CHECK OUT SOME OF WILLIAM BROWNS LATEST PAINTINGS HERE

Wales & William Brown W.B. Yeats once referred to that sensitive alertness to the presence of poetry as the "touch from behind the curtain." I was reminded of this phrase when I went to see the recent exhibition at the Cross Gallery in Pontardawe (17th June to 5th July 2000) of William Brown's paintings and prints. This was a small exhibition (only 12 works) but large enough to give an idea of William Brown's style and themes. The oils (apart from 'Kipper by Moonlight') deal with place. South Wales, to be precise.

The Intentional naïvety of these paintings is deceptive since these landscapes are as dramatic as any I have seen. Huge dark hills, like hump-backed whales, threaten to devour the straggling ribbons of terraced cottages. Yet these rows of tiny houses, vividly and fiercely painted, seem to have a life of their own. Everything in William Brown's imagery, in spite of initial impressions to the contrary, points to struggle and movement. In 'Harbour and Bay' the buildings and gasometers swirl crazily in a blaze of light. Even the kippers on the table in 'Kipper by Moonlight' fix you with a restless malevolent glare as if suggesting that they may slip away any moment.
My favourite picture was a woodcut illustrating 'Somebody Stole a Bloater': pithead gear and animals. Nobody could accuse William Brown of not having a sense of humour, but, best of all, he keeps his whimsy under control. His use of black and white in his prints is masterly. I can think of no higher praise than to say his best work reminds me of that of Edward Bawden.
What William Brown has managed to do in such a tiny exhibition space is demonstrate convincingly his versatility and technical skill as an artist sensitive to the nuances of the South Wales landscape, its powerful contrasts alive with visual poetry.
We South Walians who treat our surroundings as prose will have to look again. As Paul Klee said: "Art does not reproduce what we see. It makes us see."
Malcolm Parr

Personal Details:

William Brown, an artist of Scots-Canadian decent, has made his mark in the Principality. A recent commission from Newport Art Gallery & Museum saw William Brown's trademark image of the brown bear painted onto the side of a double-decker bus to advertise the events at the gallery.

Selected Exhibitions
William Brown is currently showing at PETER WILLS CERAMICS at Gallery Two, 8 Park Street, Bridgend.
January 20th - February 8th 2002 - New Paintings "Dreams", "A Dark Fairground", "Natron Mines of the Western Desert", "The Watcher", "Le Loup-Garou" and many more, at the Washington Gallery, Penarth, Cardiff Tel: 02920 71 2100.

Publications:
William Brown was featured in the November issue of Artists and Illustrators "Off Beat" section.

Coming Soon...
"The Dark Fairground" a new publication from Gwasg Israddol Press, in association with author David Greenslade.

Also...
"Chwedlau O'r Gadair Wyllt" ("Tales from the Wild Chair") by Colin Jones, in association with William Brown. From Gwasg Cadw Swn.
www.cadwswn.com

Selected Involvements:
William Brown in Leyden...
New watercolours were displayed in the historic city of Leyden, the well-known birth place of Rembrandt. The elegant Dutch town hosted a myriad of print, watercolour and graphic exhibitions. The five week event, steered by the estimable Man of the Polders - Rinus Groenendaal - had over 20,000 visitors.

Discussion and preliminary work has begun on a new animation feature in conjunction with Cardiff based Cinetig/Home Production Company.
-"a dark story... but I won't be drawn at this stage... boy meets girl, Body Shop, you know..."
Gerald Conn (Artist/animator of Cinetig)