BurkeTriolo News

Pics from Beautiful ParadiseLand Opening

2011-11-12T15:28:00.001-08:00

Thanks everyone who came out to the opening last Saturday at Glass Garage Gallery. It was a really fun evening - and nice to see so many friends. Show continues through the end of the year if you missed it.

Pictures from the opening

Beautiful ParadiseLand at Glass Garage Gallery

2011-10-20T15:06:00.000-07:00

I'm very pleased to announce the first exhibition of the Beautiful Again series in Los Angeles.

Please join me for champagne, cupcakes and visions of utopian bliss at

the opening of

"Beautiful ParadiseLand"

Saturday, November 5th, 6pm

Glass Garage Gallery

414 Robertson Blvd, West Hollywood, California.

Owner/director Henry Lien and I are both very excited about working together and producing a great show. I'll be displaying some new works that have been in the making over the past year. New titles include "Little Pig Considers The Beautiful Gibberish," (at top) "A Beautiful Day In The Park " (above) and "A View From The Other Side" (below), "Beautiful Poodle And A Mountain of Angry Cats," (bottom) and more. The exhibition runs through December 30th.

Opening Reception for Mechanical Botanical

2011-07-11T18:27:00.000-07:00

Never before seen outside the studio walls, the deviant, twisted and other-worldly plants and trees from the series Mechanical Botanical will be displayed for the first time this coming Sunday, July 17. Join us at Elements Kitchen in Pasadena from 3-5 PM when chef-owner Onil Chibas and I present the series, created in 2007-8 but never before shown publicly. Why? Obviously, the material was too controversial for its time and can only now be shown for what it truly is – a vision of the world and its biology soon to come. Shocking? Perhaps, but you will be able to calm your nerves and ease your stomach with the help of chef-owner Onil's fine wines and tasty hors d'oeuvres – which I always find comforting in times of millennial upheaval.

Mechanical Botanical at Elements Kitchen

Sunday, July 17 3-5pm

37 So. El Molino, Pasadena, CA

MAP

Two Studio Features

2011-04-23T13:20:00.000-07:00

We continue to work on our studio here in South Pas and the efforts have been noticed. Modern Home + Living Magazine shot the studio for online & print, and Rose Magazine featured our digs earlier this month. Credit Lorraine's good design sense for making the place look so glam in the pictures.

In NYC for The Artist Project

2011-03-30T10:29:00.000-07:00

A wacky, frenetic remembrance of last week in... NEW YORK CITY...so the music goes. We showed art at the fair, met a lot of people, saw family & friends and ate a lot of great food that somehow frequently included grilled octopus. A great trip! Special thanks to our pal Lori Zimmer for working the booth with us.

Spring 2011

2011-03-08T18:23:00.000-08:00

I've been running silent since the end of last year, but at the prompting of my better conscience I bring you up-to-date in the fast-paced adventure that is the story of the artists J.T. Burke and his woman, Angela. A run down of J.T. Burke showings:

Two large crates of work left the studio last week bound for The Artist Project New York, an art fair at Pier 92 in NYC where I will be showing 16 pieces. The show runs Thursday through Sunday, 3/16 – 3/20. Thursday evening will be an opening event. Register for complimentary admission passes if you're in the New York area and would like to stop by.

Beautiful Mask II will be available at auction at Pasadena's Armory Center for the Arts annual benefit "Off The Wall," on Saturday, March 12.

Another print of that same image is currently showing in Fast Living at the LA Art Association's Gallery 825. Show runs through March 25.

Caught in the Whirl will be available at the Mad Hatter's Ball on Saturday, March 26 at the Bristol Museum in Bristol, UK.
Beautiful Mask I was auctioned to the benefit of the Art of Elysium's "Pieces of Heaven" benefit auction last week.

LA Art Association "Aurora" Holiday Show

2010-11-17T11:50:00.000-08:00

Join your friendly artists, J.T. Burke and Lorraine Triolo, this coming Saturday, November 20 at the LAAA's annual holiday art show, "Aurora." It will open with a champagne reception from 6-10 pm at Gallery 825. Jeff will have two pieces available at this show: Beautiful Tree I and Evil Boy and His Minions. It's a lovely gallery and a good opportunity to see some strong artworks from emerging LA artists. The show runs through December 3.

Open Studio & South Pas Art Walk

2010-10-14T18:10:00.000-07:00

J.T. Burke and Lorraine Triolo invite you to
Open Studio at BurkeTriolo
Saturday, October 23, 5-9pm.
538 Mission Street, South Pasadena California

Your friendly proprietors will feature J.T.'s 'Beautiful Again' just back from Europe, and Lorraine's newest works on panel. Open Studio is a bodacious part of the South Pasadena Art Walk, and will host an outdoor jazz stage with performances by Blue Monday, Taylor Plenn and Mark Hatch. An Art Walk shuttle to other venues is provided. All are invited.

Find Out More

All About Bristol

2010-09-20T16:06:00.000-07:00

Still basking in the warm glow of a successful summer exhibition tour, your friendly artists J.T. and Angela take a satisfied look back at their most recent opening in Bristol. Take a look at the opening video clip and check out the photo gallery.

You can also read a local blog account or two about the "glamorous" opening event. Mr Burke, for one, has always aspired to be glamorous.

Santa Barbara Video - just like you're at the opening

2010-08-18T16:26:00.000-07:00

The multi-talented Ms. Angela has done it again. Using footage provided by our good friends Ali & Nick from StoryBank Productions, she's crafted together 3 minutes that give you the vibe of opening night. J.T. wouldn't remember the night if it weren't for Angela's editing.

Great opening in Santa Barbara

2010-08-16T14:18:00.000-07:00

Your congenial artist friends J.T. and Angela are happy to report an outstanding opening event in Santa Barbara a little more than a week ago. Lots of friendly faces old and new, good food, drinks and music, and the art looked great on the expansive walls of the slick, contemporary gallery. See the gallery of event pictures taken by Tenacious Taesam D to get the vibe. The local press was in attendance as well and generated some good reviews of the show: Huffington Post, Pasadena Star News, Santa Barbara News Press. Now the the task at hand is to get last items out the door for the third leg of this show tour in Bristol UK.

Pasadena Star News

2010-08-01T16:49:00.000-07:00

The Pasadena Star News ran a nice story today in the Sunday Arts section introducing J.T. Burke's art and the "Beautiful Again" tour to the denizens of the San Gabriel Valley. The print version of the story was even accompanied by a particularly handsome photo of your hard working artist friend. You can read the text online here.

Video from Barcelona

2010-07-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

Ms. Angela has put her video editing skills to good use cutting together some snips from the Barcelona opening. It feels just like you're there, fireworks and all. At the end, a few moments of Spain's win of the World Cup, which the creative couple were lucky enough experience live in Barcelona.

"Beautiful Again" Tour Launches in Barcelona

2010-07-12T04:13:00.000-07:00

J.T. and Angela are pleased to report a succesful start to the "Beautiful Again" tour at the Hotel Estela Barcelona in lovely Sitges, Spain. Opening night included lots of guests, a "J.T. Burke" dinner menu, fireworks on the beach in honor of the occasion and projected graphics on the buiding exterior. These Spaniards...er, Cataláns... go all out for the event.

There were speeches and conversations in mixed Spanish and Catalán tongues that, though mostly unintelligible to your artists, must have been quite complimentary as the crowd applauded enthusiastically.

The most awkward moment of the night came at the end of Mr. Burke's speech to the assembled crowd when he ended with the comment "...and for the World Cup – Viva España!" The crowd stared back at him silently. Hotel manager Joan Carles then whispered in his ear "Viva FC Barcelona," which Mr. Burke quickly repeated – to the enthusiastic cheer of the room. International crisis averted.

Most gratifying moment of the night was that the largest image in the show, "Beautiful Ball of Life," sold almost immediatly upon the start of the event. A good omen for the show that runs the entire summer in this Hotel del Arte.

J.T. Burke with Catalán artists Ricardo Moraga, Josep Puigmarti and Pepa Poch.

J.T. with exhibition organizer and European agent Richard Scarry.

MusicFest 2010 at BurkeTriolo

2010-05-17T11:08:00.000-07:00

SouthPas MusicFest and Eclectic ArtWalk 2010 at BurkeTriolo Studio.

Ms. Angela with Friends Tim, Simon & Ellen.

J.T. with friend and fellow local artist Valerio Ventura (left)

...and being interviewed by someone
with a camera and a microphone.

J.T. Burke enjoys festive events, good music and the opportunity to show his newest work. What he doesn't enjoy, however, is making blog entries (mostly because he is lazy at heart), which probably explains why it's taken two weeks to mention the very cool South Pasadena Music Festival and Eclectic Artwalk which your hosts J.T. and Angela were proud to present at their Mission Street studio.

For the second consecutive year BurkeTriolo Studio was the home of the jazz stage, this year hosted by K-jazz, 88.something. The studio garden was filled with the lush sounds of brass and bass and groovin' tunes. And being the neighborhood event that it was many of their friends and neighbors turned out to enjoy a beer, chat with the locals and take in the the newest works by the proprietors.

Thanks to all who attended and especially those who worked it: Scott, Laurie and Walter for organizing; musicians and their bands: Eliott Caine, Mark Hatch, Tim Gill and Wonk; Chief Dan, Cathy and the Rotarians for working the door and bar, young Mr. Burke for his efforts – when he wasn't chatting up the guests; and as usual, Tenacious Taesam for his ever-present camera and the event pictures.

2010 Debut Exhibition Tour!

2010-04-23T12:15:00.000-07:00

J.T. Burke is proud to announce a groovy, globe-trotting exhibition tour of his series 'Beautiful Again' for the summer of 2010. "Globe-Trotting" you say? That's right, solo exhibitions in Barcelona, Spain, Santa Barbara CA and Bristol UK. The show will feature 25 works plus a 48 page exhibition catalog. All three shows open within 6 weeks of each other – which makes for one hectic and exciting summer of debut exhibitions. More news to come as the dates approach.

Hotel Estela Barcelona - Hotel del Arte
Avd. Port d´Aiguadolç, 8
08870 Sitges, Spain
July 2 - September 15, 2010
Opening reception Friday, July 2, 7pm

Brooks Institute Gallery 27
27 E. Cota Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
August 5 – 28, 2010
Opening reception Thursday, August 5, 7pm, as part of Santa Barbara's monthly First Thursday art walk.

The Grant Bradley Gallery
1 Saint Peter's Rise
Bristol BS3 4AQ, United Kingdom
August 27 – September 28, 2010
Opening reception Friday, August 27, 7pm

Party at the SoPas Gallery

2010-04-14T22:28:00.000-07:00

JT & Angela wish to thank all the friends and fans who turned out for their recent opening at the SoPas Gallery. What a night! Bubbly drinks, tasty treats from the Nom Nom truck (Vietnamese tacos – who would have thought?) and lots of Posse friends all at their own hometown gallery. The evening whooshed by in a few blinks of the eye and subsided only when every drop of liquor had evaporated into the cool night air. Many thanks to gallery director Tom Fields, Chamber director Scott Feldman, Dylan and his boys Mikey G and Carlo for the bar action, and Tenacious Taesam D for his party pics.

"Beautiful Ball of Life"

2010-03-26T12:04:00.000-07:00

The stylus finally drops from his shaking hand as JT Burke lifts his head and squints into the glare of the monitor before him. "It is done," he murmurs. The 6 week endeavor that is his newest opus lay before him. But what to call it?

For a while longer he contemplates the 12 gigabyte image that has evolved ever so slowly, shifting and forming and evolving daily. The creation of this little universe has caused him joy and consternation, delight and despair. But now he sees only the bubbling effervescence of manufactured life the he has cobbled together. "A ball of life. It's beautiful. A Beautiful Ball of Life." And so it is.

"Beautiful Ball of Life" – March 2010

Approximately 64" x 48"

Though Mr. Burke is pleased to have completed this large scale work he regrets that it will not available for viewing at the upcoming gallery show on April 3. It's proper public unveiling will have to wait until Saturday, May 1 when BurkeTriolo Studio hosts an open studio and jazz stage as part of the South Pasadena Music Fest. Details forthcoming.

Posse Rides Again at the SoPas Gallery

2010-03-23T14:54:00.000-07:00

Mount up, Posse! JT and Angela are pleased to announce a two-person show of their latest works at a convenient hometown venue. "BurkeTriolo" at the SoPas Gallery will run from March 31 through April 25.

Join them at the reception
Saturday, April 3, 6-9pm.
The artists will sign posters. Champagne will flow. We'll kiss, we'll hug, we'll cry. It will be a perfectly lovely evening.

SoPas Gallery

1121 Mission Street

South Pasadena CA 91030

(Just down the street from

the BurkeTriolo Studio lair.)

NY Art Fairs 2010

2010-03-15T00:56:00.000-07:00

JT and Angela winged it to a chilly NYC last week to take in the annual Armory Art Show and satellite fairs. Lured by a dizzying display of art at numerous venues, the traveling twosome exited the aircraft and dove into their cab seats, strapped on their safety belts and hung on for the wild ride into Manhattan. Adrenaline levels pumped, they were ready for NY Art Week 2010.

Careful planning. Frequent espresso breaks. Determination. The daring duo manged to eyeball their way through 6 different fairs and the Whitney Bienniel. Bravely traversing the isles – lingering in some, dashing through others, occasionally engaging the dealers and rarely resting – the courageous couple continued on with their daily discoveries and retreated only after the last show lights had dimmed and cocktails were finally being served.

Some thoughts:

• Michael Jackson's continued presence in the world of contemporary art is inescapable. It borders on annoying.

• The scent of money was thick in the air at the ADAA Art Show at the Park Avenue Armory. A blue chip mix of modernist and contemporary works attracted groups of wealthy buyers and their attendants to the upper east-side digs. Watching the patrons was nearly as good as the art.

• At that same show, the couple especially appreciated the permanent signs to the "Newly Remodeled Restrooms" which seemed, ironically, as if they had been in the building quite a while.

• Not all grilled pulpo is equal in Tribecca - Thalassa's was wonderful.

JT thinks this creature looks like a "Rufus." Ms. Angela isn't so sure.
Tell them what you think.

• The Armory show at piers 92 and 94 felt immense. Great works, artists and dealers. The rickety stairwell between the piers was an adventurous climb.

• Pulse and Volta were good shows with distinctive contemporary galleries that the pair prefers.

• Verge Fair: nice people but mostly a waste of time. JT and Angela are pretty done with artwork shown in small hotel rooms. Used to be cool at Miami Basel but even they are done with it now. Not worth the 10 smackolas each for entry.

• Sorry to be negative about that last one. As M.J. (see above) would say, "Art should be about L-O-V-E love."

• Among thier fav's at the Whitney Bienniel, J.T. discovered Roland Flexnor and Jim Lutes, and was happy to see Robert Williams, the father of lowbrow, included in the selection. Angela noticed Storm Tharp, Pae White.

• JT continues to insist on the window seat; "why wouldn't you want that view?" Fortunately, Ms. Angela continues to prefer the aisle, which is probably one of the reasons that they were able to celebrate 25 married years during this trip.

"Little Bee" at Auction for The Art of Elysium

2010-02-20T16:08:00.000-08:00

J.T. Burke is pleased to announce that his work "Little Bee Travels to the Beautiful Bright Glow" (#1/8) will be auctioned at the Art of Elysium's "Pieces of Heaven" charity event on Thursday, March 4 at Christie's in West Hollywood. Mr. Burke is humbled to be in the company of Shepard Fairey, Garry Winogrand, the Clayton brothers, Ed Moses, Herb Ritts, Russell Young and other artists who also have works included in this very worthy charity event. Download the catalog for a complete view of the works at auction.

Interested in attending? Contact Natasha at the Art of Elysium for an invitation, which is the only way in the door that night.

Also at auction will be Deanna Dikeman's "Red Sweaters." J.T. and Deanna spent an evening side-by-side last month at Review LA's public showing. Using his typical vernacular panache, J.T. throws a shout-out to his Review table homey.

Dapper Duo at the Art of Elysium's Heaven 2010

2010-02-01T23:38:00.000-08:00

Sooner than he had expected, J.T. Burke returns to the blogosphere to report that he and Ms. Angela recently donned their black-tie best – including J.T.'s favorite felt hat – and ventured to the far western edges of Beverly Hills to attend this year's Heaven event presented by The Art of Elysium. Ms. Angela was, as she is at these events, lovely to behold.

Note the tension in the faces of the paparazzi
as the creative couple approaches.

Inauspiciously hosted in a Shepard Fairy-papered parking garage at the site of the Golden Globe Awards, the dinner and music performance was attended by Hollywood celebrities and business types and various other black-clad glitterati. J.T. and Angela took full advantage of their new-found status as artists to walk the red carpet and mingle and hob-nob with the crowd, but mostly they got celebrity names and gossip from the catering staff.

Hosting the event in a parking structure took moxie.

The Art of Elysium is a charititable organization that provides art therapy for seriously sick kids in hospitals in Los Angeles and, just recently, in New York. Jennifer Howell is the founder and CEO and over the past decade has created an organization that provides countless hours of art practice and performance for kids who would otherwise spend some very long days in their hospital rooms. Ms. Angela is a proud AoE volunteer artist working at Children's Hospital Los Angeles and The City of Hope.

The artists J.T. Burke and his woman, Angela, support The Art of Elysium. J.T. has provided framed works for an upcoming benefit auction. Previous auctions have been held at Christie's in Beverly Hills, though this year's auction details remain, as yet, unannounced. J.T. Burke will keep you, the Posse, informed of the deets as they become available.

Portfolio Presentations at Review LA

2010-01-30T11:13:00.000-08:00

J.T. Burke would like to thank the following individuals for their time and thoughtful comments reviewing his recent work at Center's Review LA, held in conjunction with Photo LA:

Walter Mason, Haggerty Museum of Art
Dr. Claudia Bohn-Spector, Curator of art (and fellow South Pasadena resident)
Carol LeFlufy, Eye Forward
Andy Adams, Flak Photo
Kathleen Clark, Clark | Oshin Gallery
Shelley de Soto, de Soto Gallery
Mark DiPrima, Zane Bennett Contemporary Art.

He appreciates their comments, such as "Peculiar – in a good way," which echoed those made by Mr. Burke's mother many years earlier. Another thoughtfully asked "Why are you here? This is a photography event." A good question, as Mr. Burke's images involve photography only at the very beginning of the creative process, and he does not consider this work to be photography. Still, J.T. Burke's jaded commercial photo past hangs over him like a wet trench coat and he remains close to the medium, though not officially a practitioner of it.

The reviewers were generous with their praise, especially those that commented on the unique process and painterly qualities of the work. They offered thoughtful insights and suggested various angles for penetrating the art establishment. Nearly all of the reviewers touched on the topic of writing about the work, inspiring this blog post. Being a man of mystery, however, J.T. Burke cannot say much about the art directly, nor can he postulate when or where his next communication will come from.

Beautiful Mask II

December, 2009

BT Hosts an Open Studio

2009-10-13T14:22:00.000-07:00

J.T. Burke and his woman, Angela, were honored with the company of many friends – and a host of new studio visitors as well – at their recent Open Studio soireé on October 3. The creative couple hosted the public peek into their Mission street atelier as a part of the South Pasadena ArtsFest `09. J.T. cleverly arranged for a shuttle stop in front of BurkeTriolo which allowed the many to investigate galleries and shops open that evening down the street. It was, in the words of Angela's dear departed grandma Sally, "a perfectly lovely evening."

Mr. Burke and Ms. Angela would like to thank Trader Michael and Trader Joe, Taesam's Tenacious D(igital pic snapping), Mikey G., Coleman and, of course, miniatures Burke and Angela for their help in putting on the event.

Long time Posse member Taesam has kindly posted a gallery of pics from the evening. Many thanks for that.

Do you know J.T. & Angela?

2009-09-23T14:54:00.000-07:00

With their recent entry into the world of Fine Art the persons formerly known as Jeff & Lorraine have adopted new noms de plume, as it were. You will see them referred to hereinafter as J.T. Burke and his woman, Angela. Why? Well, that's a good question, one that Angela keeps asking J.T.

You must understand that the world of Fine Art is a very strange and mysterious place, one that our intrepid emerging artists have yet to fully comprehend. It's filled with interesting personalities and cool artists with mysterious lives. Edgy parties. Homes filled with cool art. Trade publications that use big words in mysterious combinations with (presumably) deep meaning. J.T. and his woman, Angela, want to fit in.

What better way to fit into a strange and mysterious place than to adopt mysterious new identities themselves? And why stop with just the names? J.T. Burke and his woman, Angela, have adopted a whole new look (shown above), they've adorned their bodies with colorful neck-to-ankle tattoos (also shown above - boy, did that smart!) and they have a new set of friends. Well, not exactly new, just newly named much like the artists themselves. These days they don't hang with their friends - they hang with the Posse. If you are reading this then, more likely than not, you're one of the Posse. Congratulations.

And, of course, they very mysteriously refer to themselves in the third person. A good touch, non? (French phrases also add to the mystique, n'est-ce pas? )

Obviously, this strategem (a word bandied around quite a bit in the trade pubs) is paying off. Please note the picture above in which J.T. and his woman, Angela, seem to be not only blissfully happy but have also attracted a new member to the Posse.