This is the exhibition poster for a show at the Phyllis Kind Gallery in Chicago titled “Roger Brown Disasters.” At this show, Brown exhibited art that was part of a series he painted titled “Disasters” which showed epic disasters wreaking havoc on skyscrapers, causing them to collapse, implode, tilt, burn, etc. In these paintings, he typically showed the people inside the buildings as silhouettes reacting to the catastrophic events or, in some cases, being blissfully unaware of them.
Roger Brown (1941-1997), who attended the Art Institute of Chicago, was considered part of the Chicago Imagist group which drew inspiration from art outside New York, including that of self-taught artists, advertisements and comics. Primarily a painter, he often drew cityscapes and landscapes that reflected aspects of contemporary life and current events and attitudes. He is also known for his frequent use of silhouettes, as shown in this work. Looking for a provocative piece for your walls? You just found it!