Interview by Jimon

1-Where do you live and create at the moment?  I live in Brooklyn and currently I’m moving studio so right now I don’t have a fixed place were I create!

Actually even when I do have a studio I don’t have a fixed place to work, I like to create whenever I feel like it.

Create on the kitchen table

Create on the train

Create on a walk in the park

Create on a plane.

Create before bed

and I think about creating when I brush my teeth clean

I don’t create when I’m falling asleep but we all create when we dream.

2-Where did you study art and do you think Art school was necessary for your process?  I studied Fine Art at The Nottingham Trent University in Nottingham.

I don’t know if it was necessary but I’m really glad I went and spent 3 years making mistakes and bad decisions and experimenting and reading and meeting and hanging out with other artists who’s work were very different to my own.  I think that time was very valuable. And I’m glad that it all happened off line too.

3-Describe Jon Burgerman in one word?  Jon

4-Your work is very unique in nature, what is the inception of your work?  Thanks. I think I always start from an emotional point of view and extrapolate that into a character or form within a painting.  Feeling then form.

5-What feeling do you want to evoke from the viewer with your paintings?  I don’t know. I never approach a painting with the viewer in mind. I only think about what I am feeling and how I want to feel whilst making the work.  Sometimes how people relate to my works are the opposite of how I felt when I was making the work.  As long as the viewer feels something strongly, I think the painting is working.

6- Do you pre plan your paintings or are they mostly spontaneous?  Up until recently they were mainly improvised. But if you improvise for a very long time you get comfortable and the

improvisation ceases to be spontaneous and surprising. It can become repetitive and pattern.  I found myself getting a bit bored. I wanted to depict other kinds of images so now I plan things about a bit more. I’ve been thinking a lot more about how a director might compose a shot for a film, so now I make drawings and drafts first, like a real artist might do.

7-How do you describe success as an artist?  Never having a real job.  If you can achieve that then you’ve made it. Anything else is a bonus, for the goal of being an artist is just being an artist.  And staying as one for as long as possible.

8- If you could live in a museum anywhere in the world which would it be?  The Met. I don’t know if that would be a good idea but at least it’s huge and I’d finally have an excuse to see everything there.

9-What do you dream about?  Do you mean when I’m asleep or when I’m awake?

Being stabbed

My teeth falling out

My parents telling me I’ve always been their favourite child

Becoming friends with Paul McCartney

These are a mix of the two.

10-Do you have a routine when you arrive in your studio?  I have a good sit down. Then I stroke my face a little whilst looking at what I’ve made the previous day.  Then I gently sob for a bit.  Eventually I manage to rouse myself to do some actual work whilst berating myself for not starting earlier.

11-Do you listen to music or prefer to work in silence?  I have to listen to music all the time (to drown out the voices of self doubt) and to dance to!

12- How do you decide when a painting is complete?  When my desire to give up is stronger than my embarrassment would be should anyone see the painting at that point.  Once I pass that threshold I guess the painting is done.

13-Do you work on one canvas at a time or multiple?  I work on one but leave it around for when I work on the next few canvases. Once I’ve finished some others I might go back and tweak that first one. I always have a few bouncing around at the same time.

14-Do you have a place/person/thing that you visit for inspiration?  Libraries and book shops.

15-If you could have dinner with three artists, living or dead who would be at your table?  I’d make a cold buffet for DuBuffet and I’d also invite Oldenburg for some olden style burgers and Keith Haring for some chopped herring.

16-Name three things you can’t live without in your studio?  Music, music and music.

I can’t paint without something good playing. Similarly I can’t paint if something bad is playing. I was at a life drawing event a few weeks ago and I absolutely couldn’t stand their playlist. It made drawing difficult for me. Next time – headphones!

17-If you were asking the questions what question would you ask and please answer the question. 

Question: Jon, would you like a cup of tea?  Answer: yes please.

Bonus answer: Perhaps with some lemon cake?

Fail! That bonus answer was actually a question. Doh.

18-How would someone find you on Social media?  Search my name (Jon Burgerman), simple.

19-Please name the first thing that comes to your mind while reading the following:

Art= fart

Food=now

Sports=spurs 

Politics=weep

Poor=grey

God=beard

Rich=tea biscuit 

Luxury=watch, yacht, crotch

Sex=if only  

Picasso=striped jumper 

Religion= Sergio Reguilón