Pocket, 2012 Oil on panel, 88 ⅝ × 70 ⅞ inches (225 × 180 cm)© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

Glenn Brown, The Happiness in One’s Pocket, 2012

Oil on panel, 88 ⅝ × 70 ⅞ inches (225 × 180 cm)
© Glenn Brown. Photo: Rob McKeever

About

I like my paintings to have one foot in the grave, to be not quite of this world. For me they exist in a dream world, a world that is made up of all the accumulated images stored in our subconscious that coagulate and mutate when we sleep.
—Glenn Brown

Gagosian New York is pleased to present an exhibition of recent paintings and sculptures by Glenn Brown. This will be his first solo exhibition in New York since 2007.

Mining art history and popular culture, Brown has created an artistic language that transcends time and pictorial conventions. His mannerist impulses stem from a desire to breathe new life into the extremities of historical form. Through reference, appropriation, and investigation, he presents a contemporary reading of images new and remembered. Borrowed figures and landscapes are subjected to a thoughtful and extended process of development in which they gradually transform into compelling, exuberant entities. In sophisticated compositions that fuse diverse histories—of the Renaissance, Impressionism, and Surrealism—Brown creates a space where the abstract and the visceral, the rational and irrational, the beautiful and grotesque, churn in a dizzying amalgamation of reference and form.

In paintings completed over the last three years, including some of his largest works to date, Brown confronts traditional subjects of still life and portraiture. With characteristically fleshy textures beneath remarkably flat and glossy surfaces, the scenes evoke traditional memento mori. Measuring over ten feet in width and taking the title of Salvador Dalí’s 1936 painting, Necrophiliac Springtime (2013) is a meticulous arrangement of decaying yet inexplicably steaming flowers made giant against the backdrop of a haunting landscape, their intense aroma suggested by diaphanous wisps curling into the night sky. Through scrutiny and amplification, Brown displaces motifs from their original context. Acidic, elongated portraits of elderly, saintly men are unnatural yet familiar. A reclining nude is turned on its end, while a succulent piece of meat is executed in grisaille. In these ardently painted visions, Brown transforms Rococo, Baroque, and Expressionist sources into compelling contemporary narratives. The Death of the Virgin (2012) depicts a swath of figures in the grip of an amorphous specter. The marble-textured forms are set against an ominous black void, a reimagining of a François Boucher sketch of the Rape of Persephone; the painting also appropriates the black-and-white palette of Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s sixteenth-century Death of the Virgin. With each subject suspended in isolation, Brown offers a vividness that suggests the spiritual and invites contemplation.

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News

Photo: Edgar Laguinia

Artist Spotlight

Glenn Brown

April 28–May 4, 2021

Mining art history and popular culture, Glenn Brown has created an artistic language that refuses categorization, combining a wide range of periods from art history through reference, appropriation, and precise attention to detail. His mannerist impulses stem from a desire to breathe new life into past images; they are treasuries of raw material, offering countless images, titles, and techniques to be combined and deconstructed, producing complex and sensuous works of art that are resolutely of our time.

Photo: Edgar Laguinia