'Take a picture of it, go make another': Sometimes he has to destroy his art, but he's okay with it
'I think sometimes you start to resent the piece a little bit.' Artist John Burgess reflects on the temporality of his art.
'I think sometimes you start to resent the piece a little bit.'
Vancouver multidisciplinary artist, John Burgess' works are inflected by direct references to the spaces they occupy, often making use of their histories or functions to situate the art. His works are so tied to place that sometimes he has to destroy them to remove them from the gallery they're built in, but he's okay with that — he's got a photo.
I think the last large piece I made, when I was going to de-install it, I forgot all of my tools, and had to literally kick the thing apart.- John Burgess
By design, Burgess' work can appear to be functional, though it usually transcends its intended purpose. He has participated in exhibitions in Australia, the United States and Canada.
Art Minute is a new CBC Arts series taking you inside the minds of Canadian artists to hear what makes them tick and the ideas behind their work.