Things Coming into Being

Amanda Burk’s drawings often focus on animals to evoke connections between people and survival instincts. Originally from Southern Ontario and currently based in North Bay, Burk is an Associate Professor in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts at Nipissing University.

This new acquisition was featured in Burk’s first solo 2017 exhibition, entitled Stories of Contentment and Other Fables. A composite work, Things Coming into Being portrays an abundance of creatures, states, and textures. The seven roundels are “negative” drawings, created by the artist using white charcoal on black paper. When displayed, they hang in a horizontal line, enticing viewers to ponder the wealth of details and passages of time.

Commenting on her practice in the Gallery’s exhibition catalogue, the artist states “I am interested in how animals provide us with a safe distance to consider our own nature, animal-like characteristics and shortcomings. Similarly, I hope that [viewers] will see aspects of themselves reflected in the animals I have drawn.”

Originally published in The Walleye – APR 2018

By Andrea Terry, Acting Curator, Thunder Bay Art Gallery