Celebrating the Artist William Brown - Talk, Discussion & Book Launch

6-7.45pm Talk & Discussion at the Chapel with Peter Wakelin. Launch of new biography & book signingTALK - A short illustrated introduction to William Brown by Peter Wakelin followed by a discussion with two of the people who knew him best, former director of the Royal West of England Academy Alison Bevan and poet David Greenslade, together with other friends and family of the artist. David collaborated with William on publications and events in Wales and Canada. Alison curated his breakthrough exhibition at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery in Swansea in 1996.'Pursued by a Bear: The Art of William McClure Brown' by Peter Wakelin is the first critical biography of the artist. It is published by Parthian this October at 20, with 160 pages, fully illustrated.Peter Wakelin chairs the Board of Cadw and is President of the Contemporary Art Society for Wales. His books include Hidden Histories: Discovering the Heritage of Wales, Hill-rhythms: David Jones + Capel-y-ffin, Refuge and Renewal: Migration and British Art and several artist monographs.More about William Brown... Born in Toronto in 1953, William Brown came to the UK in his early twenties and moved to Wales in 1990, where he became a catalyst for the arts and developed as a significant painter through major exhibitions at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery and Newport Museum and Art Gallery. He showed regularly at East West Gallery in Notting Hill and in solo and group exhibitions across Europe. He began his relationship with The Art Shop shortly before he died in 2008, and it continues to represent his estate.
William Brown's paintings and prints are alive with strange narratives and colourful imagery, tackling arctic exploration, climate change, the landscapes of North Africa, the beasts of the Canadian wild and myths and traditions from the French-Canadian werewolf loup garou to the Welsh Mari Lwyd.At 2-5pm in the afternoon there will be a viewing of paintings upstairs at the Chapel and a room of printmaking at The Art Shop (all welcome, free event)