Color Study, Featuring NYC based artist, Cecily Brown
In her work, Cecily Brown blends historical art references with a contemporary edge that makes her a standout in the New York art scene. I love her use of color.
A little on her influences from the past:
Brown’s paintings draw from a rich tapestry of art history, reinterpreting classical and modern masters through her unique lens of abstraction and figuration. Her influences include:
Willem de Kooning: Brown’s gestural brushstrokes and dynamic compositions echo de Kooning’s Abstract Expressionist energy. His raw, visceral approach to painting, particularly in works like Woman I, resonates in Brown’s ability to merge chaotic abstraction with hints of the human form. She’s often described as a feminist counterpoint to de Kooning, challenging the masculine undertones of Abstract Expressionism by infusing her work with sensuality and ambiguity.
Francis Bacon: Bacon’s distorted figures and emotional intensity are evident in Brown’s fragmented, fleshy forms. Her paintings, like Bacon’s, convey a sense of “frenzied imprisonment,” where bodies seem trapped in turbulent, expressive strokes. Her piece The Only Game in Town (1998) is notably Bacon-esque, with its gruesome yet restrained imagery.
Joan Mitchell: Another Abstract Expressionist influence, Mitchell’s lyrical use of color and emotive brushwork inspire Brown’s vibrant palettes and rhythmic compositions. Mitchell’s ability to evoke feeling through abstract forms aligns with Brown’s approach to making paint feel alive and emotive.
Old Masters (Rubens, Titian, Poussin, Goya): Brown pulls from the dramatic compositions and lush palettes of Baroque and Renaissance painters. For example, her painting No You for Me (2013) evokes Delacroix’s The Death of Sardanapalus with its bold colors and tragic imagery, while her landscapes reference Poussin’s skies and Giorgione’s brushwork. She reinterprets classical themes like vanitas, bathers, and historical narratives, blending them with modern sensibilities.
Edgar Degas: Brown’s interest in movement and fleeting moments, especially in her depictions of figures and crowds, draws from Degas’s dynamic compositions, such as Young Spartans Exercising. Her drawings often metabolize Degas’s influence, transforming it into her fragmented, abstract style.
Popular Culture and Literature: Beyond fine art, Brown incorporates references to pop culture (e.g., Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland album cover) and literature, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s writings, which inform works like High Society (1998). Her mother, novelist Shena Mackay, also shapes her visual storytelling, with Brown noting the surreal, vivid quality of her mother’s writing as a key influence.
Brown’s process involves “copying” these influences through drawing to understand their compositions, then reworking them into her own visual language. She describes her approach as a magpie-like gathering of sources, where she churns through art history and spews it out as something new.
Brown’s paintings are like emotional rollercoasters—vibrant, messy, and alive. Her colors don’t just sit on the canvas; they dance, clash, and pull you in. She mixes bold, fiery hues with softer, moodier tones to create paintings that feel like they’re moving.
Brown’s palette is all about feeling. She uses color to set the vibe:
Warm tones like reds, oranges, and yellows bring heat, passion, or even chaos. Think of a crimson streak that screams intensity.
Cool tones like greens, grays, or blues add calm, mystery, or a touch of unease. A soft green might feel like a quiet moment in a stormy painting.
Unexpected combos—like a fiery red next to a shadowy gray—create tension or surprise, making her work feel alive.
Brown has me thinking abou the mood I want to create. Bold? Try a bright red or orange to grab attention. Want something introspective? Lean into muted blues or greens. Brown is never afraid to clash colors to spark emotion.
Brown’s colors carry emotional weight. Warm tones like crimson and ochre evoke passion or urgency, while muted grays and greens suggest ambiguity or introspection.
And her application of color with thick, gestural brushstrokes and thin, translucent layers create a tactile quality.
