Tracy Brown "Starving"

Tracy Brown "Starving" 2024

Mixed Media 
Dimensions: 11 x 14 x.5 in
Unique
Signed on Verso, Includes certificate of authenticity 

Tracy Brown is an artist based in Tucson, Arizona. An artist throughout her life, Brown primarily works with acrylics and mixed media. Her artwork is often described as colorful, feminist, and subversive. The themes in Brown's work often focus on advocating for women's rights, addressing gender disparities in the art world, and challenging the toxic and repetitive images of women prevalent in visual media.

Over the past 14 years, Brown has maintained an artist studio in downtown Tucson, where she has had several solo exhibitions. During this time, she has actively participated in feminist exhibitions both nationally and internationally. Her work has been included in exhibitions juried by directors of major contemporary art museum collections, including Rita Gonzalez of LACMA, Maria Medua of SFMOMA, and Lynn Russell of The National Gallery, alongside Eleanor Heartney, a contributing editor to Art in America and Art Press. Tracy's artwork has been published and recognized in various media outlets, including Juxtapoz, Elle Italia, Marie Claire Brazil, Ze.tt Germany, Dazed Digital, Bullet Magazine, and the Huffington Post, among others. In the fall of 2022, Tracy completed a mural and installation for the Artemiza Foundation Labyrinth in Bisbee, AZ. In the fall of 2023, she held her first Museum Gallery Solo Exhibition at The Artemizia Foundation’s Gallery 818, after which her work was added to the museum’s permanent collection.

“In my Altered Histories piece titled “Abuse of Power Will Fail,” I utilize techniques learned in therapy to reshape a mental narrative, aiming to foster empowerment and healing from a traumatic experience. Within this work, I adorn the women depicted in Ruben’s “Rape of the Daughters of Leucippus” with clothing and grant them superpowers, enabling them to confront and resist their aggressors.I am dedicated to highlighting the underrepresentation of female artists within the art world, including major galleries, collections, and historic texts. Through my art, I challenge the pervasive toxic imagery and messaging prevalent in advertisements, movies, magazines, and visual culture at large. Years after struggling with an eating disorder, I began altering fashion magazines to convey the darker aspects of beauty and the detrimental effects that the images and messages in our visual culture have on the female psyche. Before seeking professional help, this artistic practice, along with my studies in feminism, played a crucial role in my recovery. I have continued to use art as a means to purge and release toxic imagery and messages, as well as to confront the unjust treatment of women in our society. This exploration eventually expanded to include altering historic texts and imagery of "great male artists." My aim is to draw attention to the underrepresentation of women throughout art history while infusing these recognizable images with a contemporary perspective and flair.” - Tracy Brown