Yearly Archives: 2012

Jesse Burke

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Jesse Burke Resume

(b. 1972)

Jesse Burke’s Intertidal photographs evoke a deep lushness with images of velvet black darkness, blankets of pine needles, blood, love, and sadness. He photographs the natural world around him as well as the men who are a part of his life, whether family members or friends, to explore the vulnerability of masculinity. He is drawn to moments where a rupture or wound is physically, emotionally, or metaphorically inflicted. He employs concepts such as male bonding and peer influence, masculine rites and rituals, and man’s connectedness to nature in order to expose these instances.

His series Wild & Precious brings together images from a series of road trips traveled with his daughter Clover to explore the natural world. To encourage a connection between his child and nature, Burke uses these adventures to give Clover an education that he considers essential—one that develops appreciation, respect, conservation, and self-confidence.

Burke is an instructor at Rhode Island School of Design where he received his MFA in Photography. His work has been exhibited in New York City, Tokyo, Milan, Stockholm, Madrid, Miami, Los Angeles, Seattle, Tucson, Providence, Ottawa, Boston, and was selected as a finalist for Critical Mass 2009 and 2010.

Self Portraits

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Since first picking up a camera, John Arsenault has routinely been turning his lens back upon himself, producing an outlandish and absurd, wild and erotic account of his life as a young, gay artist. Exploring facets of his personal relationships, his sexuality, and his identity, Arsenault constructs various scenarios that not only tell the story of his experiences, but also comment upon society at large. With a great eye for the strange, the unexpected, and the laugh-out-loud ridiculous, he is not afraid to poke fun at himself, and thus, is able to comment upon matters of broad cultural import without seeming shrill or pedantic. Arsenault’s work is vulnerable and honest. As writer Dan Halm has concluded, “One can learn a lot about oneself through another’s eyes.”

Flight Attendants

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Flying the friendly skies, Brian Finke spent the last few years photographing flight attendants on carriers in the United States and abroad. The result of Finke’s wanderlust is his series “Flight Attendants,” a vibrant collection of photographs documenting the lives of those adventurous souls who choose to work at 40,000 feet. Shot before, during and after flights, the photographs capture the allure of the high-flying profession alongside the more quiet moments of the attendants’ daily lives. As with his previous series of photpgraphs, “2-4-6-8: Photographs of Cheerleaders and Football Players,” Finke is drawn to the distinctive dynamics of team formation, focusing on uniformed individuals executing practiced actions. With an eye for the iconic as well as the absurd, Finke seamlessly blends the glamorous with the casual, offering a memorable look at the people of the air travel industry.