452 Contempo Issues: Commerce and Economics

Saturday, March 18, 2017

Commerce and Economics - Jesse Burke

Jesse Burke
Commerce and Economics

by David Kieckhefer

Jesse Burke divides his time between personal art projects and commissioned work. His work deals with themes related to vulnerability and identity, as well as human's complicated relationship with nature. Burke received his MFA from Rhode Island School of Design, where he is a faculty member. Burke's work is held in private/public collections including the Museum of Contemporary Photography Chicago, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the North Carolina Museum of Art, and the Rhode Island School of Design Museum. He was recently named one of Time Magazine’s top 50 US photographers to follow on Instagram.

Buy Wild & Precious here for $50

Burke's Wild & Precious is work from a series of road trips traveled over 5 years with his daughter Clover to explore the natural world. Each image is named after a song that Johnny Cash wrote or recorded. His music and lyrics were a big part of their collective experience while on the road. The goal of Wild & Precious is to encourage parents and children to spend time together connecting with the natural world.

Watch a film on Wild & Precious here.

Intertidal

Intertidal is an investigation into the delicate balance that exists between the heroic idea of masculinity and the true reality of men. It explores the presence of vulnerability and sensitivity that act as forces against the mythology of male dominance and power.

Father

Gladiator

Open Country

Flannel

Blind

Blind explores the complexities of the awkward, beautiful, and romantic relationship we share with nature. It looks at concepts such as death and power, fragility and vulnerability, identity, mutability and camouflage through the lens of hunting.