CONSISTING OF THREE DISTINCT SERIES WHICH INCLUDE URBAN LANDSCAPES IN EUROPEAN CITIES, PHOTOGRAMS, AND NUDES, RECENT WORK BROUGHT TO LIGHT A NEW BODY OF WORK BY OKLAHOMA CITY PHOTOGRAPHER JON BURRIS. INFLUENCED BY SURREALIST ARTISTS WORKING IN PARIS IN THE 1930S, BURRIS’ PHOTOGRAPHS FROM EUROPE WERE MADE WITH A HOLGA, A SMALL TOY, PLASTIC CAMERA THAT PRODUCES MEDIUM FORMAT NEGATIVES THAT ARE SOFTENED IN PARTS OF THE IMAGE, AND EXTREMELY SHARP IN OTHERS. 

Burris said the vintage effect he achieved is that of photographs made on glass plates, especially by the French photographer Eugene Atget. Burris’ images of nudes have a classical feeling and were made with an 8”x10” large format camera while his ‘photograms’ were produced without any camera by placing objects directly onto photographic paper. All of the prints in the exhibit were toned with teas, giving them an aged appearance. Jon Burris worked as Director of the Robert A. Hefner III collection of contemporary Chinese art in Oklahoma City and has been an independent curator within the community for over 20 years.