Jonathan Burstein

 

Why are you an artist?

I couldn't think of anything else that I could do that would interest me for the rest of my life. I have always been into drawing and cartoons- when I thought about the times when I was happiest, my memories were always of the meditative state of making art.

Could you tell us some more about your paintings?

I have done mostly urban realism and portraiture, sometime urban portraiture. I move between media- oil, acrylic, collage, mixed media, drawing, etc.

Is the subject important to you, or do you simply paint to express yourself?

That's a weird question- self-expression is itself a subject i think. In terms of my work, I do put a lot of emphasis on the iconography of the piece- what is depicted holds a lot of meaning, more so than color, scale, etc.

Could you talk about your latest series of paintings and what you are trying to achieve with them?

My latest body of work is a series of self-portraits made from collaged art magazines. From a distance they appear to be paintings but close up they reveal themselves to be made of hundreds of pieces of paper. I'm trying to sneak up on painting from different angles- that seems to work better than a frontal assault. Painting, especially oil painitng, has such a huge history- I'm more interested in sidestepping that and finding new approaches.

What artists have influenced you, and how?

Wayne Thiebaud for color and texture and quotidian subjects; Edward Hopper for urban psychodrama; Lucien Freud, Francis Bacon, Jenny Saville, the Impressionists, the Bay Area Figurative artists for love of paint, Chuck Close and Lucas Samaras for self-portraits and inventing new techniques, James Rosenquist, Andy Warhol, and Marcel DuChamp for being really smart; and all my artist friends and teachers for providing different examples of how to go about this nonsensical business of making art.

What inspires you to paint and how do you keep motivated when things get tough in the studio?

Most of my best ideas either sneak up on me when I'm doing something else. Nothing really inspires me to paint except for painting itself. Its hard to get rolling but once I'm in work mode I can go for hours on end. Waiting for inspiration is not a very good strategy- you'll never get anything done with that approach. I can come up with more ideas in one day than I will be able to realize in the next 10 years. Inspiration is the easy part- the work is just doing it whatever mood your in-inspired, tired, cynical, blah, hyper, whatever. Whatever that saying is about 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration is right on.

How have you handled the business side of being an artist?

Trial and error. I'm not a natural self-promoter, but I put on that hat and try to network and get out there... you have to if you are going to have any success. Most artists have no idea about professional presentation, pricing their work, etc. I have had good luck selling my work because I like connecting with people and I can talk about the work in person easily- I think about each piece so much I will never be at a loss for something to say about it. Finally- being very organized is a huge help- mailing lists, slides, etc. You have to be on top of all of it

What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?

Work your heart out. Practice constant gratitude and devotion for your path. Remember to play. Mistakes are good if you know how to use them. Make your studio a fun place to be. Have snacks at hand. Sell your work cheap and give it away at first- practice generosity. Realize you have to make 4 bad paintings for every great one- there's no shortcut. Learn by doing. Ask everyone's advice and then listen to your own intuition. Work even when you don't feel like working. Do something silly once a day.

What do you do for fun (besides painting)

Bike, watch movies, read, socialize, walk around the City, nap.