Joan Brown
Encyclopedia
Joan Brown was an American
figurative painter who lived and worked in Northern California
. She was a notable member of the "second generation" of the Bay Area Figurative Movement.
She was born in San Francisco and studied at the California School of Fine Art (now San Francisco Art Institute
), where her teachers included Elmer Bischoff
. She achieved prominence with a style of figurative painting that combined bright color, sometimes cartoonish drawing, and personal symbolism.
Brown was married to Bay Area Figurative sculptor Manuel Neri
from 1962 to 1966, though their relationship and artistic collaboration dated back several years prior to this. Their son, Noel Neri, is also an artist.
In the late 1970s, Brown became increasingly interested in spirituality and New Age
ideas, eventually becoming an adherent of Sathya Sai Baba
. She made a number of trips to his ashram
in Puttaparthi
, India
. In 1990, she died in a construction accident while installing an obelisk
at the Sai Baba's Eternal Heritage Museum in Proddatur
, India.
Brown was also a competitive swimmer.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
figurative painter who lived and worked in Northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. She was a notable member of the "second generation" of the Bay Area Figurative Movement.
She was born in San Francisco and studied at the California School of Fine Art (now San Francisco Art Institute
San Francisco Art Institute
San Francisco Art Institute is a school of higher education in contemporary art with the main campus in the Russian Hill district of San Francisco, California. Its graduate center is in the Dogpatch neighborhood. The private, non-profit institution is accredited by WASC and is a member of the...
), where her teachers included Elmer Bischoff
Elmer Bischoff
Elmer Nelson Bischoff was a visual artist in the San Francisco Bay Area.Bischoff, along with Richard Diebenkorn and David Park, was part of the post-World War II generation of artists who started as abstract painters and found their way back to figurative art.-Biography:Elmer Bischoff, second...
. She achieved prominence with a style of figurative painting that combined bright color, sometimes cartoonish drawing, and personal symbolism.
Brown was married to Bay Area Figurative sculptor Manuel Neri
Manuel Neri
Manuel Neri is an American sculptor, painter, and printmaker and a notable member of the "second generation" of the Bay Area Figurative Movement.- Biography :...
from 1962 to 1966, though their relationship and artistic collaboration dated back several years prior to this. Their son, Noel Neri, is also an artist.
In the late 1970s, Brown became increasingly interested in spirituality and New Age
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
ideas, eventually becoming an adherent of Sathya Sai Baba
Sathya Sai Baba
Śri Sathya Sai Baba , born as Sathyanarayana Raju was an Indian guru, spiritual figure, mystic, philanthropist, and educator. He claimed to be the reincarnation of Sai Baba of Shirdi, a spiritual saint and miracle worker who died in 1918 and whose teachings were an eclectic blend of Hindu and...
. She made a number of trips to his ashram
Ashram
Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....
in Puttaparthi
Puttaparthi
Puttaparthi is a town situated in the Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh, India. It was also the residence of the notable spiritual teacher Sathya Sai Baba....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. In 1990, she died in a construction accident while installing an obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
at the Sai Baba's Eternal Heritage Museum in Proddatur
Proddatur
Proddatur is the second largest town in the Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh state in India. It is renowned for its gold and cotton business...
, India.
Brown was also a competitive swimmer.
General references
- Strong C, Chadwick W. (1995). Working Together: Joan Brown and Manuel Neri, 1958–1964. Belmont, CA: Wiegand Gallery, College of Notre Dame.
- Tsujimoto K, Baas J. (1998). The Art of Joan Brown. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-21468-4 (hardbound), ISBN 0520-21469-2 (paperback).
- Marika Herskovic, Abstract and Figurative Expressionism: Style is Timely Art is Timeless (New York School Press, 2009.) ISBN 0967799422. pp. 56–59
External links
- Transformation: The Art of Joan Brown (virtual exhibition), Oakland Museum, September 1998.
- Joan Brown on Artnet
- "The Self and Its Symbols" by Michael Duncan, Art in AmericaArt in AmericaArt in America is an illustrated monthly, international magazine concentrating on the contemporary art world, including profiles of artists and genres, updates about art movements, show reviews and event schedules. It is designed for collectors, artists, dealers, art professionals and other...
, May 2000. - Joan Brown at Gallery Paule Anglim, San Francisco.
- Online guide to the Joan Brown Papers at The Bancroft Library