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| ABOUT TRaC |
Visual Arts TRaC Fall 2004
Delia Brown at D'Amelio Terras Upon entering Delia Brown's latest exhibition of printings we are immediately coaxed by her alternately subtle and vivid palettes. Her combination of pure, brilliant hues and passive pastels lends an exquisite balance to each piece. The new work is a series of oils on linen simply entitled "Paintings," perhaps an indication that she is focusing on the technicalities of her art. To the right is Drawings, a fairly small painting of what at first glance appear to be five actual life drawings curling up off a muted blue canvas background. Each painted drawing shows a lovely woman, posed casually sitting, standing, or lying down and rendered with easy, flowing lines and subtle shadows. Only one has a sense of environment created by a faintly sketched chair the woman leans upon. Directly opposite we are challenged by the artist herself in Blank Canvas: a resolute woman clad in a paint-splattered white tank top and jeans holding her weapon of choiceÑa paintbrushÑin hand. A trace of Brown's overaching theme for this series can be seen in Harem. In the lower right hand corner we see the back and arm of a naked man facing three women lounging on a deep blue-purple couch. A woman wearing a red halter dress sketches the model. Another wears jeans and a black beaded top, and the last opts for a black dress scattered with red roses. It may cause some eyebrows to raise, two women decadently made up and dressed so elegantly only to stay in for the day. Sketches of the man lie on the floor next to tubes of paint, pink shoes, cups, a cell phone, two books, a yellow belt, sunglasses, and another sketchbook. The three women return in one of her largest paintings, Trista, Sarah, and Raina. Here in various stages of dress, two of them in bras and pants, the other in a top and underwear. Their shoes, ranging from barefoot to clogs to knee-high black boots, make quite the personality statement, as do their carefree dispositions and the beer bottles in their hands and on the floor. Photos of them lie on the floor near Raina's feet and the two to the right are preoccupied by each other while the one to the left looks at us ruefully. In both works, the vibrance of the women's apparel and the various objects lying about in the mostly monotone rooms is incredibly enticing. Brown plays up indulgence and vanity in a capricious sort of way, as if they are actually little girls playing dress up. The light-hearted atmosphere is further propelled by the fact that these are paintings of her friends. The camaraderie is palpable and their expressions convey years of familiarity. Brown has no qualms about taking the plunge and criticizing the art community. In Painter and Model, a modified version of a fashion magazine photo, we see the slightly disheveled artist smoking a cigarette and sitting next to the impeccable Giselle B’ndchen. The piece manages to weave various realities together -- you see two other unfinished paintings of hers in the background. The original painting instead depicted John Currin, who currently has his share of the spotlight in the art world these days, posing with the model. The switch signifies that artists, regardless of popularity, can be on an equal footing and the blatant pretentiousness of many is unnecessary. An even more caustic approach is taken in her most astounding piece Party, a large painting in which the three organizers of the Whitney Biennial -- a survey of American art that didn't include her work -- are at a classy dinner party, sizing up the viewer with scorn. Brown actually includes herself in the scene as a waiter in the background, holding a tray of canap Ds. She knows the opinion certain people have of her and what better way to respond than to use it as a catalyst? Painting is cathartic to Brown, who uses it to sort through her thoughts of rejection. One could argue that with two prominent galleries, several sold-out shows, and her third solo exhibition in New York this thirty-five year old has accomplished plenty. Despite all this, she feels there is a rift between her and the art community. Another sketch of Trista, Sarah, and Raina has several comments on them that echo these emotions: Big City of Dreams (written inside a cloud); "It's only paint and the ... all why should I ... "; " ... but it's so hard ... "; "the sky (for our love)"; and "lie." Ironically, her art, which seems to emanate confidence, reassures those who are not particularly educated in art since they are presented with something fairly simple to grasp. Because they aren't overwhelmed or alienated, they feel more comfortable pondering the artist's mentality, the artwork, and the statement being made.
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