Jesse Burke
“I’m Jesse. I’m an open book and a storyteller. I have always welcomed the world to explore my life as a family man and adventurer – imperfections and all. My goal as a creator is to make still photographs and video content that highlights unstaged action, expressions and emotions.” – Jesse Burke
Jesse Burke is a New England native and currently lives in Rhode Island with his wife and their three girls—Clover, Poppy, and Honey. He received his MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design, where he is a faculty member, and his BFA from the University of Arizona. Burke’s work deals with themes related to vulnerability and identity, as well as humans’ complicated relationship with nature. His monograph, Intertidal, was published by Decode Books in 2008. His work has been exhibited in galleries and museums in the United States and abroad, including The Haggerty Museum, the Perth Center for Photography, and the Tucson Museum of Art, and is held in many private and public collections, among them the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the RISD Museum.
His feature and video interview were published in the 2013-2014 issue of the Networks Project which featured twenty four Rhode Island based Artists across a broad spectrum of media and interests.
About the Artist: Jesse Burke
Jesse divides his time between personal projects and commissions. Jesse’s photography and video work often deals with themes related to human’s complicated relationship with nature, while promoting sustainable practices and preservation. He is widely known for his personal project, Wild & Precious, which documents five years of road trips to introduce his eldest daughter to the natural world. You can follow along on his adventures with his wife and three daughters, where you can also catch a glimpse into their home life on Sweet Bean Farm in Rhode Island where they raise honeybees, hens, Flemish giant bunnies and Juliana mini pigs.
Jesse was the recent recipient of a RI State Council On The Arts Grant in May 2020. He received his MFA from Rhode Island School of Design. His work has been exhibited in galleries and museums in the US and abroad and is held in many private and public collections including the MoCP: Chicago, MFA: Boston, MFA: Houston, the North Carolina Museum of Art, and the RISD Museum. Jesse was named by Time Magazine as a top 50 US photographer to follow on Instagram and by T: The NYT Style Magazine as a top 5 to follow on Instagram.
Jesse Burke: in his own words & pictures…
“We are thrilled to share our little sliver of planet Earth with you. Sometimes there’s raucous dancing, sometimes the sound of peaceful rain tapping on the window while little fingers chip away at distance learning. We thrive on being outside and our connection to nature. In this unprecedented time we feel this deep connection is more important than ever”… click here & have a look
A selection of work from… Wild + Precious
Jesse Burke created the series Wild & Precious over a five year period, documenting road trips with his daughter, Clover, in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, the deserts of the Southwest, the beaches of Florida and North Carolina and throughout his native New England. For Burke, it is important for his child to connect intimately with nature to understand her place in the world and her responsibility for its care. Through images depicting Clover’s encounters with diverse landscapes and wildlife, Burke provides a tender meditation on nature, childhood, and parental love.
Exhibited at the RISD Museum in 2015 and Published in book form by Daylight Books
Burke’s landscapes and portraits investigate the complex relationship humans have with nature, as well as a father’s love for his child… Explore the full set of images at https://www.jesseburke.com/personal#/wildandprecious/
A video Interview with NetWorks Photographer Jesse Burke
Source: NetWorks 2013 – 2014 Catalogue
You can find more about Jesse on his website at https://www.jesseburke.com/
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