Brown is the new black might be the artistic trope and mantra after seeing Dennis Brown’s latest acrylic abstract work.
The huge, imposing canvas embodies a largeness, pardon the pun, that transcends our normal sense of paintings. There is something breathtaking about a canvas the size of a wall. Naturally, one’s interest is immediately piqued and drawn into its immenseness and ability to fill the room. It very nearly becomes the room. The presence that it brings is riveting in its use of colour and texture and simply the undertaking.
For local artist Dennis Brown, finding the 10-foot-by-18-foot canvas at Opus Art Supplies in Victoria was the initial motivating factor in this creation. Brown looked at the canvas and thought, “this can be done.”
The artist noted that he’s been gradually working on bigger and bigger canvases over the years, and this recent work is the largest one he’s worked on. The logistics took careful planning and consideration, as he had to figure out how the canvas would be moved upon completion. He spoke with carpenter Carlos Pereira of Southwood Manufacturing in Ladysmith, and the plan took form. Once complete, the canvas will be rolled, and he will use a lift truck hoist it up to the second floor of the Ladysmith Art Gallery, then poke it through the window. Pereira will assemble the framing once the canvas is in the gallery space. The feat of getting this canvas in place is nearly as significant as the painting itself.
Backed with protective plastic, the canvas was stapled to the wall and two-by-fours were nailed to the edges to strengthen it in position. Brown then used glue and water to size the canvas, followed by three and a half gallons of gesso.
He’s been working on the painting for two months, usually four to five hours per day.
The majority of the strokes have been done with various sizes of painting spatulas, plastic and metal. To date, Brown has used approximately 350 ounces of acrylic paint and still counting and has approximately one more week of work to go.
He began the process with a small mock up of approximately 10 inches by 18 inches to get a feel of the dimensions and flow of the intended larger piece. He began by laying on big blocks of color shapes and remarked that he had no preconceived colours or intentions. The shapes kept moving back and forth on the canvas. More paint was applied as he found ways to balance and keep the integrity of his work.
The three main elements Brown considers when painting abstract are a sense of movement, colour shift, and transition lines or bleeding.
He began the work with blocks of white and then red for intensity, strength and attractability.
“Red pulls you in, and the whites cool and balance the whole. I used layers of flat and textured strokes that create visual interest; you can almost wander around in this painting for days and see different things each time,” reflects Brown. “It’s about relationships and possibilities and how they balance together. If I shift this, how does that affect the whole. Ultimately, it’s not what the viewer sees, it’s more what the viewer feels and interprets. I paint for myself, and if others like it, that’s wonderful. I’d prefer people develop their own interpretation of what is in front of them.”
In the October 2013 Multi-Media Show at the Ladysmith Waterfront Gallery, Dennis Brown was delighted to win first place in two-dimensional for his painting “One of One.”
The walls and shelves of this artist’s studio are full and bulging at the seams. Brown still works in watercolour nearly daily, and while he considers realism painting more as work, he defines his abstract painting as play.
“I think most people have trouble connecting to something they don’t understand, and abstract work can often go beyond a viewer’s comfort zone. I’d like to see people making meaning out of how the piece feels to them, what emotion it conjures up,” expounds Brown.
A passionate and prolific artist, Brown paints nearly daily, creating approximately 300 paintings per year; the majority of those are large canvases.
“I can see this large canvas going in a big bank or hotel lobby in the city,” considers Brown.
As unbelievable as it sounds, when Brown started this large canvas, he had no idea of November’s Ladysmith Arts Council show name: Size Matters. He said he was pleasantly surprised to find out that his work would definitely fit with the theme.
You can view Brown’s painting at the Ladysmith Waterfront Gallery at 610 Oyster Bay Dr. in Ladysmith until Dec. 22.
For more information, click here.
