Cash Brown
Size Matters
Opening Tuesday 4 May 6-8pm
1 – 26 May 2010
Cash Brown
Madonna & Child with Black Cross & John the Baptist 2010
(After Domenico Beccafumi & Kasimir Malevich)
50.8×71.1cm
oil on canvas
SOLD
“Size Matters” is the first major solo exhibition by Cash Brown since 2008.
This body of work focuses on the male anatomy in European Renaissance of the 14th–16th centuries art and its relationship to censorship, obscenity laws and child protection laws currently in debate in Australia. Following from “Appropriate” , held at Robin Gibson in 2008 and Priceless at Grantpirrie Project Window in 08/09, Size Matters also utilizes appropriation and examines the ways in which we assign values and worth to art objects.
The “Bombast” series of works on paper takes its cue from the codpieces found in Renaissance portraits. The etymology of Bombastic is from a French term for cotton stuffing, which was used for protection and ornamentation in codpieces – a short lived but entirely memorable period in European fashion.
The “Madonna and Child” series of oils on canvas combine Renaissance portrayals of the Virgin and Child, with the child’s genitals masked with well known Twentieth and Twenty First Century icons. These works were underpainted in the United States by a team of artists, who Cash Brown commissioned. Brown then adjusted and fine tuned the works before painting the superimposed image. These works are done entirely by hand, and no projection or digital media has been used.
“Shameless” is an installation of 88 black ceramic fig leaves arranged in a rectangle. Each represents a former lover of the artist and are numbered in accordance with a description and name in a little black book held privately by the artist. This work was inspired by Queen Victoria, who ordered a large plaster fig leaf to cover the genitals of a plaster cast of Michelangelo’s David she was given so as not to offend the lady viewers. The fig leaves in “Shameless” shamelessly relate to works by Felix Gonzales Torres and Tracey Emin.
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Cash Brown
Bombast #7 2010
ink, gouache & watercolour on 240gsm Arches
20×25.5cm -
Cash Brown
Bombast #10 2010
ink, gouache & watercolour on 240gsm Arches
20×20cm -
Cash Brown
Bombast #8 2010
ink, gouache & watercolour on 240gsm Arches
20×25.5cm -
Cash Brown
Bombast #6 2010
ink, gouache & watercolour on 240gsm Arches
20×26cm -
Cash Brown
Bombast #5 2010
ink, gouache & watercolour on 240gsm Arches
20×25cm -
Cash Brown
Bombast #9 2010
ink, gouache & watercolour on 240gsm Arches
12×27cm
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The codpiece has held a certain fascination, as well as other important items, for those of us in the Society for Creative Anachronism. It has been regarded with fear and ignorance by many men and a certain reverence by some women. This timely bit of scholarly research should help dispel the fear and ignorance. Any ladies having problems with the "reverence" bit will need to speak with me personally.
Many have assumed that the "cod" in "codpiece" referred to a fish. Because of modern slang usage, or perhaps due to total loss of touch with reality, some have assumed that "piece" meant a firearm. Such suppositions are as far from the etymological truth as can be imagined without rattan blow induced hallucinations.Not a cod fish
In Middle English, "Cod" (or "Codd" in Old English, "Coddd" in Exceedingly Old English) meant "bag" or "scrotum", which led to some interesting moments when dining out at the Renaissance equivalent of Long John Silver’s. "This is the tastiest codd I’ve ever had in my mouth" was a guaranteed show stopper, bringing about numerous jokes and a homicide or two.Also not a cod fish
The codpiece began as a flat piece of material covering an improvement in men’s fashion — a well placed slit. This new, "easy access" region in men’s pants allowed men to relieve themselves while standing without lowering their pants. Soon after this technological breakthrough was coined the popular after ale phrase "Once more into the breeches."
The simple flap was buttoned closed, laced closed, tied closed, or occasionally glued closed after a particularly exciting night at "The Yellowe Rose Publick Howse."The codpiece remained flat cloth for a number of years. While visiting England, Duke Fabrizio of Bologna, dressing hastily after a quick romantic interlude, used the flap to contain (or perhaps restrain) his nether parts while appearing before King Henry VIII and Queen Anne Boleyn.
Queen Anne, amused at the Italian’s conspicuous bulge, remarked "Be that thine codling or art thou glad to see me?" Of course, "codling" is 15th century English for either a "small, immature apple" or "any of several elongated greenish English cooking apples," so we may never know if the Duke’s fruit was being ridiculed or complimented.
King Henry was very distressed by the whole business and assumed this bulge (from Middle French "boulge" meaning "leather bag" or "curved part", or perhaps "curved part in a leather bag") to be the latest Continental style in courtly fashions. He immediately ordered his codpieces padded in order that he not look out of date by comparison to Duke Fabrizio, commanding, "My codpieces must compare favorably to Bologna." Those tailors, very literal-minded fellows all, envisioned pork sausages and thus began the whole size contest that continues to this day.
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Cash Brown
Size Matters
Robin Gibson Gallery
1 – 26 May 2010 -
Cash Brown
Madonna and Child with a Skull
(after Hans Menling & Georgia O’Keefe)
2010 oil on canvas
50.8×71.1cm -
Cash Brown
Madonna and Child with Pipe
(after Michiel Sittow and Rene Magritte)
2010 oil on canvas
50.8×68.6cm
SOLD -
Cash Brown
Madonna and Child with Spots
(after Francesco Granacci and Damien Hirst)
2010 oil on canvas
50.8×68.6cm
SOLD -
Cash Brown
Madonna and Ned Kelly with a small Child
(after Marco Bassati and Sidney Nolan)
2010 oil on canvas
50.8×63.5cm
SOLD -
Cash Brown
Shameless 2010
stoneware – 88 numbered pieces, dimensions variable
each represents a lover the artist has experienced
single or multiple leaves are available to purchase
SOLD
SOLD
SOLD
SOLD
SOLD -
Cash Brown
The Virgin Nursing The Child with Sacred Heart
(after Dieric Bouts The Elder and Jeff Koons)
2010 oil on canvas
50.8×68.6cm -
Cash Brown
Madonna and Child with a Banana
(after Dosso Dossi and Andy Warhol)
2010 oil on canvas
50.8×58.4cm
SOLD -
Cash Brown
Madonna and Child with a Pomegranate and Rubber Glove
(after Leonardo Da Vinci and Giorgio De Chirico)
2010 oil on canvas
50.8×68.6cm
