Cecily Brown Interview: Totally Unaware

Summary

The speaker reflects on their fragmented perception of the world, influenced by living in New York City and the overwhelming influx of images in modern life. They describe how these influences shape their painting process, which often incorporates materials from their studio. A key theme discussed is a painting inspired by a disturbing news photograph of a woman on a beach in France, highlighting issues of freedom and voyeurism. The artist explores complex emotions through layers of imagery, touching on societal isolation and disconnection, as well as influences from art history and their own technical approach.

Takeaways

• 🎨 The artist's triptych is the final piece in the show and reflects a fragmented view of the world.
• 🏙️ Living in New York City for 25 years has influenced the artist's perception and painting style.
• 🖌️ Painting is a way for the artist to process experiences, though not viewed as a cathartic activity.
• 📸 A central image in the painting is based on a news photograph of a woman warned for wearing too many clothes on a French beach, symbolizing societal control over women's bodies.
• 👀 The artist often incorporates themes of voyeurism, with bystanders in the painting symbolizing complicit onlookers.
• 🎥 The artist has long used peripheral images and materials from the studio floor as sources of inspiration, incorporating them indirectly into their work.
• ✏️ Drawing plays a key role in the artist's process, helping them understand and reinterpret imagery, though they rarely refer to the drawings directly while painting.
• 🖼️ The artist's work is influenced by historical art, with elements such as Masaccio's 'Adam and Eve' and shipwrecks from Delacroix's work playing a part in this piece.
• 🛳️ Shipwreck imagery is used to explore tumultuous themes and emotions, such as tragedy, drama, and the horror of human isolation.
• 📱 The artist reflects on how modern society, especially in New York, is increasingly disconnected, with people isolated by technology, such as phones and headphones, which is mirrored in their paintings where figures seem unaware of each other.

Q & A

What is the main subject of the speaker's painting in the script?

The main subject of the painting is based on a news photograph of a woman being confronted by police on a beach in the South of France. The woman was asked to remove her bikini because she was wearing 'too many clothes,' which led to a series of disturbing and violent images that influenced the artwork.

How does the speaker describe their view of the world and how it reflects in their painting?

The speaker describes their view of the world as fragmented, or recently, more like 'splintered and shattered.' This fragmented perspective is reflected in their painting style, which draws on materials and images from their studio in a peripheral and non-linear way.

How does the speaker incorporate source materials into their paintings?

The speaker uses materials from around their studio, including things that have been lying on the floor for many years. They don't hold images directly while painting but allow them to influence their work indirectly. Sometimes, they draw images multiple times to internalize them before painting, without referring to the drawings during the actual painting process.

What role do bystanders play in the speaker's painting, and why are they significant?

Bystanders are significant in the painting because they are depicted as passive observers, which the speaker finds disquieting. The bystanders appear complicit in the disturbing event, even though their thoughts and reactions are unknown. This theme of voyeurism and passive observation recurs throughout the speaker's body of work.

How does the speaker view the relationship between their work and past art?

The speaker sees their work as part of an ongoing conversation with past art and artists. They often wonder how earlier painters achieved certain effects, and while they don't intend to 'take on the past,' they acknowledge that their work is influenced by historical art in a dialogue-like manner.

What other themes besides voyeurism are present in the speaker's work?

Other themes in the speaker's work include the concept of expulsion, with references to figures like Adam and Eve. The painting also explores themes of concealment, with layers of paint obscuring previous images, and the process of revealing and hiding forms within the work.

How does the speaker approach the physical act of painting, especially with large canvases?

The speaker describes the act of painting as a very physical, almost performative process. With large canvases, they feel as though they are 'inside' the painting, and the work emerges naturally without a pre-determined overall scheme.

What role does watercolors play in the speaker's painting process?

Watercolors have influenced the speaker's painting process, particularly in the way they apply washes of color and then remove them, allowing figures to emerge naturally. This method of working with layers and washes feeds into the large oil paintings.

What does the speaker identify as a major societal issue reflected in their work?

The speaker identifies the increasing isolation of people, especially in busy cities like New York, as a major societal issue. They are disturbed by how people are disconnected from their surroundings, often absorbed in their phones and headphones, which they believe reflects a broader disconnection and fragmentation in society.

How does the speaker relate the theme of shipwrecks to their broader body of work?

The speaker finds shipwrecks to be a subject full of tumult, motion, and horror, which aligns with the emotional intensity they seek in their work. Shipwrecks also offer a visual feast, combining tragedy, drama, and a sense of morbid beauty that resonates with the speaker's thematic interests.