Frank Burgers returns with a journey through the decades.’ Chronicles’ exhibits a curated selection of paintings over the years that explore connections in Frank Burgers art making, and his inability to be defined, except by his continual quest for diverse inspiration and resolutions.
This follows on from Abstraction in 2023 at The Hive as Frank’s second solo exhibition here, since he moved from north-east Victoria where he regularly exhibited at Beechworth Contemporary Art Gallery. In the interim, Frank has been acknowledged with the Artisan framing and Canvasses Award in Geelong’s Hue & Cry Gallery (now Liminal) and exhibited the “Peregrinators Proposal’ in Geelong.
Artist Statement
Looking back over 40 years of painting, I find common interests and visual language in all my own work. After all, I’m the artist, so consistency in my work is no surprise to me.
However, I am aware of the seeming contradiction in embracing figuration and abstraction in one body of work. I have always been keen to exhibit the variety of modes together. I have always been happy to engage all sorts of work in the studio, from painting to painting, even on the same day.
I started in 1984 at Ballarat College of Advanced Education and that is the center of the roots from which my work developed into an extending circular direction. I started, as most artists, finding ways to represent nature as I saw it. By Second Year of study, I explored the mystery of abstraction. Post studying, I explored abstraction for a few years, then I moved beyond this as I longed for more meaning in my work.
That meant developing representational skills and looking at metaphorical values in the objects I brought together in compositions. In a relaxed association, really, I became interested in the potential meaning of objects relationships in a painting.
I think that is when the elements of my visual language solidified. I was interested in colour relationships, composition, dynamics and rhythms, and creating imaginative environments. Hence the abstraction was never far off my mind as I worked out relationships within the paintings.
I learnt to understand abstraction better as I sought to simplify space within the compositions and explore abstract elements more consciously. ‘The Studio’ series demonstrates where I went 10 years later. For a few years I explored the extremes of where painting could go with minimal content. It was still all colour (colour field influence), construction and composition.
I was longing for an uncluttering at the time, as earlier abstractions were more organic and expressive. Incidentally, figurative was still taking an equal amount of time in my studio. Different emotions seemed to call for different expressions.
Over the last few years, I spent time looking for strategic changes in the abstract paintings to move forwards with them. I wanted more active painting, the pleasure of moving paint around on the linen. At the same time, I responded to returning to Launceston, Tasmania, in which I had no opportunity to paint but took many photos along the Tamar River. I was interested in Richard Diebenkorn’s simplifications of observed structures that led to total abstraction in his work. I thought using the vertical movement within the steep bush embankment on the Tamar River would lead me to abstraction, however, interestingly, the results were landscape, regardless of abstraction informing the compositions.
We moved to Geelong lately and I am searching for a new body of work. The coast is new to me. And yes, I will abstract again! Another exciting chapter in the ‘chronicles’ of Frank Burgers awaits.
Chronicles May 30th -June 22nd, Opening Saturday May 31st 2pm
