Heron Arts is pleased to announce the two month long solo exhibition
Play by Robert Xavier Burden. The exhibition will be on view at Heron
Arts until April 26th, 2020. Known for his giant size paintings of
Star Wars and Batman figures, this is the first series of wildlife
paintings Burden has yet to show. The opening reception for Play is on
Saturday, February 29th, 2019 at 7pm and is free and open to the
public. At the heart of this exhibition lies a tension between past
and present. Burden’s work indulges a childhood fixation on animals
with super-human characteristics found in films and TV, as well as it
reflects a plastic culture that is killing them and takes into
question our toxic relationship with nature. At its core, it is the
artist’s chance to idolize these figures once again, as they inch
ever closer to extinction in the wild. With a closer look at the work,
one absorbs the adoration and glorification of the animals portrayed,
while simultaneously feeling the shame and sadness they are surrounded
by in the form of cheap mass produced figurines. Figurines which are
created for children in the hopes that they will identify with the
creatures and create humanized relationships. The innocent love Burden
retains for the animals he has always admired is as apparent as his
disdain for a culture that kills them. Burden’s captivation with
animals began young. His aunt was a zoo keeper at the Toronto Zoo,
which fed this fasciation. As an adult, Burden began creating
paintings based on his childhood obsessions, such as the Star Wars and
superhero figurines he is known for. It wasn’t until 2016 that he
created his first wildlife painting of Charles the Lowland Gorilla, a
gorilla from the Toronto Zoo who is the centerpiece for this show. Not
only does Burden attend zoos around the country to photograph animals
in captivity, but he also researches the stories of the animals he
paints. The child-like fascination continues as he grapples with now
global consequences. Upon entering the gallery, the viewer will be
immediately impressed by the sheer size and drama of these paintings.
The gallery will be covered completely, with just seven paintings
ranging in size from 60x30 inches up to a staggering 7x14 feet. Each
painting takes anywhere from thirteen hundred up to twenty-one hundred
hours to paint. Facebook Event | heronarts.com
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01/03/2020 Last update