Lot 95B
Ree Brown (American, 1927-2014). Three paintings: Black Cat (n.d.), Striped Cat (1994), and Woman Smoking (1992). Paint on paper and metal. All signed at lower right; paintings on paper are also dated at lower right. These three untitled works by American outsider artist Ree Brown showcase his whimsical, expressive style through charming yet mysterious imagery rendered in a raw, untrained hand. Each piece captures the artist's signature iconography and spontaneous energy, blending folk-art traditions with personal symbolism. On the left, a painted plate mounted against a vivid red backing features a wide-eyed black cat face framed in bold pink tones. Created on metal, this piece evokes a sense of playful surrealism - its cartoonish expression contrasted by the simplicity of its circular form. The signature "Ree" is hand-painted beneath the cat's chin, affirming the artist's distinctive authorship. To the right, two smaller works on paper present related themes. Size of largest (circular cat): 6" W (15.2 cm); of frame: 11" W x 17" H (27.9 cm x 43.2 cm)
The bottom painting, mounted to a white board, echoes the first with another cat face rendered in Brown's signature palette of dark tones, accented with bright white eyes and a hint of red in the mouth. Above it, a framed work features a striding figure holding a purse and smoking a cigarette, captured mid-motion with fluid lines and rhythmic posture. The figure's oversized head and loosely proportioned limbs reflect the artist's delight in exaggerated and emotionally charged forms. Together, these works offer a glimpse into Ree Brown's imaginative world - one where familiar subjects are transformed through expressive gesture, bold contrasts, and endearing eccentricity. His work exemplifies the hallmarks of outsider art: raw creativity, autobiographical vision, and a refreshing disregard for conventional technique.
About the artist: Ree Brown 1927-2014. Ree worked in the petroleum industry traveling between San Mateo, California, and Seattle. Retiring alongside his life partner Jay Steensma in Seattle in the late 1960's.
In the mid-1970's Ree began to draw, and then paint and sculpt, making mostly small portraits of birds, cats, and people and pictures of 'no one in particular." Ree painted his delicate paintings onto scraps of paper, cardboard, bits of matting, brown paper bags, and just about anything else that would hold paint. "I was always interested in art," said Ree.
Jay and Ree were fixtures in the art scene in Seattle. He, unlike Jay, was not schooled in the arts but always enjoyed being around artists. Ree was referred to as an "outsider" artist when he began to exhibit at Mia Gallery in the late 80's. His paintings were simple small paintings with silhouettes, or people with colorful clothing, a cat face close up, a sweet bouquet in tempera or watercolor. He and Jay often collaborated on a painting or a print. Ree was encouraged by Jay in his endeavors. Ree's drawings and paintings were done on a small table in his home. But he often accompanied Jay and Wes Wehr when they would go to draw from life in the cafes and markets around Seattle. They would frequent Continental Bakery on the Ave, Lee's Restaurant, or Grand Illusion Cafe, meeting friends and sketching. It was a golden time for Seattle artists when rents were cheap and food was cheaper. And sometimes a meal could be swapped for a sketch. In the late 1980s, Ree started to show in Seattle with MIA Gallery. He is represented in several galleries across the country. He is included in '20th Century American Folk, Self-Taught, and Outsider Art' by Betty-Carol Sellen and also featured in several documentaries about outsider art. Ree Brown died in 2014. He was 87. He continued to live in the small house he lived in with Jay and continued to paint and enjoy his friends after Jay's death 20 years earlier." (source: "Ree Brown" by Doug Paradis on Smith & Vallee Gallery website. 31 May 2023.)
Provenance: private Rochester, Minnesota, USA collection, acquired from 1990 -1998
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#192022
- Condition: All signed at lower right; paintings on paper are also dated at lower right. Metal painting of cat and paper of woman are matted on custom matte and frame with suspension hook or wire on verso for display. A few nicks to metal cat and small water stains to figure. Slight wrinkling to paper cat. Otherwise, imagery of all is very clear with nice overall condition.
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