Contemporary Art Gallery 

ARTIST STATEMENT

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As a person living in the early 21st century, I am compelled to use my practice as an artist to observe and document the rapidly changing world in which we live.  As the advance of humanity across the planet continues to coincide with the development of technology, and more recently the increased creation and interaction with the entirely man-made “reality” of cyberspace; we find humanity turning a blind eye to the destruction and collapse of the natural world, as we retreat further into our isolation as a single species among millions. 

 

My aim is to create work that does not attempt to judge or cast blame for our current predicaments upon humanity, but instead to document the interplay of humanity’s creations and actions with the natural world of animals, plants, and ecosystems that are rapidly vanishing form our world.  I believe we live in a singular moment in the history of this planet, where one species has not only the ability to destroy all life upon the Earth, but also has the tools and technology to avert said disaster.  Yet, despite the obviously disastrous and immoral implications of allowing such destruction to occur, humanity at large currently seems doggedly fixed upon just such a course.  I hope my work will serve as a document for future generations to have a record of some of the things that happened in this moment, and I believe ceramics is an excellent medium for this task. 

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ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

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Raised by a single mother in Dallas, TX, Bryan Burk has been drawing and painting from a young age. Growing up in the 1970’s and 80’s, he had a strong interest in the traditionally hand drawn comic books, animation, package and character design that was seeing it’s twilight as an art form, as computer-generated graphics and graphic design had not yet come to the fore in mainstream culture. After attending the Booker T. Washington High School for Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas, where he focused heavily on drawing, painting and printmaking, Bryan moved to San Francisco for 2 years of study at the San Francisco Art Institute.  Finally in 1995, he finished his BA Degree at Bennington College, working closely with the painters Amy Sillman and Rochelle Feinstein. 

 

Following having worked as an artist’s assistant in New York City for 4 years, Bryan discovered an interest in tattooing, and moved to Los Angeles to serve as an apprentice under American tattoo master Bob Roberts, with whom he worked for 11 years. In 2010, he opened his own tattoo studio, Dark Horse tattoo, which he operates to this day. 

 

In 2018, Bryan was invited to take a 2 hour beginners ceramics class by a friend, and became immediately fascinated by making pottery, and joined the private studio as a member. For the last 3 years, he has been teaching himself to make and decorate pots, most recently with the informal guidance and friendship of artist Tony Marsh.