Borrego Sun - Since 1949

By Sally Walsh

A fairly newcomer to Borrego art community Kevin Calivar works are mature and masterful for an younger artist.

Showing now at The House Of Borrego Springs East Gallery, Kevin's vibrant city scape collection created from memories of Manhattan night life he experienced in his late teens when he lived in New Jersey and would escape across the river into the thrilling milieu of New York City nightlife scene.

Kevin an inter subjective artist invents from personal experience. Dramatically, in each painting he creates revelations of himself in paint.

Swift, broken brush strokes, reminiscent of Oriental brushwork, speed across the canvas. Reflection painted by using color not realism but an optical intriguing, vagueness. The viewers eye does not settle. Color leads the way it scurries across the canvas confident, almost breathless, in ultra vibrant seemingly thoughtless spontaneity. The scene an impression from a memory more or less fleeting. Kevin's art achievements rest on his use of color which serves his expression. His colors seem to neither embellish nor change the forms, they uplift and carry them on the very surface. He attempts to enlarge the spectator's visual horizon through his art.

Gleefully, Kevin say's 'there are no mistakes,' in his art. Water spills, blotched paint strokes, are treasured as surprises that open doors to often magical transformations. Accidents become benchmarks for solutions. 'What will be,' is embraced not fought against. Kevin's extensive artistic flow is unpremeditated, intriguing, he plays with illusion painting the curiousness of surprise symbols that appear in his works, left for the viewer to discover.

Showing at the West Gallery, Summer House is a large work 'Haboob.' Painted after Kevin drove through the badlands when an epic traveling wall of a sandstorm descended surrounding his car. All he could see was the muted circle of the sun behind the dust. Gone in seconds the 'haboob,' left an artistic imprint that he transformed into a powerful abstract painting.

A fairly newcomer too the Borrego art scene Kevin set up his eclectic studio here. Fellow artist's drop by, French Cafe music plays in the background, the space is dominated by a Mid Century style red leather chair of honor in place for a visiting quest.

What makes Kevin rather unique is that there is another side of artist Kevin that is, 'a man of science.' Fascinated by science with a scholarly knowledge he is very comfortable sharing conversationally. Left brain and right brain uniquely equal.

A modern day Renaissance man. I consider his work very collectible and see a successful artistic future ahead for this fascinating young artist.