Cecily Brown

Inspired by the grand history of painting, Cecily Brown confronts contemporary concerns of the human experience in this traditional medium. Her erotic scenes teeter between figuration and abstraction, with facial features and limbs appearing among frenzied swaths of color. Meticulous drawings are an important part of her compositional process, but these have not been as widely shown as her ultimate paintings. From her vantage point as a woman, a rarity throughout the history of painting, Brown investigates the power dynamics between male and female as well as the feminine capacity for desire. 

Brown was born in London in 1969, where she studied at the Salde School of Art. In an effort to distance herself from the Young British Artist scene, she moved to New York in the 1990s, where she still lives and works today. She has instead become associated with artists like Lisa Yuskavage and Sue Williams. Her distinctive painting style, which recalls the gestural strokes of Willem de Kooning and Joan Mitchell, is recognized for expanding the tradition of Abstract Expression. As one of the most prominent artists of her generation, Brown has had major exhibitions internationally, and her work is represented in prestigious institutions.

-       Combing the Hair (Côte d'Azur), 2013, Oil on linen, 109 x 113 inches (276.9 x 287 cm), a painting that references Picasso’s famous Les Demoiselles d’Avignon

-       Girl Trouble, 1999, signed 'Cecily' (lower left); signed again and dated 'Cecily Brown 99' (on the reverse) oil on canvas 100 x 110 1/8 in. (254 x 279.7 cm.)