My breakthrough: Jon Burgerman
In this series, we ask leading creatives to talk about which projects or events have boosted their careers. Here, artist Jon Burgerman, who has a penchant for googly eyes, talks about how moving to New York City resulted in a breakthrough in his practice
I was a professional … artist? Doodler? Creative type? – for about 20 years. My career has been stable enough (never spectacular) so I think this is a means of getting interested and committed to it. Ten years ago, a major leap in life moved from Nottingham, Great Britain, to New York City.
That was a jolt to my system and I think the last decade has been a series of aftershocks. If your perspective, your outlook, your neighborhood, your friends, your diet, your lover, your pizza place, or your professional scene changes, you and your work cannot change. While change can be difficult, risky, and expensive, it certainly makes you feel more alive.
I always hope that a “major turning point” is about to come. I like having one at least a couple of times a year. Most recently it played with spray paint as part of my studio practice. Previously, animations were created for large screens and immersive installations. Each jump is usually created by introducing a new medium: Jon, you should hit spray paint, I know you've bumped into each other a couple of times, but I think if you've spent some time together you might have a lot of fun with it .