In conjunction with the
group show, "Dark States,"
art collector, writer, and
blogger James Wagner
(www.jameswagner.com)
interviewed Jesse about
his work.
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James Wagner: When I first saw your work at the MFA show (Rhode Island School of Art and Design, Spring, 2005) I didn’t have any outside information. I was on my own in both locating and re-imagining the inspiration of the artist or the inspiration which produced these images and in tossing them around in my head—and my soul. Later, when I went to your website, I was pleased to find that your statement there confirmed most of what I had imagined you were doing. But I know that my appreciation of these images is not and would in any case be entirely defined by or limited to a statement which you or a curator might attach to them: I retain some earlier impressions which give the work even more interest than it might have otherwise.
I noticed the statement which now appears on your site is much more terse than the one I captured for my blog this past May.
Do you think any statement is necessary for an appreciation of this work? Or in general, how far should an artist ever go toward engaging her or his audience with language outside the work itself?
Jesse Burke: Ultimately, I feel that the type of work an artist does will decide if a statement is necessary. It really depends on how specific or in depth of a reading or understand the artist expects or needs from their audience. In my work I feel one is able to feel some resonance between the pieces without the use of any accompanying statement. But only to a certain extent. My work has a mysterious quality that oftentimes begs for more questions. This can lead the viewer to look for clues as to what is happening. Text can and will destroy this tension that is created. I keep my titles short and descriptive to allow for this ambiguity to shine through. The works are really meant to be seen in conjunction with one another allowing for the relationships between the images to address any concerns that would be addressed by a statement. I think statements can make people think less. They will look for a quick answer instead of really trying to understand what is happing in front of them. By presenting my work in this way I force the viewer to draw up their own conclusions as to why the images are related.
Some artists need to create a much more involved dialogue with their audience. Again it depends on the nature of the work. More conceptual works can warrant more of a written description in order to fully appreciate what the artist has done. It can be as simple as talking about the materials used or the location of the event, details that could never speak for themselves. If by knowing these facts the works meanings are able to ascend to the next level then I believe they should be available.
JW: How do you think your ability to see and comment as an artist on the world of which you confess you are a part affect your own “masculine postures” ?
JB: This body of work started as an investigation into my own masculine identity. And I try not to lose sight of that as I go along. For me what has happened is the opposite of what I had initially expected. I have in fact embraced that which I was questioning in the beginning. It’s really pretty funny and ironic. In exploring my differences I became more similar.
I have always felt that for some reason I was outside of the “typical” idea of the New England male, even concerning my own relatives. My family is comprised of various types of men; fishermen, hunters, sports fans, and drinkers. What I deemed as typical male archetypes. Growing up I often wondered where I fit into the spectrum. This uncertainty would eventually resurface when I got to graduate school. I moved home to New England after being away for about 10 years and was again faced with the questions of who am I, who are we, how do we relate to one another? I was interested in exploring the dynamics of the group, our strengths and weaknesses, our similarities and differences.
In the process of exploring these concepts I have become more vulnerable and open to the interests of the group. I’ll give you a funny example: fishing. Fishing has always been a big part of the New England masculine character, as far back as Melville’s Pequod crew. It was also part of my life as a young boy. I would often fish with my friends in our local ponds and my dad and uncles were fishermen as well. In my late teens I would become an animal activist and vegetarian renouncing any cruelty towards animals whatsoever, which is how I remain today. Temporarily placing my personal convictions aside I decide to do a piece that paid homage to our “fisherman” past. I bought a fishing pole and headed out with a friend. I photographed the process and every fish we caught, then quickly threw them back. We did this everyday for 3 weeks and I became obsessed. I’m not sure if it was a reclaiming of my adolescence, a new passion for this typically male pastime, or just the male bonding experience. But I had changed. I embraced the moments I had out there at the beach or on the rocks, the two of us alone out in nature. It was quite romantic. It felt pure. I had even gone so far as to have an entirely new “fishing” outfit comprised of waterproof knee boots, an Orvis jacket, and a chamois shirt. Inside I felt a connectedness with my New England ancestry and to nature. In addition, I started to go off shore fishing with my dad on a regular basis. Something that has allowed us to have a closer relationship and spend more time with one another. Fishing brought us together. It’s funny when I think about it.
JW: I see that you have a commission from the Providence Police Department. Can you say anything about the work at this time?
JB: I was asked by Rhode Island School of Design and the Providence Police Dept. to put a “face behind the badge” so to speak. I have been allowed total creative freedom, which is great. It has been going on for about six months and will culminate in a permanent exhibition in Providence Public Safety Complex (police station). Basically I am taking portraits of the various members of the police force ranging from patrol cops to crime scene detectives. As in all my work I am trying to look past the typical view of how the police are perceived as power tripping tough guys. There is some truth to this but they are also normal citizens with families, emotions and really put their lives on the line to protect us everyday. It’s quite humbling to see what they go through first hand. It’s a hard job and I have a new found respect for them and their jobs. I am trying to tap into a deeper more emotional side, a side we aren’t privy to in our normal citizen-cop relationships. I guess that is why they chose me to work on the project, from the presence of that in my other work. I’m focusing on the concepts of strength and weakness, public service, honor and dedication, teamwork, protection, and brother and sisterhood. I have been doing quite a bit of multi-panel portrait pieces that will show a group of officers that are related in some way. From brothers in the same unit, to squad mates, and even a grandfather, father, and son intergenerational piece.
JW: Do you expect to continue working indefinitely with the concept expressed in your current body of work?
JB: I have always felt that all my work was related in one way or another. Whether it be landscape or portrait it felt connected. The overall them being fragility. The masculinity concept is just one part of that. So in a way I can see my self working in this vein for a long time to come. I feel like I have just begun exploring all that I want to say with my photographs. Also at this particular juncture in time I think men need to take some time to focus the less macho aspects of our lives and personalities. I am completely in love with this idea and I think there is an endless flow of inspiration that I see in everyday life which will help me to continue to create work. One new body of work I am interested in is a series about hip hop culture. This is such a huge part of American culture right now with the popularity of the music and lifestyle. These young men and boys are growing up with role models such as 50 Cent and Fat Joe. Many don’t have father figures around so they must look to their peers or the media for their ideas of masculinity identity. They must appear hard to survive and but yet at the same time they wear pastel colored outfits such as pink and light blue. They are emulating their new role models. It is this complicated position that they are in that I find fascinating. They are blurring the lines. The fact that very tough street smart men are able to wear clothing in colors that are historically deemed weak while having to maintain a facade of toughness is amazing. This subject seems rich with potential that applies to my art making process.
I am also currently working on a few pieces that are much more personal. My grandfather is dying of lung cancer and my sister was recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer. So I find myself faced with the idea of our inevitable mortality. Which of course really scares me. There is a part of me that needs to explore this more physical aspect of fragility.
JW: I just went through the portfolio on jesseburke.com for the first time in a while. It’s interesting that this afternoon, before re-visiting the site, I had written in some notes to myself that your images were sometimes sad and sometimes silly, but always beautiful, and very strong. Now I see absolutely nothing silly. Do you ever do silly, if for no other reason than to get out of the “Dark States” described by the title of this show?
JB: I do see a humor in a lot of my work. But it is more of a dark irony that comes up in our lives. There is a playful element that I try to embrace when I see it. For example the Nectar Impérial piece is really about the moment right after one shotguns a beer. The simultaneous severity and absurdity of shotgunning a beer is what I am really interested in. The liminal space of the act. Sometimes this comes across as funny, crazy, violent, or angry. There is also a humorous element is some of the similarities in the clothing of my subjects. They maybe wearing the exact same shirt or the same shirt but in a different color. The photograph “Weekend At Joey’s” really sums up this idea. I was on vacation with my two uncles and dad in rural Pennsylvania. We woke up one morning got dressed and headed out to a local flea market. Once we got outside I realized that we all had basically the same outfit on, just in different colors. So I photographed each person as an individual and then exhibited them as a group, because we are individuals yet together comprise something more complete. This becomes apparent by our similar style of dress, they way we all posture ourselves in the same manner, even down to our hands (they looked exactly the same!) We are genetically the same and became even more similar by our clothing choices. So for me it was a piece about our biological and societal connectedness. We became sort of a dysfunctional Gap ad. It is hilarious. After all in my work there is a sense of poking fun at ourselves. That is where the silly comes into play.
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