​​In my Unit 2 Critical Reflection, I discussed the influence of Cecily Brown’s reinterpretation of The Triumph of Death, an Italian fresco, and analyzed her methods of appropriation. In this unit, I continue my research on Brown’s approach to reimagining and transforming canonical works from art history, exploring how appropriation becomes a tool for creating contemporary relevance.

 

Cecily Brown is known for building her career on the legacy of male Abstract Expressionists, subverting their machismo through her sensual and repulsive depictions of sexuality, human excess, and violence. She transforms what could be perceived as sexism into unflinching examinations of human nature, challenging male-dominated narratives in art history. Her subversions, influenced by artists like Willem de Kooning and Jackson Pollock, reflect a deliberate critique of the male gaze in art.  

In an interview with Rachel Wetzler, Brown emphasized the centrality of drawing in her creative process, likening it to a vocabulary for constructing a painterly language. Many of her inspirations stem from classical artworks, which she metabolizes through sketching and reinterpretation. Although her practice doesn’t involve direct copying, Brown describes it as a process where historical influences are absorbed and reemerge “in other twisted ways in the paintings” (Gompertz, 2020). By exploring and analyzing historical imagery, Brown transforms these sources into her own visual lexicon, adapting them to contemporary contexts.  

Brown’s appropriation often begins with her exploration of canonical images. She notes, “I hadn’t looked at my Hogarth drawings for many years, and when I went back to look at them... I was struck by how completely I’ve ripped off Hogarth’s compositions over and over.”  

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Examples of Cecily Brown’s Appropriation  ​​​​

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Brown reimagines Richard Dadd’s masterpiece, created during his confinement in Bethlem Hospital. Dadd’s surreal work depicts a fantastical scene of fairies and nature. Brown deconstructs the original composition, suggesting the presence of figures and natural elements through her brushstrokes while avoiding clear definitions. Her semi-abstract rendering balances ambiguity and dynamism, transforming the fantastical themes into a modern, evocative visual language.  
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Brown employs a novel printing technique, transferring the original image onto her canvas before painting. She humorously remarked, “I’m never going to be able to paint like Reynolds, so I’m just going to cheat! All art is cheating.” By blending printing and painting, she deconstructs the original’s composition and infuses it with a contemporary vibrancy.

 

 

 

 

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Through dynamic brushstrokes and bold color contrasts, Brown reconstructs the emotional atmosphere and compositional energy of these classical works. Her fragmented and layered compositions break the unity of the originals, creating multidimensional visual experiences. By deconstructing and reassembling images, Brown infuses her appropriations with contemporary significance, transforming them into visual dialogues that bridge history and modernity.  

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 Appropriation as a Method of Modern Relevance  

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Cecily Brown’s practice exemplifies how appropriation extends beyond replication. Through deconstruction and reconstruction, she engages in cross-temporal dialogues with canonical works, recontextualizing their visual language to explore contemporary issues. Her use of abstraction, layered textures, and fragmented compositions not only critiques the conventions of classical art but also revitalizes its relevance in the modern era. Brown’s works highlight the tensions between historical gravitas and the dynamic vitality of contemporary art, offering a powerful commentary on how appropriation can reinterpret and expand art history’s narratives.

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Cecily Brown paintings, Bio, ideas (no date) The Art Story. Available at: https://www-theartstory-org.translate.goog/artist/brown-cecily/?_x_tr_sl=en&_x_tr_tl=zh-CN&_x_tr_hl=zh-CN&_x_tr_pto=sc (Accessed: 14 November 2024)

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Cecily Brown transforms Blenheim Palace with her psychedelic take on British heritage (2020) Galerie. Available at: https://galeriemagazine.com/cecily-brown-blenheim-palace-exhibition/ (Accessed: 15 November 2024). 

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Wetzler, R. (2024) An interview with Cecily Brown, Apollo Magazine. Available at: https://www.apollo-magazine.com/now-i-can-steal-from-myself-as-much-as-from-other-artists-an-interview-with-cecily-brown/ (Accessed: 15 November 2024). 

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The Fairy Feller’s master-stroke - Richard Dadd - Google Arts & Culture (no date) Google. Available at: https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/the-fairy-feller-s-master-stroke-richard-dadd/6AGSqNzESPSSYw?hl=en (Accessed: 14 November 2024). 

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