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Steve Burtch is a native Californian who recently returned to the state after stints living in New York and Texas. He received his BFA from the University of Houston where he had the opportunity to work with fellow alum Julian Schnabel. After taking a year off to teach and study in Japan, Burtch was invited back to the University’s MFA program. During that time he received a grant from the Dallas Museum of Art to travel to England to study the works of Ben Nicholson and Barbara Hepworth, as well Germany to attend Documenta in Kassel.
“Tension” and “the unknown” are common elements found in his “almost object-like” paintings and drawings. Burtch notes, “I try to stay out of the way as much as possible,” but within that adds, “there is of course a history, context and dialogue.” In the end Burtch concedes, “what it really boils down to is, ‘what do you think and why?’” Influences are many, including the art and lives of Yves Klein, Lucio Fontana, Agnes Martin, Wassily Kandinsky, Brian Eno, Robert Mangold, and Ellsworth Kelly.
