Simon Burton’s figures appear like visions in an unexpected clearing. Mysterious and ancient, they have the air of memories we once knew for fact, but which have long since passed into personal myth. They are heavily layered both physically and with art historical references, recombined till their sources become foggy and obscure. The paintings develop a patina all of their own, as if in the uncertain act of creation he has returned time and again to the safety of familiar ideas, wearing them down and changing their shape through an excess of care in the process. For Simon, the act of both creating and viewing paintings is like a search for something close to meaning. His paintings are moments from this epic ongoing odyssey.
© Simon Burton 2019