Rhonda C R Burton
Sunset as Abstraction
April 13 - May 7
TAG Gallery, Los Angeles
Artist Statement: Standing under a sky at sunset, whether it is dark, cloudy, or fiery, I am in awe. Over the past several years, my art has been directly derived from nature: botanicals or trees and as featured in this series – magical and awe-inspiring sunsets.
Abstraction depends on your perspective.
I noticed that when viewed upside down, the sunset images appear abstract. It was as if I was viewing the clouds from above the Earth looking down. When viewing them vertically, the horizon appeared unrecognizable and abstracted in an entirely different way. Examining the sky from various viewpoints made me want to explore these images further.
These photographs are printed on cold press paper and hand-embellished with color pencil or pastel to enhance, or strengthen, certain areas, or soften others. I have added rice papers to amplify the texture and color. The composition is then mounted on a black canvas and covered with a sheet of acrylic.
I invite you to feel the vastness, the magical sense of the sky and the abstraction of the clouds as the sun is setting.
Rhonda C R Burton presents her photographic images in several different ways. Some images of flowers and succulents are printed on acrylic sheets and backed with brushed aluminum, giving a sleek and contemporary look. Her recent photographs are printed on fine art paper and hand embellished with color pencil, providing a more painterly effect. These are presented as individual prints as well as mounted on painted wood panels.