Joan Brown Original Vintage San Francisco California Bay Area Figurative School American Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting Birds

Original vintage abstract expressionist oil painting of pink birds/parrots sleeping in a tree, by San Francisco Bay Area Figurative artist Joan Brown, (1938-1991)

Joan Brown Biography

Joan Brown (born Joan Vivien Beatty; February 13, 1938 – October 26, 1990) was an American figurative painter associated with the Bay Area Figurative Movement's "second generation." She lived and worked in Northern California and became a prominent figure in the artistic community.

In the late 1950s, Joan Brown emerged as a significant artist, contributing to the establishment of California, particularly the Bay Area, as a vital artistic hub. She collaborated with other artists to popularize figurative painting, Beat Generation culture, and Funk art.

Education and Early Life

Joan Brown was born on February 19, 1938, in San Francisco to a second-generation Irish father and a native Californian mother. Her upbringing was marked by familial strife, including her father's heavy drinking and her mother's dissatisfaction with domestic life, leading to a tense household environment.

She attended Catholic schools in San Francisco, namely St. Vincent de Paul School and Presentation High School, where she developed a strong aversion to Catholic education and religion. Brown pursued her passion for art at the California School of Fine Arts (now San Francisco Art Institute), earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1959 and a Master of Arts in 1960. It was here that she met her mentor, Elmer Bischoff, and had her first solo gallery exhibition in 1958.

In 1956, Brown married Bill Brown, a fellow student who encouraged her artistic pursuits. Despite falling ill before their wedding, she found inspiration in art books gifted by Bill, which featured works by masters like Rembrandt and Velázquez. This experience solidified her determination to become a professional painter.

Her marriage to Bill Brown was annulled in 1962. She later married Bay Area Figurative sculptor Manuel Neri, with whom she had a son, Noel Elmer Neri, in 1962. Their marriage ended in 1966.

Career

Joan Brown gained recognition for her figurative painting style characterized by bright colors, illustration drawings, and personal symbolism. At 22, she participated in the Whitney annual show (now the Whitney Biennial) in New York, becoming the youngest artist exhibited that year.

Brown's early work was heavily influenced by her life experiences, integrating themes from her interests in dance, swimming, and personal relationships. Her paintings from the early 1960s, such as "Portrait of Bob for Bingo" (1960) and "The Sky Blew Up in Salinas" (1960), showcased her transition from abstract to figurative art, using intense colors and dramatic lighting.

In 1965, Brown radically altered her style, moving towards more intimate, detailed, and monochromatic paintings. She continued to evolve artistically, incorporating more metaphorical elements and animals into her works, particularly after the deaths of her parents.

During the 1970s, Brown produced autobiographical works, drawing on her experiences as a swimmer and her near-drowning incident during a swim to Alcatraz Island, which inspired the self-portrait "After the Alcatraz Swim #3."

Later Career and Teaching

In 1968, Brown married artist Gordon Cook, and the two mutually inspired each other's work. She began teaching art at various institutions, including the University of California, Berkeley, where she was a tenured professor from 1974 to 1990.

Her later works reflected her growing interest in spirituality and ancient cultures. Brown became involved with the New Age movement and the teachings of Sathya Sai Baba, incorporating these influences into her public sculptures.

Death

In 1990, while installing a mosaic obelisk at Sathya Sai Baba's Eternal Heritage Museum in Puttaparthi, India, Joan Brown tragically died when a concrete turret collapsed. She was survived by her husband, Mike Hebel, a police officer.

Legacy

Joan Brown's contributions to the art world continue to be recognized. Her work was featured in the 2016 exhibition "Women of Abstract Expressionism" by the Denver Art Museum and the 2022 exhibition "Women Painting Women" at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art holds a significant collection of her works and honored her legacy with a major retrospective in November 2022.

Brown's life and career remain a testament to her artistic innovation and personal resilience, making her a lasting figure in American art history.

Birds, Pink Parrots Sleeping in a Tree, Over a River

Oil on Canvas

The painting measures approximately 27" X 28", plus the frame

Back of the wooden stretcher bars, are the stamps for an El Monte, California art supplier

The painting is signed lower left corner of the painting and very lightly, verso by the artist. There are also notations verso that contain Elmer Bischoff's name/signature and is likely to have been painted when Joan Brown was working with Elmer Bischoff at the California School of Fine Arts (1958/59-early 1960s).

Good condition. There were a few minor chips/specks of paint that were professionally restored. The paint is in good, stable condition. There are two chips of missing paint, in the upper right of the painting, as shown. There are a few hairline cracks due to age and the thick impasto of the brush strokes. The painting is housed in the original frame. (Original wood frame appears hand made, and was probably put on by the artist/is original to the painting). Originally, the frame was white-washed painted wood. Now, is a dark wood color. 

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