In 2007 Mr. Edward A. Burke completed a series of paintings "Early Spring" which embodies creating from these three sources. Although Mr. Burke did not start out to paint a series, as the work progressed he began to see that the works were forming a narrative of how I think and create. These works range from representational to abstract. The ends of this range are theoretical and not so neatly defined. It is clear that representational paintings are in some ways abstract as they represent a three-dimensional world on a two dimensional surface utilizing a myriad of personal choices that drive the creation of the work. Many of these choices are driven by the artist's subconscious even when working from direct observation. Likewise works derived primarily from the subconscious are influenced by the artistÕs internal collection of images and responses to the real world.

A majority of artists OR abstract-painters OR Expressionists-artist  OR Landscape-artist OR Still-Life-artist find their voice by working across this range and eventually settle on a narrow segment to produce their main body of work. The creative process for Ed Burke has not and possibly never will settle down to a small segment of this range. He draws from combinations of direct observations, the minds eye and the id producing works that fall across a wide range from representational to abstract. The resulting works are bound together by his language: that of brush and color.

"Studio Painting 1, 2, and 3" (2005 - 2007)
"Drawing and Painting 1, 2, and 3" (2006 - 2007)
Phoenix School of Design (extension of Pratt Institute, NY)
"Editorial Design & Graphics" (1983-1985)

Exhibits

Group Show, Landscape - A Sense of Place, Gallery 25N, NY
One Man Show, Abstracts, Hudson River Gallery, NY
Group Show, Five Abstract Painters, Dubelle Gallery, NY
Group Show, Landscapes, Edward Brown Gallery, NY
Group Show, The Power of Abstraction, Society of the Arts, FL
Group Show, Work on Paper, Silo Gallery, NY
Group Show, Exhibit of Paintings and Sculpture, Ward Ness Gallery, NY

Painting Philosophy:

New York artist, Edward Burke, whose work is well represented in numerous private collections, remains firmly rooted in his painting in spite of the great demand for his work as a graphic designer, illustrator, and multimedia creator.

Burke has never allowed his creative energy to be constrained by a rigid style. One sees in the body of his work an effortless flow between the representational and the abstract in which the artistic style of each piece is dictated by emotional energy and personal perception. The artist describes this process in the following way:

"For me, whether a painting is representational or abstract is an evolutionary process. Although I sometimes start and stay with a purely interpretational style, there are times when I start a painting from observation and the painting takes on a reality of its own, evolving into a reaction to reality that I interpret on the canvas.

I find pleasure in expanding one's view of a scene or object to include lines and forms that are obscured from view or in which I create the imagined movement of the forms. In nature, for example, I enjoy observing and painting the rhythm, texture, and reflective properties of water. Landscapes, for another example, can be observed in a unique way when reflected on the surface of water.

At the other extreme, I sometimes begin a painting by making a mark, shape, or form on a blank canvas, and then develop the painting from subsequent personal responses in line, color, and form until the final work evolves. These paintings are often related to images from dreams or my mind's eye.

I would say my work is more of an approach to interpreting reality rather than a philosophy about it. The only thing I can say for sure is that it is an important part of who I am."

Edward Burke Website

Gallery25N.com

Studio25N.com