James Brown (born 1951)

He is an American-born painter now active in Paris and Oaxaca (Mexico). He was most well known in the 1980s for his rough painterly semi-figurative paintings, bearing affinities to Jean-Michel Basquiat and East Village painting of the time, but with influences from primitive art and classical Western modernism.

Born in Los Angeles, California. He received at BFA from Immaculate Heart College, Hollywood. He then spent years in Paris, and attended the Ecole Superieure des Beaux Arts, Paris, France. He rebelled against the classical training there, which he considered irrelevant, but stayed as he wanted to stay in Paris.

Tours of Europe seeing Renaissance and especially Medieval painting of Italy influenced his work. During the 1980s his paintings, mixing the modernist tradition of painterly application and adherence to the picture surface with clear influences from tribal art.
In the early 1980s, he began exhibiting in New York, and in this decade this work became a hit in the galleries and art press, sharing a look with the Bad Painting and young neo-expressionism of the East Village painters of the time. On the 12th of September 1987, he married Alexandra Condon, who was studying History of Art at NYU at the time. They had know each other for little more than ten years.

Despite some time on the East and West coast of New York, he continued to live in Paris. With the fading of the East-Village art scene he had increasingly shown in European galleries, where his work was now seen in the context of a post-war European modernism in the tradition of Jean Dubuffet. James and Alexandra had their first child, Degenhart Maria Grey Brown, on the 24th of September 1989 in New York. In 1991 their second boy, Cosmas And Damian Maria Todosantos Brown, was born on the 6th of June in Paris. On the 16th of April 1993, their daughter was born, Dagmar Maria Jane Brown, in New York.
In 1995 he moved out to the valley of Oaxaca (Mexico) with his family, where they lived in a Hacienda for nine years. During this time James Brown continued exhibiting in Europe, the United States and in Mexico. He and his wife collaborated with various artists, making rugs in a village in the mountains of Oaxaca. The rugs were made in the traditional Mexican fashion, weaved by hand on large wooden frames.

James and Alexandra then decided to start making books with artists, so they started Cape Diem Press. Like the rugs, these books are printed in Oaxaca using old-fashioned and traditional methods. The books are printed in limited editions, and Carpe Diem Press continues to collaborate with artists. In 2004 they moved to the city of Mérida, in the Yucatán. Since then James Brown has been spending much time in Europe, exhibiting his work in France, Germany, Italy and Holland. He has been working mostly in Paris.
His work has taken on several styles over the years, but maintains a hand-made look combining concerns of the modernist tradition with motifs and spiritual interests from tribal art. Much of his work is a non-realistic but contains depictions or signs of recognizable faces or objects. More recently he has done more in an abstract mode. However, the line between representation and abstraction is often a difficult one in his work, such as his more recent Firmament Series -- abstract canvas' that can also be read as referring to constellations or stars, or groups of rocks.

Besides paintings Brown has also produced sculptures and series of prints at various points in his career, and in the 1990s started to heavily utilize collage. Drawing and other unique works on paper have been important to his artistic development and production.

Source:
"James Brown," Wikipedia, June 2011

James Brown was born in Los Angeles, California in 1951 and was raised in Southern California, where he attended high school. He received his formal art training from Ecole Superieure des Beaux Arts, Paris,1973-75; Immaculate Heart College, Hollywood, M.A. in 1975; and Instituto Michelangelo, Firenze, 1979. His work is described as primitive, yet refined and inspired by tribal arts - American Indian, African, Hawaiian.

According to his childhood friend, Tom Goethals, "Brown was an artist even as a child and really began to develop his craft in high school. He was an art major at Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles where he studied under Mary Corita Kent, formerly Sister Corita. Eventually, he moved to New York where he developed the style that you see in his current work and then to a Mexican villa on a beautiful estate in Oaxaca, Mexico. He and his family were featured within the past year (2003) in an article in a popular magazine (I think it was Vogue, but I am not certain). That article included photos of James and Alexandra and their children, some of James' current projects, and their Mexican villa on a beautiful estate in Oaxaca, Mexico."

"I heard a rumor, perhaps ten years ago, that James had died. All of us here in southern California heard it including his family members. Where that rumor came from none of us ever knew."


Credits:
Tom Goethals, friend of the artist, March 2004, Laura de Coppet & Alan Jones, "The Art Dealers, The Powers Behind the Scene Tell How the Art World Works."

James Brown (born 1951 ) artist and painter is active in Paris and Oaxaca (Mexico). He was most understood in the 1980s for his harsh painterly semi-allegorical works of art, bearing affinities to Jean-Michel Basquiat and East Village painting of the time, yet with impacts from primitive craftsmanship and established Western innovation.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, artist James Brown received a BFA from Immaculate Heart College, Hollywood. He then invested years in Paris, and went to the Ecole Superieure des Beaux Arts, Paris, France. He defied the established preparing there, which he considered unimportant, yet stayed as he needed to stay in Paris. Voyages through Europe seeing renaissance and particularly medieval painting of Italy impacted his work. Amid the 1980s, James Brown art blended the pioneer convention of painterly application and adherence to the photo surface with clear impacts from tribal workmanship.

In the mid 1980s artist James Brown started displaying paintings and artwork in New York, and in this decade his work turned into a hit in the exhibitions and workmanship press, offering a look to the Bad Painting and youthful neo-expressionism of the East Village painters of the time. On the twelfth of September 1987 he wedded Alexandra Condon, who was concentrating on Art History at NYU at the time. At the time, they had know one another for more than ten years.

In spite of some time on the East and West shore of New York, artist James Brown kept on living in Paris. With the East’s blurring Village workmanship scene he had progressively appeared in European exhibitions, where his work was presently found in the setting of a post-war European innovation in the custom of Jean Dubuffet. James Brown and Alexandra had their first offspring, Degenhart Maria Gray Brown, on the 24th of September 1989 in New York. In 1991 their second child, Cosmas And Damian Maria Todosantos Brown, was conceived on the sixth of June in Paris. On the sixteenth of April 1993, their third little girl was born, Dagmar Maria Jane Brown, in New York.
In 1995, artist James Brown moved out to the valley of Oaxaca (Mexico) with his family, where they lived in a Hacienda for a long time. Amid this time James Brown art was continually displayed in Europe, the United States and in Mexico. Artist James Brown and his wife worked together with different specialists, making carpets in a town in the mountains of Oaxaca. The floor coverings were made in the conventional Mexican style, weaved by hand on extensive wooden casings. James Brown and Alexandra then chose to begin making books with craftsmen, so they began Cape Diem Press.

Like the carpets, these books are imprinted in Oaxaca utilizing antiquated and customary systems. The books are imprinted in constrained versions, and Carpe Diem Press keeps on teaming up with specialists. In 2004 James Brown moved his family to the city of Mérida, in the Yucatán. From that point forward artist James Brown has been investing much energy in Europe, displaying his work in France, Germany, Italy and Holland. He has been working generally in Paris.
James Brown art has tackled a few styles throughout the years, he does however keep up a hand-made look consolidating worries of the innovator convention with themes and otherworldly hobbies from tribal workmanship. A lot of James Brown art contains portrayals or indications of unmistakable confronts or questions. All the more, more recently he has accomplished more artwork in a conceptual mode. Then again, the line in the middle of representation and reflection is regularly a troublesome one in his work, for example, his later Firmament Series – Abstract Canvas that can likewise be perused as alluding to heavenly bodies or stars, or gatherings of rocks.

Other than paintings, James Brown has additionally delivered figures and arrangement of prints at different focuses in his vocation, and in the 1990's began to intensely use collage. Drawing and other one of a kind works on paper have been vital to the advancement of James Brown art.

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James Brown was born in Los Angeles, California. He attended the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris during the late 1970s. In the 1980s, Brown moved to New York and integrated himself within the East Village art scene. He was friends with, and exhibited alongside, Basquiat, Donald Baechler, Kenny Scharf, Keith Haring, Futura 2000, and others. James Brown and his wife, Alexandra, split their time between New York, Mérida, Mexico, and Paris. His works are in numerous prominent collections including the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Museo Tamayo in Mexico City.