Erik Burke Lecture
March 8, 2012
My Piece is Still Running
May 2009
Brooklyn, NY
aerosol paint on cotton
digital video 4 min.
Erik Burke is an artist who truly lives his art. From where he is to what he applies, the transition is fluid in reality and intention. Beginning his graffiti career at an elementary age, the idea of marking was natural. As he grew older, Erik discovered his love of skateboarding which would eventually lead his career into the art world. Skateboarding is explorative and encompasses an underground culture of risk takers and thrill seekers. Skateboarding journeys opened Erik's eyes to new and unmarked public spaces. The romanticization that artwork could be as ephemeral as his brief encounters was all too enticing.
Erik’s conceptual journey would begin as simplistic, artistic offerings for the people to fill with their own intuitive meanings. Eventually, the imagery would evolve into visual expressions of Erik's own identity but not without understanding that repetitive acts and events engrain the conscious of the community and that the idea of self and others is as fluid as his talent. Erik's theme of space and identity manifested itself into numerous remarkable and episodic works marking the globe.
His obsession with painting a triangular, flying carpet type object would only be altered through whitty verbage to reinvent the space. Erik has the eye to personify, transform, and recreate the everyday into something rather fantastical. His photograph of two trucks in a lot with the phrase “it’s just not the same without you” spread equally across the two, is just an example of his playful yet extraordinary perception. As his work grew more sophisticated, so did the great lengths he would take to achieve the work. His thousand mile bike rides were elucidated by socially engaged work, inspired by the people and sometimes collaborated. His “house people” only emerged at the end of his journey when his own wantings yearned for stillness and comfort.
Although Erik’s work ranges from quick tags to grandiose portraits, he moves without fear and listens to the desires of the space. Erik is as free as he is creative, living by his own standards and embracing the canvases of the world.
Erik’s conceptual journey would begin as simplistic, artistic offerings for the people to fill with their own intuitive meanings. Eventually, the imagery would evolve into visual expressions of Erik's own identity but not without understanding that repetitive acts and events engrain the conscious of the community and that the idea of self and others is as fluid as his talent. Erik's theme of space and identity manifested itself into numerous remarkable and episodic works marking the globe.
His obsession with painting a triangular, flying carpet type object would only be altered through whitty verbage to reinvent the space. Erik has the eye to personify, transform, and recreate the everyday into something rather fantastical. His photograph of two trucks in a lot with the phrase “it’s just not the same without you” spread equally across the two, is just an example of his playful yet extraordinary perception. As his work grew more sophisticated, so did the great lengths he would take to achieve the work. His thousand mile bike rides were elucidated by socially engaged work, inspired by the people and sometimes collaborated. His “house people” only emerged at the end of his journey when his own wantings yearned for stillness and comfort.
Although Erik’s work ranges from quick tags to grandiose portraits, he moves without fear and listens to the desires of the space. Erik is as free as he is creative, living by his own standards and embracing the canvases of the world.
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