Large Still Life with Wing (work of art)
Artwork Info
Key Ideas
- This is an impasto oil painting. The artist applied thick layers of paint to the canvas to create a three-dimensional texture.
- This work combines elements of abstract and figurative art. Figurative art depicts objects from the real world, and abstract art does not.
- Joan Brown was an American painter. She was part of the figurative art movement in the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Brown is best known for creating colorful, heavily textured paintings of women and animals. Her whimsical style often included cartoon drawings and symbols that were meaningful to her.
Learn More
Large Still Life with Wing is an example of Joan Brown’s early painting style. It features dense oil paint and combines elements of abstract and figurative art. Abstract art does not attempt to represent anything from reality. Figurative art depicts real-world objects like people, animals, landscapes, and still lifes. Brown created this work using an impasto painting technique. This technique involves applying thick layers of paint to a surface. It creates a textured effect in which the artist’s brush or palette knife strokes are heavy and visible.
Brown was an American painter who lived and worked in Northern California. In the early 1960s, she was a leading member of the Bay Area Figurative Movement. This art movement rejected abstract expressionism in favor of figurative painting. Other American artists who were part of this movement include Elmer Bischoff, Richard Diebenkorn, and David Park.
I was bored with what I was doing and there was a lot more to be learned . . . So I stopped painting heavy, expressionist paintings and became my own teacher, a student of myself.
Joan Brown
Brown is best known for her brightly colored and textured paintings of women (including herself) and animals. She often incorporated cartoon-style drawings and personal symbolism into her work. Her whimsical style and energetic use of color and texture in her work set her apart from other figurative artists of her time.
I’m not any one thing: I’m not just a teacher, I’m not just a mother, I’m not just a painter, I’m all of these things, plus.
Joan Brown
Additional Resources
Resources for Teachers
- Read Joan Brown’s artist bio.
- Watch a video tutorial on impasto painting techniques.
- Read an article about Brown’s role in the Bay Area Figurative Movement.
Resources for Students
- Watch a short video of Brown describing her work and artistic intent.
- View images of other paintings by Brown.
- Visit a web page to read Brown’s “Advice to Young Artists” and see more examples of her work.
Images
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Large Still Life with Wing
An oil painting featuring a dark, winglike shape and abstract forms. The paint is heavily textured. The background is mostly muted green in color, with a warm pink section across the bottom. There is a bright yellow form at the top of the painting.