Brian Calvin & Vivian Maier

In the category of firsts, CvsD is proud to present Brian Calvin & Vivian Maier, the fifth of its week-long exhibitions in the North Gallery.

Paired for an affinity and shared sensibility more than anything concrete, painter Brian Calvin (b. 1969) and photographer Vivian Maier (1926-2009) have Chicago in common – Maier lived and worked as a nanny in the city and Calvin attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago for his MFA, executing his initial burst of activity as a breakout artist there. In this exhibition, a group of Calvin's exquisite pencil drawings faces off with Maier's little black-and-white photos, all of which are original prints made by the artist. In both cases, a certain quizzical or uncanny quality infuses the image, whether it's a woman reclining on grass in front of a stone wall, a parade balloon reaching for the sky, or an adult and two kids reflected in a puddle (Maier) or a female portrait in which the features either multiply or migrate across the face (Calvin). In both cases, grace and oddness are reconciled in the work.

Brian Calvin is based outside Los Angeles, where he maintains an active studio life. Vivian Maier lived and worked in Chicago, where her work was discovered and celebrated posthumously.

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