My picks from FIRST OPEN | Home — Interior Designer Timothy Brown
The Manhattan-based founder of Timothy Brown Studios selects the pieces from our forthcoming sale that he’d most like for his home
Now based in New York, Tennessee native Timothy Brown worked with Wayne Nathan, Victoria Hagen and Robert Stilin before setting up his eponymous design studio in 2009. Brown has become feted for his singular brand of timeless modernism, or what he describes as ‘lean, modern and edited interiors composed of vintage and contemporary furniture with a mix of contemporary art — both photography and paintings.’
Brown says he most enjoys working on a living room, relishing ‘the opportunity to do the unexpected with furniture and art — adding a pop of colour with art or an interesting mix chairs from different periods.’ When it comes to a must-have piece, he plumps for a sculptural stool, like the Gehry cardboard stool: ‘It’s a fun way to add a bit of whimsy to a room,’ he says, ‘and can be [used as] a quick perch or a side table.’
Before selecting the pieces he’d most like to own from our inaugural FIRST OPEN | Home sale, which takes place on 22 March in New York, Brown has some important advice to impart to new collectors: ‘Buy what you love and respond to. Most importantly, buy what you can afford — and remember, art doesn’t need to match your interiors.’ These are his picks:
Caleb Cain Marcus (b. 1978), Nigardsbreen, Plate I, Norway, 2011. Chromogenic print. Image/sheet: 53 x 42 ¼ in. (134.6 x 107.3 cm.) This work is number 4 from the edition of 4. Estimate: $7,000-9,000. This work is offered in FIRST OPEN | Home on 22 March at Christie’s New York
Timothy Brown: ‘I love the colour and composition of the inherently natural form of the image.’
Colleen Plumb (B. 1970), Horseback, 1999. Archival pigment print, flush-mounted on board. Image: 36 x 36 in. (91.5 x 91.5 cm.) Sheet/flush mount: 40 x 40 in. (101.7 x 101.7 cm.) This work is number 3 from the edition of 4. Estimate: $3,000-5,000. This work is offered in FIRST OPEN | Home on 22 March at Christie’s New York
Timothy Brown: ‘I am responding the graphic shapes in the photograph — abstract forms from things we know from the viewpoint of the photographer.’
Ellsworth Kelly (1923-2015), Purple Curve, 2000. Lithograph in purple, on Rives BFK paper. Sheet: 24 x 18 in. (610 x 457 mm.) Estimate: $5,000-7,000. This work is offered in FIRST OPEN | Home on 22 March at Christie’s New York
Ellsworth Kelly (1923-2015), Black Curve, 2000. Lithograph in black, on Rives BFK paper. Sheet: 30 x 22 ¾ in. (762 x 578 mm.) Estimate: $5,000-7,000. This work is offered in FIRST OPEN | Home on 22 March at Christie’s New York
Timothy Brown: ‘Sadly we lost this great artist recently and I would like to add a few pieces of his work to my collection. I am responding to the colours in these two.’
Darren Almond (b. 1971), Fullmoon@Baltimore, 2005. Chromogenic print, flush-mounted on aluminum. Image/sheet/flush mount: 48 x 48 in. (121.9 x 121.9 cm.) This work is Artist Proof 1 of 2 from the edition of 5. Estimate: $10,000-15,000. This work is offered in FIRST OPEN | Home on 22 March at Christie’s New York
Timothy Brown: ‘I love the ethereal and mystical quality of this photograph.’ [Watch the video of our studio visit with Darren Almond]
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