Brian Calvin at Anton Kern Gallery

As artists continue to present bodies of work created during the pandemic, Californian painter Brian Calvin’s best new paintings at Anton Kern Gallery stand out for concisely capturing a feeling of disorientation.  Here, a female figure’s parted lips convey cluelessness or surprise and a sense of vulnerability, yet at the same time, her other mouth – lips firmly pressed together – suggest composure.  Trying to separate the faces (and emotions) can literally hurt.  (On view in midtown through Dec 5th.  Masks and social distancing required).

Brian Calvin, Composite Sketch, acrylic on linen, 40 x 30 inches, 2020.

Samara Golden at Canada

Enter LA artist Samara Golden’s full-gallery installation at Canada on the Lower East Side, and prepare to be jolted from the everyday – the floor under a catwalk is lined with mirrors and furniture fixed to the wall in a gravity-defying display the invites visitors to let loose from their moorings and play ‘what if.’ (Through Oct 25th).

Samara Golden, installation view of ‘A Fall of Corners’ at Canada Gallery, Sept 2015.