Brandt Gallery is honored to present “Tabula Rasa”, featuring Columbus-based artist Christopher Burk and Madrid-based, guest artist Alejandro Botubol. The Latin term of “Tabula Rasa” connotes an absence of preconceived ideas or predetermined goals; a clean slate. This is a particularly apt noun for the official inaugural exhibition in our new space, in which both painters present their distinct perspectives of the beauty in the mundane. 

“Tabula Rasa” is a visual feast of Christopher Burk’s delicate oil encapsulations paired with Botubol’s snapshots of Art History and the quotidian. Depicted in varying hues of indigo blue with accents of pastels in pinks, yellows and greens, Burk’s latest series marries elements from many of his previous collections within a yellow square. In his signature, superior precision, Burk captures commonplace scenes such as a house, with a utility pole, flanked by trees- motifs all gleaned from his previous series. The nocturne, and illumination have frequently provided a source of intrigue for Burk. The dexterity in which Burk renders the nuances of light and shadow, composition and form, in this series, showcases his evolution as an artist who is committed to an ever evolving interpretation of his pathos of environmental sustainability. 

Like Burk’s motif of the structured yellow square, many of Alejandro Botubol’s compositions contain rigid quadrilaterals that are reminiscent of Polaroid photographs. This newest series of paintings from Botubol explores the connection between Art History and everyday experience through fragments that engage with three classic genres: landscape, still-life, and the figure. Initially inspired by iconic works that he discovered at the Museo del Prado in Madrid, and later at the Art Institute in Chicago, this project evolved to include images taken from books and personal discoveries in the virtual realm. Each of his paintings recontextualizes these fragments, transforming them into a trompe l’oeil that plays with the viewer’s perception. The polaroid elements merge the historical with the intimate, reimagining the pictorial past in settings that also reflect moments from daily life. This “Snapshot” series is a reflection on the permanence and fragility of time, using painting as a means to reinterpret and revitalize art history, connecting it with the present through new visual narratives

A resident of Columbus, OH, Burk studies at the Columbus College of Art and Design, and at the Myers School of Art at the University of Akron. Burk’s work has been shown both nationally and internationally, at institutions and galleries in locales including Columbus and Cleveland, OH, New Mexico, Chicago, New York, New Hampshire, and Georgia. His works have also been acquired for private and public collections globally. Notably, his work was exhibited in Matanzas, Cuba in ConnectArt during the 13th Havana Biennial. He has been the recipient of several Individual Excellence Awards from the Greater Columbus Arts Council (GCAC), in addition to being awarded a Visual Arts Fellowship with the GCAC and the Columbus Museum of Art. He recently attended the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation Artist Residency in Bethany,CT, and the GCAC Artist Residency/ Exchange in Dresden, Germany.

Botubol studied at the Santa Isabel de Hungría School of Fine Arts in Seville, Spain, and completed his studies in New York with a Master’s degree in Contemporary Art, Idea and Production at the University of Seville. His recent works form a very procedural series of landscape paintings that overlap in search of a fortuitous encounter. Botubol has stated that a constant in his work is his persistent exploration of spatial phenomena, incorporating internal and symbolic elements relating to life experiences. His work often follows what he refers to as an “infinite painting” that delves into issues such as absence, gravity, spirituality and time, highlighted by his use of geometry, color and light. Botubol has been the recipient of many awards, including the Gold Medal at the 82nd International Plastic Arts Prize Exhibition in Valdepeñas, and held national and international artistic residencies. His work has been exhibited in museums, art galleries and institutions, both national and international, including Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Finland, Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Colombia and the USA. He currently lives and works in Madrid. Botubol is also the husband of Brandt artist Elsa Munoz, with the couple splitting their time between Chicago and Madrid, Spain.

“Tabula Rasa” is on view from Saturday, April 12th, with an artist’s reception from 5-8pm, in conjunction with the gallery’s official public Grand Opening! The exhibition will be on display through Mid-May during gallery hours, Wednesday through Friday, 11-5pm, Weekends 1-5pm and by private appointment. An early electronic preview will be available Saturday, April 5th. Private appointments and early previews can be requested by emailing brgalleries@gmail.com or calling 614.223.1655.