Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

"BROCKET #1"

Date

1996

Materials

PAPER, PAINT, LEAD

No. Pieces

1

Length

38.5

Width

57.5

Description

WATERCOLOUR PAINTING ON PAPER; PAINTING DEPICTS A BLUE, PINK, PURPLE AND WHITE SKY IN THE BACKGROUND ABOVE BLUE HILLS, WITH ORANGE, BROWN, AND GREEN HILLS, WHITE AND GREEN GRAIN ELEVATORS AND BUILDINGS IN THE MIDGROUND BESIDE THREE WHITE AND BROWN TEEPEES, AND GREEN, BROWN, AND ORANGE GRASS AROUND A WHITE FENCE AND BROWN POWER LINE IN THE FOREGROUND. PAINTING HAS GRID/BORDER LINES DRAWN IN PENCIL; PAINTING IS SIGNED IN GREY PAINT AT THE LOWER RIGHT CORNER, “KAREN BROWNLEE 1996 ©”. PAINTING HAS PENCILED TEXT ALONG LOWER EDGE/BORDER, “S16 BROCKET #1 1996 KAREN BROWNLEE ©, W+N A+AA ON 300LB ARCHES. IN REALITY THE TEEPEES WOULD APPEAR MUCH SMALLER THAN DEPICTED. THIS RESERVATION ON THE FOOTHILLS LOOKS OUT ONTO THE ROCKY MTN.’S IN THE BACKGROUND.” PAINTING HAS STAMP IN PAPER AT THE LOWER LEFT CORNER, “AQUARELLE ARCHES”. BACK OF PAINTING HAS ADHESIVE TAPE RESIDUE ALONG THE EDGES; BACK HAS MINOR BLACK STAINING; LEFT, LOWER, AND RIGHT EDGES OF PAPER WERE TORN AND HAVE MINOR RESULTING FRAYING; OVERALL VERY GOOD CONDITION.

Subjects

ART

Historical Association

FINE ARTS

History

ON JANUARY 9, 2019, KAREN BROWNLEE SENT THE GALT MUSEUM & ARCHIVES AN ARTIST’S STATEMENT DETAILING THE ARTWORKS DONATED. ON THE ‘BROCKET #1’ PAINTING, BROWNLEE WROTE, “THE BROCKET ELEVATORS, TO ME, SEEMED MAJESTIC AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. FOR THIS PAINTING, I CIRCLED THE ELEVATORS, TAKING MANY SHOTS FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES. THIS IS A TECHNIQUE THAT I DID FOR ALL OF THE RURAL PRAIRIE COMMUNITIES PAINTINGS. OFTEN I WOULD ARRIVE WHEN THE LIGHT WAS NOT GOOD, THE CLOUDS WERE VERY THREATENING, ETC. MY TIME AVAILABILITY TO SHOOT THE ELEVATORS WERE SMALL WINDOWS FOR SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE MANY OF THE ELEVATORS WERE DEMOLISHED.” “ALL I REALLY NEEDED FROM THE PHOTOGRAPH WAS A RECORD OF THE ELEVATOR COMPANY, ITS STRUCTURES: ANNEXES, BINS, THE AGENT’S HOUSE, AND SO ON. I COULD INVENT THE LIGHT—WHICH I DO FOR ALL MY PAINTINGS.” “THIS PAINTING SHOWS A COMMUNITY VIEW OF THE BROCKET ELEVATORS. IT IS FROM THE SOUTH EAST LOOKING NORTHWEST.” BROWNLEE NOTED, ON THE PAINTINGS, “THE WATERCOLOUR PAINT USED IN THE FOLLOWING ARTWORKS: ARE ALL “AA” OR “AAA” COLORS. THE HIGHEST PERMANENCY RATING THAT THE PAINT MANUFACTURES LIST ON THE COLOR TUBES. THE PAINT MANUFACTURERS USED ARE PRIMARILY: WINSOR NEWTON AND GRUMBACHER WATERCOLOURS AND GOUACHE.” “ALL WORKS (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF #8 MASKINOGE #14) WERE CREATED EITHER ON 300 LB. OR 400 LB. ARCHES WATERCOLOUR PAPER.” AN ARTIST BIOGRAPHY TAKEN FROM BROWNLEE’S WEBSITE [“ABOUT ME” HTTPS://KARENBROWNLEE.COM/ABOUT-ME/] NOTES, “KAREN’S TIES TO THE PRAIRIES OF SOUTHERN ALBERTA GO BACK FOUR GENERATIONS, ON HER MOTHER’S SIDE, TO THE 1880’S. ON HER HUSBAND’S SIDE; HIS MOTHER’S AND FATHER’S FAMILY’S FARMING HISTORIES GOES BACK TO A SIMILAR TIME PERIOD. A STRONG INFLUENCE ON KAREN’S INTEREST IN THE HISTORIC, CULTURAL LANDSCAPE WAS ORAL STORYTELLING. BOTH HER MOTHER AND MOTHER-IN-LAW ARE AND WERE FAMILY HISTORIANS. THEY SHARED WITH HER, THEIR FAMILY EXPERIENCE WITH THE LAND, THE HARDSHIPS AND TRIUMPHS, AND THE AMUSING, ENTERTAINING RECOUNTS OF EVERYDAY PEOPLE TRYING TO MAKE A LIVING OFF THE LAND. HER PAINTINGS DEAL WITH THE LOVE OF THE LAND AND THE ENTHUSIASTIC EFFORT OF THE GENERATIONAL TOIL OF MANY FARM PIONEER FAMILIES, INCLUDING HER OWN. HER PAINTINGS SPEAK OF THE RELEVANCE AND SYMBOLISM OF MAN’S HISTORIC RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LAND. KAREN RESIDES IN LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA. “SHE HAS AN EXTENSIVE AND VARIED ARTS BACKGROUND AS A PAINTER, ART TEACHER, ART JUROR, AND ADMINISTRATOR.” (ALBERTA FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS TRAVELLING EXHIBITION PROGRAM, 10TH ANNIVERSARY EXHIBITION, 1996, POSTCARD PRODUCED BY THE PRAIRIE ART GALLERY, GRANDE PRAIRIE, ALBERTA) IN 1980 SHE BEGAN HER FULL TIME PROFESSIONAL ARTIST PRACTICE.” FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING THE ARTIST’S CV AND STATEMENT ON THE ARTWORK, PLEASE SEE THE PERMANENT FILE P20190001001-GA.

Catalogue Number

P20190001007

Acquisition Date

2018-01

Collection

Museum

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