Brian Calvin 'Still' at Palazzo Cavanis, Venice
19 May, 2023 - 2 July, 2023
The exhibition at Palazzo Cavanis, showcasing the contemporary paintings of Calvin, is an extraordinary and exciting show that offers a unique perspective on the TikTok generation and the influence of social media. The artist's portrayal of humanity is captivating, as he presents us with a surreal anthropological panorama of female models. The distinctive features of his subjects, such as noses resembling trunks, colorful make-up in geometric patterns, and transversal gazes, create a hallucinatory and schizophrenic effect. Calvin skillfully employs the noble genre of portraiture, drawing maximum attention to the abnormally wide-open eyes of his subjects, which serve as the focal point and mirror of the soul.
What makes this exhibition especially special is the way Calvin blends the upper echelons of art history with the popular culture of the present. Through sarcastic lightheartedness, he merges the compositional grammar of Picasso with the vernacular traits of advertising. This juxtaposition results in a ruined, tragicomic, and violated representation that challenges the notion of psychological introspection, leaving the viewer to confront the flatness, superficiality, and indifference of his subjects derived from poolside cocktails and shopping malls.
The historical setting of Palazzo Cavanis adds an extra layer of significance to the exhibition. The juxtaposition of Calvin's contemporary paintings within the venerable walls of the Palazzo serves as a dialogue between tradition and innovation. The noble and ancient genre of portraiture, dating back centuries, coexists with the artist's minimal and playful style, creating a short circuit that ignites a sense of joie de vivre in the viewer. The paintings imprinted on the retina find resonance with unexpected parallels, echoing the clear and soft atmospheres of Hopper's America and the biting satire of Guston, who explored the aesthetics of American popular culture.
Calvin's body of work showcased at Palazzo Cavanis is a daring and audacious exploration of the TikTok generation's psyche and the overwhelming impact of social media and filters on contemporary human identity. His surrealist portrayal of anthropological subjects, particularly the female models, grips the viewer with its hallucinatory and schizophrenic nature. The use of geometric patterns and vivid colors in the makeup of his subjects further accentuates the surreal quality of his paintings.
The artist's deliberate focus on the eyes as the "punctum" of his work, to borrow Roland Barthes' terminology, reveals his fascination with the mirror of the soul and the threshold of knowledge. Through a cubist tradition, Calvin's aesthetic and cognitive device double, break down, and superimpose, attempting to capture movement and escape the static nature of traditional canvas representation.
In Calvin's work, there is a discernible interplay between the elevated realms of art history and the accessible realms of pop culture. With a playful and satirical approach, he amalgamates the compositional grammar of Picasso with the vernacular traits of advertising. The resultant portrayal is a poignant commentary on contemporary society's obsession with consumerism and social media, a representation that appears ruined, tragicomic, and violated.
Despite the seemingly superficial nature of his subjects, there is an underlying depth to Calvin's work. He cleverly assimilates and reworks the tradition of painting, acknowledging the centuries-old effort to master perspective and representation. The resulting projection of human desire is both captivating and thought-provoking, inviting viewers to reflect on their own relationship with the digital age and the pursuit of identity and fulfillment.
This exhibition at Palazzo Cavanis is a remarkable display of contemporary painting by Calvin. His portrayal of the TikTok generation and its relationship with social media, set against the historical backdrop of the Palazzo, creates a captivating and significant dialogue between tradition and modernity. Calvin's bold and playful approach to merging art history with pop culture yields a collection of images that leave an indelible impression on the viewer's mind, provoking introspection and contemplation long after leaving the exhibition.
