Word painting
A man makes a picture… a man captures colour…
His latest series of paintings, New Lemon Tree, were created in his wild Southland home near Foveaux Strait, “where there is lots of wind, and citrus and subtropical things find it hard to grow”.
But a lone lemon tree is flourishing in his garden, under the care of his green-fingered wife Susan McLaughlin, inspiring a second series of lemon tree paintings. His first was in the 70s.
The lemon tree is a symbol of hope and bitterness, says Brown, who has written these exact words in a thick border surrounding the centred tree.
Brown attributes his love of words to his poet father R F Brown, Colin McCahon, whom he studied under for three years, and James K Baxter – whose portrait he painted.
“The words are deliberately upfront and provocative, especially in an age when so much of our art tries so hard to be upfront,” he says.
One of the paintings in his latest series is entitled Work With Sue.
“She is my muse,” he says referring to his wife. “The lemon trees are almost always inspired by my domestic situation.”
Nigel Brown: New Lemon Tree, Williams Gallery, to September 19.
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