Artist Profile

maryburkeart.comMary Burke

Statement I divide my time between Chicago, and my studio in southwest Michigan. My work can be seen at various galleries across the country, and I have exhibited paintings in Italy and South America. My work has been featured in Newsweek magazine’s internet art gallery. I was an adjunct faculty member, teaching painting, at Shimer College from 2000 to 2005. My Bachelor of Arts degree is from the University of Chicago, and my Master of Fine Arts degree is from the University of Minnesota. I have also studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Princeton University. My work can be seen in several publications such as The American Art Collector, The Artful Home, The Chicago Art Scene, and Suite Home Chicago.

I paint on large canvases, but also create small works on paper, which utilize watercolor, pencil, and ink. My approach to painting is analytical, playing with formal elements of design that deal with the compositional relationships between color, pattern, texture, and line. Despite attention to careful analysis, I gladly embrace the accidental aspects of creation, utilizing, and bringing life to the random mark. By mingling abstract and figurative elements, I allow the viewer space for imaginative thinking.