The Artistic Evolution of Dennis Burton
Dennis Burton was a Canadian modernist painter who began his formal training at the Ontario College of Art, studying under Jock Macdonald and Fred Hagan. His artistic journey took him to the University of Southern California in Los Angeles to study with Rico Lebrun, and later to the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine with Ben Shahn. After working as a graphic designer for the Canadian Broadcasting Company, he transitioned to painting full-time.
His stylistic direction shifted toward abstraction following a visit to the Albright Knox Museum in Buffalo, NY, where he encountered the works of American abstractionists. During the late 1950s and the first half of the 1960s, Burton also engaged with the neo-Dada movement, creating sculptures from welded scrap metal and found materials. His work has been featured in various exhibitions, including those at the Isaacs Gallery and a retrospective at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery.
Themes and Academic Contributions
Burton is noted for his Garterbeltmania works, which explored erotic themes through depictions of females in their underwear. These pieces were showcased at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa. Beyond these specific themes, his oeuvre includes large abstractions that utilize diverse creative strategies involving color, form, and language. His public commissions include a mural for the Edmonton Airport.
As an educator, Burton held significant roles in the Canadian art community. He was a co-founder and Director of Toronto's New School of Art and served as the chairman of the painting department at OCAD. His teaching career spanned several institutions, including:
- Banff School of Fine Arts
- University of Lethbridge
- Emily Carr University, Vancouver
