Joan Brown Original Vintage SF Bay Area Figurative Lg Self Portrait as Swimmer Oil Painting
Original, large vintage self portrait of the "second generation" San Francisco Bay Figurative Movement artist Joan Brown (1938-1990). The painting is an oil on canvas, (with textural / sculptural elements). The image captures the artist still wearing her swimwear, likely after a swim. Joan Brown was an avid swimmer and often incorporated parts of her life into her paintings, using symbolism as artistic introspection. This painting was created approximately 1975, after the artist had a brush with mortality while swimming to Alcatraz. Her stare holds a deep and meaningful gaze, as though she is quietly contemplating an existential question. The painting measures 19" X 36" and is in good condition. There is a light scratch across the nose and there may be other very minor areas of chips of missing paint. Overall, the painting is in good, stable condition. The painting's color palette is reflective of important paintings in her body of work. The listing images contain a visual condition report. The paint is all original with no prior overpaints or restoration, and is signed in the far upper left corner.
Joan Brown was an American figurative painter who lived and worked in Northern California. Shebwas a member of the "second generation" of the San Francisco Bay Area Figurative Movement.
Brown achieved prominence with a style of figurative painting that combined bright colors and sometimes illustrative / cartoonish drawing and personal symbolism.
Brown's first museum show was held at the Whitney Annual Show in New York (now the Whitney Biennial) in 1960, when she was twenty two years old. She was the youngest artist to be exhibited that year.
In 1956, Brown took a summer class at CSFA with the artist Elmer Bischoff. Bischoff was the teacher that influenced Brown the most, through his motivation, encouragement, and overall mentorship.
Brown was a passionate swimmer and frequently incorporated swimming and ocean imagery into her art. Her near-drowning experience during an Alcatraz swim in 1975, reaulted in series of introspective self-portraits. While initially known for her bright expressionistic style, Broqn's qorks evolved to incorporate earth tones, larger scales, and sculptural elements.
Joan Brown died in India in 1990 while installing a mosaic sculpture in a temple. Joan Brown's work has been the subject of several retrospectives, including one at The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
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