A NEW artist is producing bold, dynamic works of contrast and texture – with his mouth. AJ Burns painted prodigiously as a child but was “actively discouraged” by his teachers and family from taking art in high school. He swapped paint for a set square, ruler and pencil, focused on maths, and went on to study civil engineering at UCT.
After years as a successful entrepreneur in the UK and SA, he founded a vodka distillery and then Covid prohibition hit. At a loose end, AJ attended an art class with an old friend and a good 35 years after he’d laid down his brushes, he found himself “playing with acrylics” in a neighbour’s garage.
The challenge lies in creating forms and keeping the paint and colours clean. “I also struggle not to overwork a piece and not to aim for perfection: the imperfections are the beauty. With my engineering mindset, that’s sometimes difficult for me,” he says.
He has sold 29 pieces since then, the largest being 1.6x1m – “any bigger than that I can’t reach” – but he’s looking into a harness solution for larger pieces. Initially marketing his work under the pseudonym, BurningViews, he has now registered AJBurns.co.za and will be taking his art to a wider, international audience.
AJ is a little stunned by his success and the fulfilment he gets from the creative process. “Who knew life could be like this?” he muses. His message to young artists is: “Have faith in your own instinct and don’t change to fit what others are expecting. Then find the courage to go and show your work to gallery owners. It’s hard to put your soul out there but it’s the most important step.”
- Red The Gallery, Wale Street, Cape Town
- Artland, Claremont
- This is Art, Woodstock
- Palette Fine Art Gallery, De Waterkant, Cape Town
- Palette Fine Art Gallery, Franschhoek
- Ink Box, Kalk Bay (exhibition from 21 to 28 Sept)
- Ink Box at Grohub, Woodstock
- Art Curator, Lourensford Wine Estate, Somerset West
- Crouse Art, George
- Artdesade Gallery, Claremont
- ReisArt, Hermanus
- The Winelands Art Gallery, Durbanville
- Lifestyle & Art Gallery, Swellendam (taking stock in August)
- Art Source Africa, Plettenberg Bay (taking stock in September ahead of the Plett Arts Festival – 30 Sept to 10 Oct)
- Gallery @ Sky Villa, Plettenberg Bay (taking stock in September ahead of the Plett Arts Festival – 30 Sept to 10 Oct)
- Benguela Galleries, Hermanus (taking stock in October)