Decmber 98/January 99 issue - 401 Richmond

profileJohn BrownStudio 262“One of the most solidly gifted, reflective painters to emerge inRichard Rhodes asToronto.” That’s what art and architecture critic John Bentley“paint [that] sits up likeMays (Globe & Mail, 1995) has said about artist John Brown,coloured meat (Torontoa tenant at 401 Richmond since the Fall of 1996. His lightfilledLife, December 1996).second floor studio is the quintessential artist space: John reinforces theboldly coloured paintings stacked on milk cartons and tubes notion that his artworkof paint littered everywhere. I’m thrilled to be here, soaking is essentially organic, “Iup the creative atmosphere - and love the smell. So, when never think of the images as abstract. They are still figurativeJohn opens up a window to let the paint fumes escape, I cry and refer to the body at all times.”out, “No!”Intriguing to me is the fact that John works on many of hisJohn is a quiet man with a shy smile. He grew up in Garson, a paintings simultaneously. He never starts with a drawing, butmining town near Sudbury and came to Toronto’s Ontariorather, works directly with his subject matter. “I’m sort ofCollege of Art for Experimental Arts (Painting) in the late peripatetic when I paint. I wander from one image to theseventies. By 1981 he had graduated from the acclaimed art next.” Many of the works are painted over while others sit forschool and had also completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the months (or years!) while he comes to terms with them. AUniversity of Guelph.vague dialogue exists between artist and art, like a strangeFrom the start John’s art was a hit. Famed gallery owner cocktail party where the images, like sentient beings, mutateCarmen Lamanna spied his work at OCA’s Gallery 76 and and pulse with life. “A lot happens for me peripherally,” headmits. “The one further away may be workingon me more than the one I’m on.”John isn’t into complex colour theory. Heperceives paint as a vehicle, a material to conveythe countless images that inspire him. “Thepaintings areimages on theedge of myconsciousness,” hereveals. “Eachmark is amnemonic deviceincluded it in the now historic Monumenta (1982) showto help mefeaturing Toronto’s hot young artists. He remained with remember the image.”Lamanna, a friend and major influence on his art, until the Not surprisingly, John is fascinated with the motivation behindlatter’s death in 1991.art-making rather than the art itself. “I was always moreJohn’s early figurative imagery started breaking down by 1988 curious as to why someone made an image than what was– a transition from representation to abstraction that occurred made. That’s the crux of the matter with me when it comes toaccidentally. “I didn’t like what I had done,” says John, “so I creativity. I’m not interested in art for art’s sake.” Thus,scraped the surface and liked how it complicated the image.” despite his claim that, “there’s no research - often things areThis method of layering and scraping, what Bentley Mays has just there,” I see many influences in the room: art historical/called an “obsessively careful construction of the painted fine art texts and other literary works like Rabelais’ Gargantuasurface,” deepens both figure and ground, masking and and Pantagruel, strewn on the sofa; and scientific imagery,revealing at the same time. “Now it’s the only way for me to anatomical illustrations and a Royal portrait by Velasquezarrive at the image I want.”tacked to the walls. I also learn that he’s a voraciousBut make no mistake, these seemingly abstract images still computer/techno reader who’s preoccupied with technology’spertain to the body - often what’s inside the body. Blotches of role in the disappearance of the body.red, yellow and pink bordered by black, white and gray recall Unlike his highly expressive, corporeal subject matter, John’sblood, bile and flesh. The work is at once sensual, carnal and approach to art-making is emotionally-detached. “I’m not in avisceral, and has been described by Canadian Art editorContinued on Page 5page 4