Specific Details
If you continue, this and all associated records will be permanently deleted. Would you like to continue?
Colin Brown has an established and ongoing record of research and creative practice. Over the past twenty nine years he has built up a strong international career profile, with regular exhibitions of his paintings throughout the UK, Europe and America.
He has spent periods of time living and painting in Europe - including a four month stay in Florence and four years in Düsseldorf. Brown is now based in Stonehaven on the north-east coast of Scotland, where he has his studio.
His paintings have received a number of awards, most notably a major Artist's Grant from The Pollock-Krasner Foundation, New York in 1996.
In his current work Brown pulls together random elements and fragments into closely controlled compositions. The paintings, which run a fine line between impulse and calculation, continuously shift context and meaning. Rather than attempting to realise a predetermined concept, his work follows a specific process which allows the painting to emerge through its' implementation.
Colin Brown born Dundee, Scotland 1962
Awards
The John Kinross Scholarship1987
Awarded by The Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
The Pollock-Krasner Award 1996
Aberdeenshire Visual Arts Award 2003 + 2006
Aspect Painting Prize 2005
Collections
Work represented in private collections in Scotland, Ireland, England, Italy,
Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, U.S.A., New Zealand,
Japan, and in the Public Collections of Highland Regional Council, Scotland;
Norddeutsche Landesbank, Hanover, Germany; and Grampian Arts Trust,
Exhibitions
Solo (selected)
2016 The Marlin Project, ‘The Secret of My Success, Gallery Different, London
2014 Fraser East, St Andrews
2013 Icon Gallery, Singapore
2011 Fraser East, St Andrews
2010 Panter and Hall, London
2008 “Yesterday is Here”, John Briggs Gallery, Stonehaven
2007 “Heroes and Icons”, Mansfield Park Gallery, Glasgow “New Paintings”, Foyer Gallery, Aberdeen
2004 Urban Dada, Peacock Visual Arts, Aberdeen Woodend Barn Art Centre, Banchory
2003 Circle Gallery, Edinburgh
2000 Woodend Barn Art Centre, Banchory
1999 Nord/LB Galerie, Braunschweig, Germany
1998 Galerie Bongartz + Partner, Hanover, Germany
1997 Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, Inverness Carron Works, Peacock Visual Arts, Aberdeen
1996 Galerie Friedhelm Huter, Anrath, Germany Meffan Institute, Forfar
1994 Stadt Kramer Museum, Kempen, Germany
1993 Galerie Kulturfabrik, Krefeld, Germany
1989 Barbizon Gallery, Glasgow
Exhibitions
Group (selected)
2016 Richard Hagen, Broadway Visual Arts Scotland: CONVERGE @ RSA, Edinburgh
2015 Panter and Hall, London Mansfield Park Gallery, GlasgowVelvet Easel Gallery, Edinburgh, Roger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow GROUP 13 @ Smithy Gallery, Blanefield
Kilmorack Gallery, Beauly
2014 Group 13 Collective, Union Gallery, Edinburgh Icon Gallery, Singapore Modern Artists Gallery, Reading Fraser Gallery, St Andrews Richard Hagen, Broadway Kilmorack Gallery, Beauly Urbane Art, Edinburgh
2013 “Mind the Gap”, touring exhibition, Korea Royal Scottish Academy Open Exhibition, Edinburgh Group (selected) continued
2012 “On a Grand Scale”, Gallery 27 Cork Street, LondonV.A.S. @ R.S.A., Edinburgh The Scottish Show, Panter + Hall, London Fraser Gallery, St Andrews McAuley Fine Art, Edinburgh Stafford Gallery, London Woodend Barn Arts Centre, Banchory Saffron Gallery, Battle, East Sussex Lightbox Museum (Ingram Collection), Woking, Surrey
2011 Kelvingrove Art Gallery, Glasgow Richard Hagen Gallery, Broadway Union Gallery, Edinburgh
2010 “The Scottish Show”, Oakham Contemporary, London Richard Hagen Gallery, Broadway JHW Fine Art, London Paisley Art Institute
2009 “Chasing Flames”, Turn-Berlin Galerie, Berlin Panter and Hall, London “Paintwork”, Galerie Borchardt, Hamburg “The Scottish Show”, Oakham Contemporary, London London Art Fair (with Panter and Hall)“The Painted Word”, Woodend Barn Arts Centre, Banchory Group (selected) continued
2008 100 Years of Scottish Painting, Panter and Hall, London Art London (with Panter and Hall) Latitude 57° - A Line of Thought, Aberdeen
2008 20/21 British Art Fair, London “Progressive Transformations”, Limousine Bull, Aberdeen Affordable Art Fair, London
2007 Panter and Hall, London Adam Gallery, Bath ArtLondon (with Panter and Hall) Fraser Gallery, Dundee “Home Grown Talent”, Duff House, Banff Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh
2006 Aspect Prizewinners, Adam Gallery, London Art Chicago, U.S.A. (with Adam Gallery, London) Richard Hagen Gallery, Broadway, Worcestershire London Art Fair (with Adam Gallery, London) Lalique Showrooms, New York “One Love Football Art Prize”, The Lowry, Salford
2005 Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London Galerie Excentrisk, Aarhus, Denmark The Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh (and 1997, 1995) Paisley Art Institute, Paisley (and 2004, 2003) Group (selected) continued
2005 Society of Scottish Artists, RSA, Edinburgh Highland Open, touring exhibition, Scotland (and 2000, 1996, 1994) Scottish Art Today, International Festival, Edinburgh (and 2003, 2002)
Glasgow Art Fair, Glasgow (and 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001)
2004 Thompson’s Marylebone, London (and 2003) Godfrey and Watt, Harrogate Tower Foyer Gallery, University of Dundee
2003 Lennox Gallery, London South Street Gallery, St. Andrews The Biscuit Factory, Newcastle upon Tyne (and 2002)
2002 MVAC Gallery, Twin Falls, Idaho, U.S.A. Art on Paper Fair, Royal College of Art, London Arndean Gallery, London Gallery Heinzel, Aberdeen
2001 Musee d’Histoire de la Ville de Luxembourg, Luxembourg CityBroadway Modern, Worcestershire Noble Grossart Painting Prize, Glasgow/Edinburgh (and 1997)
2000 Galarie Vartai, Vilnius, LithuaniaArt for EXPO, The German House, New York Battersea Art Fair, London EXPO 2000, Hanover Group (selected) continued
1998 Aberdeen Art Gallery, Aberdeen Art Tm Gallery, Inverness
1997 Nord/LB International, Hanover
1996 Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh (and 1995) Dundee Biennial, McManus Galleries, Dundee Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh
1995 Seagate Gallery, Dundee
1994 Hommage a Kurt Schwitters, Barcelona Galerie August van Leendert, St. Hubert
1993 Landes Museum Volk and Wirtschaft, Dusseldorf Collective Gallery, Edinburgh
Galerie Simera Signe, Maastricht + Aachen
1992 Fine Art Society, Glasgow Galerie Die Gravure, Essen
1991 Cadogan Contemporary, London Alba Fine Art, London
1990 Compass Gallery, Glasgow Phillips Contemporary Art, Glasgow
AvalancheCollage, acrylic, oil60 cm × 40 cm
Colin's creative process is one of exploration and chance. He goes into each painting with no preconceived idea - working initially on building the surface in layers and marking reference points. Gradually a dialogue between the painting and the artist is developed and a definite direction is formed. Each element of the work is constantly examined, considered and reassessed. In the final analysis great importance is placed on the finished surface, balance, structure and rhythm of the painting.
The work evolves naturally year on year, sometimes revisiting old places before moving forward again. In his current paintings the imagery has become more literal, using a combination of random elements mixed with direct references to investigate allegory and narrative, memory and impurity. Although these works perhaps give more of an indication of personal intentions, they remain open to interpretation by the viewer. The paintings employ a variety of mixed media to explore human histories, random and specific mark making, urban imagery and a mix of personal hand writing and printed script.
His working process involves a range of materials including acrylic and oil paints, collage, glazes and varnishes. The paintings are created on wood panels and utilise more urban colours than the colours of nature. Ultimately they aim to celebrate the spirit of modern culture, the pleasure of finding and using, and the Dada-ist ideal of looking at society in fragments.
About 'The Secret of My Success'
"In March 2015 I was contacted by my old friend Mike Marlin - with news of his impending studio album “The Secret of My Success”. During our conversation Mike suggested that I create something visual for the album. I took this to mean a painting for the front cover - but Mike had much grander plans! His idea was to produce a painting for each of the songs on the album as well as the front and back covers. The project would comprise a total of 14 works, to be created over a four month period.
So it was that I took a train from my home in the north east of Scotland to London - to meet up with Mike. During an intense two day session we went through each album track individually, discussing at length its inspiration and meaning - and possible visual approaches. Having supplied me with his thoughts and ideas - and of course early versions of the music, Mike was happy to leave me to interpret the songs from my perspective. I returned to Scotland with my notes, excited by the artistic opportunity but slightly daunted by the responsibility.
I ordered 14 panels of various agreed shapes and sizes - and set about researching imagery for the paintings. Within a matter of days the first panels were primed and ready for the work to begin. My task was to produce a body of work which would correlate as a collection, whilst giving each painting its own individual style and message. Art and music contain so many key similarities in terms of composition, structure and balance - and it was important for me to respond to the meaning and tempo of each song, and tie the songs and the paintings together as a single artistic venture.
Subjects ranged across a wide spectrum of topics dealing with compromise, disappointment and stifled ambition (LIKE A PHOTOGRAPH); descent into dementia (AVALANCHE); the vast scale of the universe and the meaning of a single life (WHALE HILL and MISSING PIECE); the constant war between the false gods of science and religion (GRAVITY LIES); and the complex emotional webs that entangle and define us (THE SECRET and CAROLINE).
Once I had completed the paintings for each of the 11 songs on the record, a large scale final piece was developed as the front cover image - containing key visual elements from each of the individual paintings. All that remained was to have the full series of works photographed and delivered to the framer in Glasgow. And now the launch approaches, the music, the paintings and the book. When I listen to music I see paintings; it turns out that Mike does too. My goal was to help the listener see; and the viewer hear. “
Colin Brown 2016
