Elton Burgest

Official Art Page for Elton Burgest. African American Christian Artist that is Based in Florida.

Burgest uses religious themes to discuss racism and sociological situations in his work. I am an African American Christian that grew up in the church and grew older in America. As I make art, I find that a person’s reaction to my work is what excites me the most. I like to imagine the impact that the casual poses, religious imagery, and saturated colors that I chose will have upon the viewer. I u

se African American people as my subjects because I find representation important in art, especially for a group whose history is so deeply rooted in the struggle to feel human. Like artists such as Kehinde Wiley and Kerry James Marshall, I want my work to be a spotlight on the corrupt systems that bind the African American community in our fight for recognition.

12/09/2022

The Mind is a Gun (2022)
This piece is about the relationship between the psychological impacts that addictions have on the mind and it’s correlation with what the Bible says about sin. Addiction is a complex condition that has a wide range of manifestations. Some addictions can be in the form of substances where others can be categorized as behavioral. When we watch p**n or eat fast food or drink alcohol. It always starts small but then it increases overtime some may find it hard to function with out the chemicals that addiction feeds their brain. (Careinfo.Mayoclinic.org) Like sin addiction grows and grows and when it’s fully grown it will kill us (James 1:15) We are the glove and we are creatures looking for fulfillment. Like a glove many thing can fill us up but until we are filled with the hand we aren’t being used properly. I conveyed the subject this way of repetition to show that it always start with the thought of doing it then the action (Mark 7:20-23) then as the action is happening you see focus you see the frame of regret you see the frame of indulgence and then you see death which is nothing. The Mind is A Gun is about the internal struggle of sin/ addiction putting into perspective of what it means to put you desires before your well being and purpose and how that line of thinking leads to death.

12/08/2022

Spiral (2022)
Someone told me that addiction is misplaced worship. This piece is about my toxic relationship with food. Food is God to me how much I use it as a way to deal with my feelings. Food can be so addicting, especially whenever something happens to me good or bad I tend to overeat as a way of loving myself. Being trapped in this mindset has definitely affected my health and finances and I wanted to make a piece about it. The fun fact is all of this trash was actually in my car 😅 so yeah definitely working on that hopeful others can relate to this!

01/29/2022

TEMPLE (2022)

Temple is about the struggle of being individual in Christianity.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:2

Paul the Apostle wrote this in a letter to the Romans. I think it’s interesting that it’s really about the choice of what you’re confirming too so I ask myself Do you look and sound more like God (Jesus ) or the people you’re following on social media? I think We all conform to something or someone.

This piece was a metaphor for that choice. The struggle to be your own person ( identity) vs being a part of what God wants you to be.

Tell me what you think.

01/19/2020

Hierarchy (2020)
a collaboration with

With this sculpture I wanted to start a conversation about the one drop rule. I was wondering why do we still use a system used to strip the rights away from black people used now to determine blackness. As for the materials i wanted the black paint to be a unit of measurement and how this measurement is used to base of authenticity. Those who are mixed are often associated with the racial group they look mostly like but when it comes to being black no matter how the percentage you’re black. I also want this piece to to spark a discussion about the concept of race why or should it be definitive leaving those who are mixed left to feel inauthentic.

@ Tallahassee, Florida

08/02/2019

Had an amazing time and for the opportunity to showcase my work ! It was dope seeing get recognized for his work 🙌🏾

@ Thomasville Center for the Arts Downtown

04/27/2019

Thank you for letting me be apart of this amazing panel and discussion I’m so grateful to answer questions like “can art be separated from the artist?” I think it’s very important in today’s political climate of cancelling controversial people to promote healthy dialogue and come to conclusions that we originally wouldn’t have come to when left alone in our thoughts.

@ Florida State University

04/24/2019

MARK YOUR CALENDARS PEOPLE !
Next month I will be having a solo show in the 621 annex which will include my thesis work and 3 new art works !

#621

04/20/2019

“I guess the best advice I can give is Never be the best artist in your friend group” @ FSU Museum of Fine Arts

08/24/2017

DARE to be different (2017)
Who are you ? Is this the person you've constructed or were you this person the entire time? Are you somebody else's art or did you choose who've you become ? Idk these are things I ask myself in my bed at night

07/26/2017

Father Where Art Thou? (2017)
This piece is about being born on the wrong side of privilege . For those who don't have certain privileges like wealth or being a majority in their country are stuck in situations that are extremely hard to get out of. Thus people turn to God to deliver them from the prejudice hands that they suffer from. The hands are Adams from Michelangelo's Creation of Adam showing that it's the hands of humans that created this system of oppression and that we have to look beyond ourselves to get away from it.

Address

Tallahassee, FL
32300–32399

Website

https://www.eltonburgest.com/

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