Jon Burgerman: Master of Puppets (photo by Becki Fuller)
If you ever find yourself wondering what the British born/Brooklyn based artist Jon Burgerman is up to, you are asking the wrong question. The real question should be what ISN’T he up to? In the last year alone, he has released a puzzle poster, a limited edition t-shirt for Azita, silk screens for 1xRun and Random Number, designed a Bathtime Favourites Tin for Lush, installed a flower bed outside of the Nottingham Castle Museum, penned the soon-to-be-released book “My American Summer”, released a CD and music video with his band Anxieteam…and that’s not even touching on his various projects, commissions, installations, performances, residencies and exhibitions throughout the world! Ahhhh, I need a nap just from writing about his life! I guess that may be why he occasionally shows up around town in various states of undress.
Doodle on Doodle action by Jon Burgerman (photo by Becki Fuller)
Even before meeting him it was easy to see why Burgerman is such a popular artist. His “doodling” often showcases his great sense of humor and enjoyment of the world, with all the meals it has to offer. After meeting him it was easy to see how he maintains the viewer’s initial interest and has turned it into quite the rabid following: aside from said sense of humor, Burgerman is not someone who is afraid to experiment with his style, even if it risks alienating fans who want to see him produce variations of the same work over and over again.
Putting the (veggie) burger in Burgerman (photo by Becki Fuller)
Jon's upcoming book "My American Summer"
During our studio visit, it was exciting to see how he experiments with different materials, colors, shapes, form, technique and scale. For some artists, once they have found success, it can be especially intimidating to mess with what can be viewed as a “winning formula”. It was interesting to hear Jon talk about his work and what appears to be a compulsion to continue moving artistically in order to keep his work interesting to himself.
charcoal on paper drawing by Jon Burgerman (photo by Becki Fuller)
a recent painting by Jon Burgerman
And clearly, whatever he is doing is working. Burgerman currently has two street installations on display here in NYC: his own rendition of the Garden of Eden in the courtyard of Factory Fresh in Brooklyn and Groundbreak in Manhattan, along side artists Abe Lincoln Jr. and Ellis G. He is also set to head out to two European exhibitions later this month: Heitsch Galerie in Munich, opening on the 13th and Galerie Issue in Paris, opening on the 28th. While in Europe, Burgerman and his musical collaborator Jim Avignon will also be performing as Anxieteam in London and his hometown of Nottingham.
"Pens Are My Friends" (photo by Becki Fuller)
A peek into Burgerman's book "Pens Are My Friends" (photo by Becki Fuller)
Single Line Drawings (photo by Becki Fuller)
Putting Pen To Paper (photo by Becki Fuller)
some of the smaller paintings that Jon has been working on (photo by Becki Fuller)
Anxieteam, in the felt, by The Felt Mistress (photo by Becki Fuller)
Jon Burgerman's installation for Groundbreak
Jon creates the Garden of Eden in the Factory Fresh Courtyard
I hope that you all enjoyed this look into Jon Burgerman’s studio as much as I did! And if you need another fix before the next time we see him, just step into the Burgerplex.
