photo by
Caryl Roese 2003
[literature] . [internet links] . [more art works]

WILLIAM BROWN

Born: 1953 in Toronto, Canada, died 11/7/08 in Bridgend, Wales/U.K.; trained: c.1973-76 Ontario College of Art Toronto & Beaux-Arts Montreal; his wife Carys is from South Wales; they have lived in Bridgend since 1990; has his studio in an old Chapel in Llangynwyd, near Maesteg; influence: Gershon Iskovitz

"Ar y Bryn Coch" 1999 (Mari Lwyd) acrylic on canvas 74x109cm

"Mirror Mirror" 2000 acrylic on canvas 61x41cm

"Y Mynydd Du" 2001 watercolour on paper 27x19cm

(in private collections)

Artist's Statement: "Scottish and Canadian cultures have influenced me greatly and the contrasting natures of both countries have affected my response as a visual artist.
I am a serial painter and there is a progression from drawing to painting and sometimes three-dimensional work. I indulge in the exploration of themes such as polar bears, docks/ships/coasts, poetry [I make very few if any pictures without reference to poetry, Sept.1995 'The Visual Word' exhib., Swansea & Cardiff], the Black Venus of Blaengwynfi etc. Because I am presently working in the village of Llangynwyd. near Maesteg, I have recently chosen to explore the very particular and peculiar South Walian story/drama/myth of the Mari Lwyd. This spectral horse/man and part tawdry 'carnie act', features in many recent paintings, prints and drawings. In one image he is lurching 'ar y bryn coch' near Llangynwyd. A whodunit in the making." (quoted, by kind permission of the editor, from 'Revelations: processes of making art', a book to accompany an exhibition 2000-2001).

John Furse of the East West Gallery in Notting Hill/London writes: "William Brown's exhibition at the East West Gallery [in 2002] featured many of his mythological and fantastic creations - hero and anti-hero-temptress and tempted with whom we have become increasingly familiar. Who can fail to warm to the attractions of the Venus of Blaengwynfi - not yet again undone inspite of the attentions of that perpetual hanger-on the Bad Zippie.
William Brown has settled 'Up River' in the Llynfi Valley beyond Bridgend and South Wales provides much of his inspiration. Titles tell of an instinctive urge to travel - Ostend and the preoccupation with James Ensor and the dark fairground - Prague and Joseph the Golem and Berguette in the Pas de Calais where poet Lucien Suel is a long time confrere. Suel read his verse at the exhibition's opening, as did his Welsh counterpart David Greenslade and three visiting versifiers from Russia. The recent arrival of Mr. Zippie in the Brown Folklore has introduced a light heartedness with the trips to the Zeeside and beyond. It seems that he has yet to travel through the Night of the Long Moose en-route perhaps to the Barbary coast to see for himself the open-cast rape of the phosphate mining south of Casablanca. William Brown's art is not without pertinent comment! At times he is both Loup-Garou Doleful Watcher and Chandler's Moose Molloy in search of a lost world and one suspects that some time soon the snow-white Venus of Blaengwynfi will succumb to the none too subtle persuasions of the amorous Mr. Zippie".

Commissions: Organised & curated a number of touring exhibitions including 'North' and 'Six x Six'. Collaborated with several poets in the production of 'illustrated' publications.

International Links:
exhibitions abroad=1992/93 & 2001 Xylon International Prints at Wintherthur Switzerland; 1993 solo exhib. at Seoul Korea; 1996 solo exhib. at Isbergues France; 1996 solo exhib. at Carcassonne France; mixed exhib. at Gallerie De Queest, Heuveland/Belgium; 1997 mixed exhib. at Het Kaktus, Brugge/Belgium (see under Vonckx Gallery, Abele/Belgium; solo exhib. at Gallery Vyserhad Prague Czech Republic; 2001/2 'Dreaming Awake' touring exhib. Terezin/Czech Republic (mixed); 2002 'The Narrative in Contemporary Welsh Painting', McGill University Ottawa Canada

collections abroad=Peel Heritage Centre, Toronto/Canada; Commonwealth Institute Ottawa/Canada; Azazel Foundation Carcassone/France/; Lille Museum/France.

tours, symposia, workshops abroad=1994 Kunst Symposium Bochum/Germany; 1996 Kunst Symposium Guetersloh/Germany; 2001 Kunst Symposium Hannover/Germany; 19.. 'Dreaming Awake' Tour & Workshop Prague, Olomeuc, Terezin/Czech Republic; 19.. 'Over the River' Tour & Symposium Niagara Falls/Canada&USA and Buffalo/USA in partnership with Albright Knox Gallery/USA;

academia abroad=1996 extended residency AZAZEL Foundation in Pauligne, Limoux, Carcassonne/France.

memberships abroad=BrUNIMA International Marionette Organization.

publications abroad=S.U.E.L.Press France, included in Le Nouveau Bestiaire, Ronde & L'Echelle Sombre; International W£ho's Who in Art.

Principle UK dealer: EastWest Gallery, Notting Hill, London.

[HOME]**** [BACK]**** [PREVIOUS]**** [NEXT]