Deborah Brown was born in Belfast in 1927. She studied painting at Belfast College of Art from 1946 under Romeo Toogood and Newton Penprase before enrolling at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin in 1947. After three years studying in Dublin, she continued her studies in Paris. Her formal education provided knowledge of technique and composition, but her time in Paris was significant as she became acquainted with European modernism.
Brown’s first solo exhibition was held in 1951. The work was realist, though notably simplified, with focus placed on creating form through brushstrokes. Lot 10 in our December Art Auction is dated 1952, it is an example of Brown’s figurative work, yet the application of paint in loose, thick brushstrokes and vibrancy of unexpected colours reveals the underlying abstraction present even in her more representational work. In Brown’s paintings, there is a sculpture quality present of carving out and revealing the underlying form of the subject.
In 1956, John Hewitt invited a solo exhibition of her work at the Ulster Museum. A few months prior to this exhibition, Brown’s work shifted to include strong primary colours though still following realist themes. Her treatment of subjects was free, marking the end of a realist period as Brown moved to experiment with pure abstraction.
During this time, Brown was working for the Lyric Theatre which allowed for freedom beyond ‘easel paintings’ and provided the space to transform her ideas into a larger scale. Around 1958, she encountered American Abstract Expressionism and experimented using this new technique of painting, with encouragement from friend and fellow artist, Alice Berger Hammerschlag. By 1958, Brown was considered a purely abstract painter concerned with markings and form, rather than meaning or representation.
The 1960s saw Brown’s development to sculpture, starting with papier mache. This unusual medium and different attitude towards paintings made her work stand out particularly in group exhibitions. From 1966, she experimented with fibre glass for its subtle transparency allowed for transformation of light and shadow.
Brown’s oeuvre was expansive across both medium and subject. She settled working in sculpture from the 1960s in fibre glass, papier mache and bronze which developed from her initial experimentation in painting from both realist and abstract traditions.
Brown’s first solo exhibition was held in 1951. The work was realist, though notably simplified, with focus placed on creating form through brushstrokes. Lot 10 in our December Art Auction is dated 1952, it is an example of Brown’s figurative work, yet the application of paint in loose, thick brushstrokes and vibrancy of unexpected colours reveals the underlying abstraction present even in her more representational work. In Brown’s paintings, there is a sculpture quality present of carving out and revealing the underlying form of the subject.
In 1956, John Hewitt invited a solo exhibition of her work at the Ulster Museum. A few months prior to this exhibition, Brown’s work shifted to include strong primary colours though still following realist themes. Her treatment of subjects was free, marking the end of a realist period as Brown moved to experiment with pure abstraction.
During this time, Brown was working for the Lyric Theatre which allowed for freedom beyond ‘easel paintings’ and provided the space to transform her ideas into a larger scale. Around 1958, she encountered American Abstract Expressionism and experimented using this new technique of painting, with encouragement from friend and fellow artist, Alice Berger Hammerschlag. By 1958, Brown was considered a purely abstract painter concerned with markings and form, rather than meaning or representation.
The 1960s saw Brown’s development to sculpture, starting with papier mache. This unusual medium and different attitude towards paintings made her work stand out particularly in group exhibitions. From 1966, she experimented with fibre glass for its subtle transparency allowed for transformation of light and shadow.
Brown’s oeuvre was expansive across both medium and subject. She settled working in sculpture from the 1960s in fibre glass, papier mache and bronze which developed from her initial experimentation in painting from both realist and abstract traditions.
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