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November Issue
2008
The Sylvan Gallery in Charleston, SC,
Features Works by Scott Burdick
The
Sylvan Gallery in Charleston, SC, will present the exhibit, Scott
Burdick: Drawings and Paintings from Travels, on view from
Nov. 7 - 25, 2008.
Burdick was born in Chicago, IL, in 1967 where
his parents were quick to encourage his interest in art. "I
spent a lot of time in hospitals as a child and remember my mother
showing me how to transform simple shapes like circles, triangles,
and squares into objects like planes, helicopters, and fish. It
seemed such a magical thing and made spending so much time in
casts and on crutches much more bearable."
Burdick took life-drawing classes at the American Academy of Art
from Bill Parks who stirred his enthusiasm and instilled the discipline
necessary to polish his skills. After finishing the Academy, he
continued to study at the Palette and Chisel Art Club, where he
met his wife. He was also mentored by Richard Schmid.
This artist's ideas come from everywhere. "What makes a subject attractive to me are the same things that attract us all. The beauty of a young girl, the character of a weathered face, the solitude of a farm at sunset, or even the story itself behind someone or something that makes it interesting." He loves the character that shows in people's faces. Burdick believes it is the job of the artist to recognize this, analyze what is interesting and convey the feeling to someone else by means of marks on paper or canvas. He sees some paintings as simple visits at the sight of something interesting, while others may have required more time doing research than actually painting.
Painting is a way of exploring the world and sharing those explorations. Through this visual language, Burdick can communicate even when in a foreign land. In Africa he could not verbally communicate but connected through drawings of the individuals he met. With three hours he could relate to the people and this permitted quick works - 3 to 5 minute poses - that were much less stressful than paintings. Drawings are his favorite works to create and the basis of everything - he spent three years drawing even before he painted.
The works in this show will be a mix of paintings and drawings as well as mélange of subject matter. There are a number of people figuring the works. They might be from Tibet or Africa or even North Carolina. A blues singer from North Carolina had his guitar stolen while he was washing windows to make money. Burdick offered him a new one but he would not accept it until they traded with the guitarist sitting for Burdick. Posing allowed the musician to earn his guitar. Adding plein air landscapes from Idaho and Montana including a pack trip in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, one finds great variety in this exhibition.
Burdick and his artist wife Susan Lyon, live in North Carolina surrounded by forests and the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Their home and locale provide the rest needed after trekking the world in search of images and experiences. Burdick's hard work is rewarded as he is recipient of many best of show and merit awards especially from the Western Rendezvous of Art (NWR) and the Laguna Plein Air Painters exhibit at Laguna Museum. His work was chosen for the Grand Prize of the International Artist Magazine's Painting People Competition.
Burdick will participate in the CFADA (Charleston Fine Art Dealers' Association's) Saturday (Nov. 8, 2008) Painting in the Park (Washington Park) as well as be present for the auctioning of that painting during the Charleston Art Auction gala event that evening. The Painting in the Park is free and open to the public. The auction is a ticketed event raising funds for the Charleston County High School Art Departments. Call 843/722-0128 for reservations.
Paintings and sculpture by national artists of note are displayed over two stories of gallery space at 171 King Street in Charleston in the heart of the famous antique district. This is the quiet time of year to wander the streets and visit this gallery with works depicting locations all over the world as well the charm of Charleston's lovely scenery. These artists live throughout the nation and travel regularly for inspiration. They are highly collected throughout the United States and beyond. Having returned to his home state after many years in the Houston and Santa Fe art markets, Joe and Janie Sylvan bring a freshness and enthusiasm to the eastern art world. They are contributing greatly to the rocketing Charleston art scene.
The Sylvan Gallery focuses on 20th and 21st
century representational art. Since opening in late 2002, they
have shown that diversity is success.
For further information check our SC Commercial Gallery listings,
call the gallery at 843/722-2172 or visit (www.thesylvangallery.com).
Carolina Arts is published monthly by Shoestring Publishing Company, a subsidiary of PSMG, Inc. Copyright© 2008 by PSMG, Inc., which published Charleston Arts from July 1987 - Dec. 1994 and South Carolina Arts from Jan. 1995 - Dec. 1996. It also publishes Carolina Arts Online, Copyright© 2008 by PSMG, Inc. All rights reserved by PSMG, Inc. or by the authors of articles. Reproduction or use without written permission is strictly prohibited. Carolina Arts is available throughout North & South Carolina.