David Brownlow does not have an image.
David Brownlow
FTW School
American, (1915–2008)
For 60 years, the paintings of David Brownlow have been synonymous with the best in Fort Worth fine art. First coming to public attention in the 1940s, Brownlow's art quickly evolved from conservative motifs to the highly abstracted palette knife constructions for which he is known. Examples of his abstract painting from the 1950s onward remain highly prized by collectors of Texas art. David Brownlow was born February 18, 1915 and raised on a farm in western Tarrant County. At W. C. Stripling Junior High School, his drawings caught the attention of Miss Margaret Martin Littlejohn, a former student of William Merritt Chase, who introduced him to fellow artist and teacher Pattie East. With encouragement from East and many hours spent studying art books at the public library, Brownlow emerged as a self-taught, experimental painter. He debuted in the 1946 Local Artists Show as an up-and-coming figure on the Fort Worth art scene. With the post-war rise of American modernism, David Brownlow was perfectly positioned to grow as an artist and find an audience for his work. In the 1950s, he maintained a rigorous, state-wide exhibition schedule that netted recognition and numerous awards. David won his first major competi- tive prize in the1956 Texas General Exhibition for Monument, an abstract oil. In 1958, after a year's preparation, the Fort Worth Art Association presented a solo show that highlighted Brownlow's extraordinary skill with the palette knife. Among David Brownlow's many patrons, most influential on his career were Fort Worth oil man Ted Weiner and art dealer Electra Carlin. In 1960, Weiner founded the Gallery of Modern Art in Ridgmar Plaza and served as Brownlow's exclusive representative. By the mid-1960s, David was represented by Electra Carlin, who was arguably Fort Worth's leading gallery owner. In 1971, his work was included in the prestigious traveling exhibition, Texas Painting & Sculpture: 20th Century, organized by the University of Texas at Austin, Southern Methodist University, the Witte Museum, Texas Tech University, and the Amon Carter Museum. In the 1970s and 1980s, David Brownlow continued to paint unabated, but gradually moved toward smaller works and watercolors as a counterbalance to the physical demands of large-scale oil painting. Now in his 93rd year, David Brownlow retains his youthful enthusiasm for visual art and its possibilities. For 21st-century collectors of authentic Texas modernism, the mesmerizing surfaces and incredible complexity of David Brownlow's Gothic cathedrals, monuments, oil rigs, and architectural subjects will never go out of style. By Scott Grant Barker
FTW School
American, (1915–2008)
For 60 years, the paintings of David Brownlow have been synonymous with the best in Fort Worth fine art. First coming to public attention in the 1940s, Brownlow's art quickly evolved from conservative motifs to the highly abstracted palette knife constructions for which he is known. Examples of his abstract painting from the 1950s onward remain highly prized by collectors of Texas art. David Brownlow was born February 18, 1915 and raised on a farm in western Tarrant County. At W. C. Stripling Junior High School, his drawings caught the attention of Miss Margaret Martin Littlejohn, a former student of William Merritt Chase, who introduced him to fellow artist and teacher Pattie East. With encouragement from East and many hours spent studying art books at the public library, Brownlow emerged as a self-taught, experimental painter. He debuted in the 1946 Local Artists Show as an up-and-coming figure on the Fort Worth art scene. With the post-war rise of American modernism, David Brownlow was perfectly positioned to grow as an artist and find an audience for his work. In the 1950s, he maintained a rigorous, state-wide exhibition schedule that netted recognition and numerous awards. David won his first major competi- tive prize in the1956 Texas General Exhibition for Monument, an abstract oil. In 1958, after a year's preparation, the Fort Worth Art Association presented a solo show that highlighted Brownlow's extraordinary skill with the palette knife. Among David Brownlow's many patrons, most influential on his career were Fort Worth oil man Ted Weiner and art dealer Electra Carlin. In 1960, Weiner founded the Gallery of Modern Art in Ridgmar Plaza and served as Brownlow's exclusive representative. By the mid-1960s, David was represented by Electra Carlin, who was arguably Fort Worth's leading gallery owner. In 1971, his work was included in the prestigious traveling exhibition, Texas Painting & Sculpture: 20th Century, organized by the University of Texas at Austin, Southern Methodist University, the Witte Museum, Texas Tech University, and the Amon Carter Museum. In the 1970s and 1980s, David Brownlow continued to paint unabated, but gradually moved toward smaller works and watercolors as a counterbalance to the physical demands of large-scale oil painting. Now in his 93rd year, David Brownlow retains his youthful enthusiasm for visual art and its possibilities. For 21st-century collectors of authentic Texas modernism, the mesmerizing surfaces and incredible complexity of David Brownlow's Gothic cathedrals, monuments, oil rigs, and architectural subjects will never go out of style. By Scott Grant Barker
Artist Objects
