The Pornography of Death (painting for Ian Curtis, after Chris Foss) 1995

Glenn Brown conjured this strange painting for Ian Curtis, after Chris Foss, a kind of science fiction fever dream. Just imagine him, the painter, Glenn, lost in the studio, perhaps late at night, surrounded by images, and Joy Division's music. There’s a very particular airbrush-y feel, almost like a dystopian landscape. I wonder, did he slowly build up layers of thin glazes, letting each layer dry to get this very smooth, almost unreal surface? Those floating rock islands, those glowing yellow orbs, are they planets or something else entirely? What about those strange round holes bored into the rock? It's a bit melancholy, right? But there's also something kind of exciting about it. Brown is in conversation with so many people here! Foss, Curtis... I wonder how they would feel looking at this painting. The beautiful thing about art is that artists borrow and steal ideas all the time. They talk to each other through their work. It’s a great big, messy, and ongoing conversation.