Barbara Burger

Barbara Burger

Location: United States

Art has always been a necessity for me. It is who I am and what I must do. It is my attempt to express the awe and wonder I feel at the beauty of our world: the sky, the sea, and all of nature. As a child, from the first time I held a crayon and saw color and line, I felt as if it were magic.

Learning is another of my loves and I attended Cornell University, where I graduated in three years, Phi Beta Kappa. I also love dance. I have performed in jazz and continue to study ballet.

My art work has appeared in galleries, including solo exhibits in Soho and Chelsea, and has received a few awards. My vision remains that of imagery structured upon abstraction, and aspires to touch beauty. This hardly conforms to trends in today's art scene but I must do only what is meaningful to me. I agree with James Joyce's definition of classicism as a "constant state of the artistic mind" which is "ever mindful of limitations." And of his definition of art as "what the heart is and what it feels."

Portfolio:

The Shakespeare Gardens Series

The Shakespeare Gardens Series:

Words are another important part of my life and Shakespeare is the writer to whom I turn most. In time of joy or of need, he is always there for me. In his perspective on humanity, our joys and sorrows, our nobility and foolishness, our longings and fear, I find his his work to be unparalleled. The Shakespeare Garden in Manhattan is very special to me.

Central Park, New York “Central Park, New York”

Stratford, Ontario “Stratford, Ontario”

Central Park, New York “Central Park, New York”

The Yellow Leaves Series

The Yellow Leaves Series:

During autumn, as I wander through Central Park, Shakespeare's words from Sonnet 73, "That time of year thou may'st in me behold, When yellow leaves or none or few do hang Upon those boughs.." often seem to materialize about me.

Yellow Leaves 10 “Yellow Leaves 10”

Yellow Leaves 12 “Yellow Leaves 12”

Yellow Leaves 13 “Yellow Leaves 13”

Yellow Leaves 2 “Yellow Leaves 2”

The Sunset Series

The Sunset Series:

The beauty of the sky overhead, without which we would not be here, is another source of wonder. And no two sunsets are alike.

Before Sunset 2 “Before Sunset 2”

Before Sunset 3 “Before Sunset 3”

After Sunset 3 “After Sunset 3”

The Bridge Series

The Bridge Series and The West 72nd Street Subway Station Series:

Structures in NYC can also be a source of astonishment to me. The geometry that is part of the subway, the symmetry in the arch of a bridge.

Bridge Series 4 [George Washington Bridge] “Bridge Series 4 [George Washington Bridge]”

Bridge Series 6 [George Washington Bridge] “Bridge Series 6 [George Washington Bridge]”

Bridge Series 9 [George Washington Bridge] “Bridge Series 9 [George Washington Bridge]”

Bridge Series 12 [George Washington Bridge] “Bridge Series 12 [George Washington Bridge]”

The West 72nd Street Subway Station Series

The Bridge Series and The West 72nd Street Subway Station Series:

Structures in NYC can also be a source of astonishment to me. The geometry that is part of the subway, the symmetry in the arch of a bridge.

West 70th Street Entrance 3 “West 70th Street Entrance 3”

West 72nd Street Entrance [Beside the Dakota] “West 72nd Street Entrance [Beside the Dakota]”

West 70th Street Entrance 1 “West 70th Street Entrance 1”

Music (Drawings, Mixed Media and Sculpture)

Music:

Classical music moves me deeply. At a concert, the beauty of the music and the musician may be such that I sketch in a synthesis and merger of art and music. Walter Pater did say that "all art aspires to the condition of music."

Music Stand “Music Stand”

Cello Hands [Mixed Media] “Cello Hands [Mixed Media]”

Cello “Cello”

Cellist's Hand (Clay Sculture) “Cellist's Hand (Clay Sculture)”

Unposed Sketches of Musicians in Performance

Unposed Sketches of Musicians:

Classical music moves me deeply. At a concert, the beauty of the music and the musician may be such that I sketch in a synthesis and merger of art and music. Walter Pater did say that "all art aspires to the condition of music."

These sketches were drawn during concerts. They are not finished drawings done under studio conditions.

Isaac Stern “Isaac Stern”

Richard Goode “Richard Goode”

Alfred Brendel “Alfred Brendel”

Evgeny Kissin “Evgeny Kissin”

Wire Sculptures of Ballet Dancers

Dancers:

Another source of wonder is the training of ballet and the singular beauty of its movement. I fell in love with ballet when I arrived in NY and the performers I have seen and classes I attend are a continual source of fulfillment.

Dancer 1 “Dancer 1”

Dancer 2 “Dancer 2”

Dancer 6 “Dancer 6”

Self-Portrait 1 “Self-Portrait 1”

Hudson River Pilings Series

The Hudson River pilings, with their geometric rhythms, form an echo of past history

Pilings No. 2 “Pilings No. 2”

Pilings No. 4 “Pilings No. 4”

Pilings No. 7 “Pilings No. 7”

Pilings No. 9 “Pilings No. 9”

Park Lamppost Series

The lampposts in the park look almost like sentries to me, each one located in an area it will later illuminate

Beneath the Branch “Beneath the Branch”

Reaching for the Sky “Reaching for the Sky”

Companion to the Bow Bridge “Companion to the Bow Bridge”

Lamppost Portrait No. 7 “Lamppost Portrait No. 7”

High Above

The beauty and mystery of the sky that surrounds us is a continuous source of fascination and wonder to me.

Clouds #1 “Clouds #1”

Clouds #2 “Clouds #2”

Clouds #3 “Clouds #3”

Clouds #4 “Clouds #4”