Ryan Brown

The cycle of drawings in this body of work contends that the meaning of a work of art is bound to the context by which it is presented. The implied neutrality of the gallery, its latent societal and economic functions are interrogated, exposed and absorbed into the drawings themselves. The form of pages from an enlarged art catalogue offer an analogy to support the overarching theme of hyper-reflection, where all points of reference loop, feedback and spiral inwards towards an indefinite center. 

Images of anonymous abstract paintings contribute to the loop by matter-of-factly describing themselves. The effect blurs the distinction between opposites: copy to original, source to residual, end to beginning. The artist emphasizes layers, like Russian dolls of representation nestled inside of representation.  Expressive flourishes are slapped over the surface of metal mimicking paper, paper mimicking canvas.