Play

Robert Xavier Burden

Heron Arts is pleased to announce the two-month solo exhibition Play by Robert Xavier Burden. The exhibition will be on view at Heron Arts until April 26th, 2020. Known for his giant 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 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, and serves as a reflection on the plastic culture that is killing them, taking 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 zookeeper at the Toronto Zoo, which fed this fascination. 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 awestruck 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.

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