Tom Burckhardt: FULL STOP
March 26—August 6, 2006Tom Burckhardt's FULL STOP is a full-scale replica of an artist's studio made entirely of cardboard and black paint.
Describing FULL STOP for its premiere at the Caren Golden Fine Art Gallery, Tom Burckhardt states: “This walk-through environment is full of the clutter and paraphernalia of the modern painter, toiling in romantic obscurity against the existential void. Except he/she doesn't seem to be succeeding. A basic lack of ideas has crippled production despite having all the right materials: tools, art supplies, art books, and postcards of the past masters' work at hand. The highly detailed and slavishly worked ephemera, all carefully constructed of cardboard and painted in a cartoon-like manner, belie the contradiction at the center of the installation: a blank canvas sitting on the easel.”
To enter FULL STOP, therefore, is to enter the dilemma of a creative block—all of the supplies, none of the inspiration. Perhaps, it also highlights the artist's own dilemma or anxiety of influence as the son of two successful artists. The installation is filled with historical art references such as Edward Hopper's potbellied stove, Jasper Johns's coffee can, Willem de Kooning's record player, and Jackson Pollock's shoes; and includes windows that look offer views of the New York skyline. It is at once playful and painful—a fresh commentary on a perennial problem.
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Learn more about Tom Burckhardt: FULL STOP
Tom Burckhardt lives and works in New York City. He is best known for his
paintings on paper and panel. This installation is a departure for the artist.
