A series of mixed media artworks by the Canadian artist Corran Brownlee will be presented at GR gallery from December 15, 2023 to January 13, 2024, curated by Christy Thompson. The exhibition, entitled FORGE, features 15 recently completed paintings, including 5 from last year which provided the genesis of the new pieces. Ranging from medium to large-scale, and using oil, acrylic, and inks, Brownlee is investigating moments of profound change – internal and external, private or public – that affect all of us. This is his first solo exhibition in New York, and with GR Gallery; since 2018, he has shown in London, Los Angeles and Calgary.
This event marks a new departure for Brownlee, as is always the case with his practice: growth is an essential part of his process. Until now, he has used only black and white tones, with an emphasis on story, allowing the viewer to collaborate via adding their own narratives. Here, color has been introduced for the first time. Using a palette reminiscent of fire, lava, the sun, embers, heat, space, water, ice, and love, he presents a much more abstract world. His figures and bunnies – familiar presences throughout his body of work – have moved closer to the surface, allowing a more intimate engagement. Movement is intensified, and emotions are heightened. Control is elusive, but surrender is power. The unexpected carries a complex, destabilizing beauty. Brownlee holds a deep admiration of our connection to the stars in the sky, our provenance from them, and the wild upheaval of a supernova explosion. “I’ve always liked the idea of rebirth,” he says. “You can always do it. You can start again, change, and grow.”
These elemental energies range from still to chaotic, rough-edged to precise. While Brownlee offers the viewer an all-seeing eye – we can observe the bunnies’ bones, notice the wallpaper masking unseen details – his gesture is to offer his own insights into the journey of life, reflecting back our own new beginnings and paths forward.
