Highly stylized and creative images of the characters and landscapes of Paradise abound in the book The Paradise Circus by JT Burke. Burke's unique digital imaging talents, honed from 2 decades of commercial work and refined over the past 14 years producing personal art, are displayed in this beautiful portfolio book and mid career survey. Introductions by Peter Mays, executive director of the Los Angeles Art Association, and Shana Nys-Dambrot, a noted LA art critic, give insights into the works and some of the artist's motivations. The images are accompanied by original texts by the author, and witticisms, thoughts. quotes and texts by many that are found in everyday life. Burke creates images that reflect interests in unique items from the physical world and notions that are dear to Man's soul. These fantastic compositions represent intangible human desires, myths and philosophies. The images contain color, light and figure that are all generated by the energy of thousands of small images. The result is ornate and tells tales of life forces unbounded by reality.
About the Author
Jeffrey Thomas Burke is a Los Angeles artist who works primarily with cameras and computers. For many years he shot food photos and TV commercials for many national and international companies. He won numerous awards and built a substantial business during a 20 year career that began during the infancy of digital image making. In 2006, Burke left the world of commercial imagery to create work driven by his own visions. Burke's body of images are all based loosely on the notion of Paradise, coupled with elements of popular culture; the hereafter as envisioned by peoples around the world, throughout history, in literature and on Saturday morning cartoons.Collecting, photographing and manipulating costume jewelry, brass figurines and other assorted detritus, he melds them all into unique characters and ornate scenes that respond to world philosophies, deeply held beliefs and inventive storytelling. Through his mastery of digital imaging and a very unique visual style, he creates rich and highly detailed images.
