Burlesque

There is nothing appealing about this fascinating still life. The putrid, tart green and blue-toned apples in Burlesque float in an unreal, almost dystopian atmosphere. The organic texture of the fruits and their setting gives the work a dreamlike or mystical dimension and plays with the conventions of still life.

A member of the Young British Artists, Glenn Brown rejected the anathemas proclaiming the death of painting from the start of his career. He developed a unique technique making the most of new technology and rendering textures with extraordinary virtuosity. "My desire to paint with skill is due to the fact that it is perceived as bad taste. Know-how is vulgar in the eyes of the artistic establishment," he says.

Brown's Burlesque was first exhibited by the Pinault Collection at the 2009 "Mapping the Studio" show at the Palazzo Grassi.