Herald-Tribune

ULC '12

2012-01-30T12:06:00.001-05:00

2012-01-11T10:13:00.001-05:00

2012-01-11T10:12:00.001-05:00

TAMMI

2011-12-22T14:09:00.001-05:00

EUGENE AMPHETAMINE

2011-12-22T13:47:00.001-05:00

2011-11-01T13:54:00.001-04:00

2011-11-01T13:47:00.001-04:00

2011-11-01T13:40:00.000-04:00

2011-11-01T13:33:00.000-04:00

UNICORN LOVERS CLUB

2011-10-26T23:00:00.001-04:00

SOMEWHERE IN SPACE...

2011-10-05T13:41:00.002-04:00

2011-09-14T11:02:00.000-04:00

2011-08-30T16:17:00.000-04:00

2011-07-18T17:12:00.001-04:00

2011-07-18T17:11:00.000-04:00

2011-07-18T17:10:00.000-04:00

2011-07-17T13:05:00.000-04:00

2011-07-16T13:19:00.001-04:00

2011-07-16T12:51:00.000-04:00

2011-07-15T14:44:00.000-04:00

2011-06-30T17:24:00.001-04:00

2011-06-30T17:23:00.003-04:00

2011-06-30T17:23:00.001-04:00

2011-06-06T23:52:00.000-04:00

2011-06-06T23:50:00.000-04:00

2011-06-06T23:48:00.000-04:00

2011-05-19T10:21:00.001-04:00

2011-05-01T22:31:00.000-04:00

2011-04-29T00:52:00.000-04:00

Reportorial Illustration part iii: La Marche Du Nain Rouge

2011-03-22T10:38:00.003-04:00

While sitting in the cold afternoon on the corner of Cass and Temple I had to adjust my red mask to quickly sketch the beautiful Gothic facades that lay before me. I then made my way through the great drunken crowd, capturing gestures of the decorated marchers, photographing and taking notes on costumes and characteristics...later escaping to a bar stool with a pint of Nutblaster, planning out the composition, lay in a bed in Lafayette Park compiling my reference and turning over sheets of vellum before finally reaching my studio in the late evening to reach a midnight deadline.

2011-03-07T11:02:00.001-05:00

2011-02-25T17:13:00.002-05:00

Reportorial Illustration 2

2011-02-23T15:51:00.000-05:00

sleeping village

2011-02-23T15:47:00.000-05:00

in collaboration with the honorable daniel ribar.

BLACK MOUNTAIN

2011-02-22T02:17:00.002-05:00

Considering Reputation: Consequences of Trendy, Nihilistic, Ironic Contemporary Art

2011-02-14T13:23:00.003-05:00

We certainly live in a marvelous era when what started as a Tweet and bore a national Facebook Fan Page has now initiated a Kickstarter program proposed by the eclectic Imagination Station in Detroit to erect a statue of Robocop in the Corktown neighborhood. The debates that ignited across internet blogs concern topics including contemporary art, outsider interference, and, of course, the current state of Detroit, and, like most frivolous internet debates, resulted in more trolling and examples of Godwin’s Law than a conclusion on whether or not the project will benefit the city. So, let’s just all calm down and offer a rational constructive critique in a formula that can still reflect our own personal opinion, but ultimately has merit; offering a balance of positive, negative and constructive remarks.

It is necessary to over-analyze the proposed Robocop statue project to be built in Detroit. We, as citizens, need to be conscious of the perception of our city and our reputation when the media has perpetuated a general overall negative opinion of Detroit by glorifying its blight, grit, and despair. In art, and especially in public art, one’s concept must hold merit and must critically be aware of what positive and negative consequences their piece represents.

I can argue that, conceptually, I find the idea behind its construction to be brilliant: A looming, unanswered and debated question has been, “What does Detroit need?” and somebody far away in the Northeast sarcastically tweeted, “A Robocop statue.” The construction and completion of the statue bears relevance by commenting on our generation that generally glorifies nostalgia and irony as well as has the potential to show the juxtaposition between digital world vs real world; by presenting the power of people like Jerry and Mary of the Imagination Station - who represent a truly inspired community in Detroit that actually follows through with their passionate ideas, support and with unrelenting determination - against a culture that hides behind the safety of their computer screens and attacks with sometimes witty, but mostly non-constructive criticism and insults. The progress of the project is ultimately a well-conceived defense mechanism; taking something negative and turning it into something positive.

That ideal is truly inspiring.

However, that potential viewpoint is difficult to get across when the fact remains that the statue is simply a joke, through and through, and one that I hear my father warning me, “They’re laughing at you, not with you.”

I support public art that draws “tourism”, especially projects that mirror the likes of Tyree Guyton’s Heidelberg Project which demonstrate the care that people have for this city and proves that art can change a neighborhood for the better. I cannot, however, foresee the positive or negative consequences of this project; I just ask that we reflect upon the potential pros and cons of its image before kick starting it. Art, especially public art, should be critically analyzed and have a strong, reinforced statement; one that I’ve outlined above, but have a feeling that may not be fully understood and may be capitalized on negatively, further promoting a vision of a hopeless Detroit, where expensive statues of Hollywood characters rise while the city soaks in poverty.

In any debate there are valid points on all sides:

Pros: showcasing what the talented citizens of this city can accomplish (and so quickly), Robocop’s character in the movie symbolically represents Detroit’s motto “up from the ashes we shall rise”, it’s an ambitious and inspiring project, it draws attention to the Train Station, embodies the “something positive out of something negative” concept, and will draw attention to the city.

Cons: it costs $80,000 – mostly funded by outsider money, as it’s become a national phenomenon, it started as a joke and may retain that connotation, other projects are more relevant, pressing and need to be finished, it draws more negative attention to the train station, it invades a public park, the movie itself reflects a grim dystopia of the city, the movie portrays a negative image of cops and is offensive, a statue of a movie character is low-art and furthermore infringes copyright, it is a dull tourist attraction, and there are much more important things that the city needs before a statue.

Of course we need a light-rail system (amongst many, many other things) before another piece of public art (even the author of the Tweet-heard-round-the-world has stated that), but as citizens we do not have the direct power to move that judicial decision forward nor the means to construct necessities of that magnitude. We can (and are), however, planting gardens and growing food, repairing and refurbishing homes, strengthening our community, supporting local businesses and providing events and producing projects that reflect an ideal city. Furthermore, Detroit needs inspiration to drive this ideal, and I personally find the concept of the movement to erect the statue inspiring, but, I do not believe the concept of “taking something negative and turning it into something positive” will be perceived all-around-the-board. I get it; Robocop is badass and having a statue of him would be funny, but it, again, ultimately negatively reflects our culture’s nostalgia and irony obsession and quite simply is an $80,000 statue of a Hollywood character.

No matter how this project plays out and if the money is raised, we need to think about it contextually and more critically when the topic is debated; and that, before it’s implemented, we critically analyze the pros and cons and reflect upon the repercussions and consequences that we face before making a decision. I propose that we finish what we’ve started first; finish Roosevelt Park and finish the Hygienic Dress League's “No Vacancy” sign before more projects are started in Corktown. Build the statue in the coming decade, after we’ve established ourselves as a model city and shed the awful stereotypes. Plant it in a transformed neighborhood and then, when the tourists and fans come visit, after exploring the environment while looking for the infamous, silly Robocop statue, at its arrival they can marvel in awe at all its glory, finally studying the golden plaque mounted against its marble column that reads, “LOL”.

The Best Drinks Have Egg in 'Em

2011-01-27T11:48:00.001-05:00

window seat

2011-01-27T11:47:00.000-05:00

Reportorial Illustration

2011-01-18T11:19:00.002-05:00

Abercrombie & Fitch

2010-12-15T16:47:00.002-05:00

back in july, i was invited by a recruiter for abercrombie&fitch to create a series of six tees and fleeces. i wrote a story about a girl on a road-trip to boston, created the designs, made a 20-page book and never heard a response.
i recently found this tee on my hard-drive:

Ink Drawings of Super Famous People

2010-11-08T20:21:00.003-05:00

2010-11-06T15:16:00.000-04:00

The Greatest Samurai in the Empire, Part III

2010-11-04T17:24:00.000-04:00

2010-11-01T10:39:00.001-04:00

stop in corktown

2010-10-21T13:15:00.001-04:00

tired and hungary

2010-10-15T18:47:00.000-04:00

2010-09-08T23:12:00.000-04:00

2010-09-02T17:13:00.000-04:00

2010-09-02T16:57:00.003-04:00

2010-09-02T16:52:00.000-04:00

2010-08-24T00:10:00.001-04:00

poster for Detroit Lives!

2010-08-19T20:30:00.001-04:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eclectic_press/4843461163/

2010-08-19T20:20:00.002-04:00

Last week, I saw true love in Ann Arbor

2010-08-19T20:06:00.002-04:00

After Bernie's embarrassing defeat against the Alpha Male, his mate tenderly picks and eats the flies from the wounds on his skull. Later, she will work with him to plan a more rigorous and arduous work-out schedule.

2010-07-22T14:24:00.003-04:00

Early Bill Watterson.

The daughter I aspire to raise.

Cloud.

Peter Lake is...

2010-07-11T11:20:00.003-04:00

2010-07-08T13:31:00.002-04:00

i still have this bad habit of writing shitty-high-school-live-journal-esque "poetry" when i'm love sick.

the month of may was full of that.

2010-07-08T13:03:00.001-04:00

642 Forest Avenue

2010-07-08T11:58:00.000-04:00

Josephine Baker

2010-07-08T11:56:00.001-04:00

I did this one a while back for the hallway show.
hallwayshow.blogspot.com
I really liked it.

saturday morning painting

2010-06-26T17:32:00.002-04:00

2010-06-24T13:08:00.000-04:00

up north

2010-06-24T12:53:00.006-04:00

stickshifts and safetybelts

2010-06-22T14:30:00.000-04:00

2010-06-11T15:45:00.001-04:00

MANIFEST DESTINY

2010-05-27T21:46:00.001-04:00

driving back to detroit from new york.
scott on i-80.

the greatest samurai in the empire

2010-05-05T11:27:00.001-04:00

graduate school

2010-05-05T10:54:00.003-04:00

oh, she does watercolors

2010-05-05T10:42:00.001-04:00

2010-05-05T10:22:00.005-04:00

in the top image, this homeless man fell asleep on the train with his black jacket in his lap. my mind wandered along as i drew him and thought of being a young child and being scared when i would lay down to sleep alone and i would want something to comfort me like my ridiculously multi-colored blankie.

2010-04-22T02:09:00.003-04:00

this will be edited properly and colored shortly.

2010-04-13T18:17:00.003-04:00

Josh Cochran told me I need

Banksy documentary

2010-04-08T09:09:00.003-04:00

the first five minutes of Banksy's Exit Through the Gift Shop

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

2010-04-06T13:04:00.004-04:00

the g/f told me that she was riding her bike in midtown detroit the other day when some guy in a truck with a megaphone hollered, "YEAH, BITCH!"
this, of course, made me mad.

getting cat-called like that takes the fun out of any situation. it's degrading. however, given the ridiculousness of the situation (man with megaphone in truck) it is kinda funny and sometimes all you can do is laugh.

this is new york

2010-04-06T00:24:00.004-04:00

fixed the "o"

2010-03-24T01:10:00.001-04:00

Nain Rouge

2010-03-23T02:49:00.004-04:00

Detroit's infamous legend, the Nain Rouge; 300 years of harbinging doom. (note: although i wish it were a verb, "harbinging" does not exist. it shall, for the moment, remain as a noun in its correct usage.)

Eugene Burdick (Pre-War)

2010-03-17T16:39:00.000-04:00

2010-03-17T03:08:00.001-04:00

the "o" is bothering me...any other thoughts?

Manly Dreams

2010-03-15T12:25:00.000-04:00

2010-03-11T19:53:00.001-05:00

2010-03-09T00:00:00.002-05:00

lunch dates

2010-03-08T23:58:00.002-05:00

BEYONCE KNOWLES

2010-02-25T17:18:00.005-05:00

My friend told me about this school project that he's working on for illustrating a poster for the movie, Crazy Love.
It's about a man who throws acid on this woman's face, blinding her, because he loves her so much and he goes to jail for fifteen-or-so years and when he's released, the blind woman marries him because she loves him so much.

Later that night, I started thinking about that movie again and quickly drew this idea out in my notebook.

And today I drew out a revised sketch of the idea and now I really want to do it.

p.s. Whenever I read the title, "Crazy Love", the chorus of "Crazy in Love" by Beyonce Knowles pops in my head.

POSTER CONTEST!!!!!!!!

2010-02-15T22:17:00.000-05:00

people i know

2010-02-13T16:16:00.004-05:00

baboon mask

2010-02-13T16:15:00.000-05:00

2010-02-13T16:12:00.000-05:00

one of these days i'm gonna leave you

2010-02-13T16:07:00.001-05:00

letterpress

2010-02-11T16:44:00.001-05:00

why my parents aren't cool anymore

2010-01-27T02:54:00.003-05:00

you belong here, asshole

2010-01-27T02:24:00.005-05:00

i wanted to make this since last year in response to an assignment given to promote Somerset mall's "You Belong Here" campaign, because, sometimes, you really don't.

MICHAEL BURDICK'S TOP 10 MOVIES OF 2009

2010-01-04T19:37:00.007-05:00

Top 10:

1. The Hurt Locker
2. Inglorious Basterds
3. Thirst
4. Fantastic Mr Fox
5. Up
6. Up in the Air
7. The Road
8. Avatar
9. The House of the Devil
10. Zombieland

Honorable Mentions:

District 9
State of Play
Limits of Control
Moon

Movies I didn't get to see, but I plan on renting real soon:

A Serious Man
An Education
Drag Me to Hell
Deliverance

temporary hiatus

2009-12-31T15:26:00.008-05:00

i told myself that after i graduated i would give myself a couple weeks to spend the days resting, seeing friends and family, and playing video games. it was really nice, but now that the new year is starting up, it's time to be responsible again.

the following is some of the work that i did these past few months that i never posted.

study for a portrait i did of my father as the fictitious boxer, Gary "The Black Ram" Burdick.
mixed media on paper. September 2009.

"I Ain't Ride No Fixie, Biatch" mixed media on paper. October 2009.

collaboartion with James Noellert. acrylic on canvas. 48" x 84" November 2009.

forest arms, an apartment building in midtown, was abandoned due to a fire that broke out on the fourth floor in february 2008. nikki wrote to me later that year, "The death of the Forest Arms is an astoundingly apropos epilogue to a summer romance novel...I think it might have been your fault."

built and destroyed in November 2009. photographed by jacqueline garet.

"Where O Death is Thy Sting?" silkscreen. December 2009.

view of downtown and the ambassador bridge

2009-12-15T15:08:00.002-05:00

sometimes when i'm working on a project, i like to take a break and just draw something else. it's starting to get pretty cold out, but i like sitting out on the roof; there's a nice view of downtown and the ambassador bridge from there.

new company

2009-12-08T18:52:00.000-05:00

i bought a new suit, too.

COLLABORATION

2009-12-02T17:51:00.000-05:00

book cover 3

2009-12-02T17:45:00.003-05:00

2009-11-30T21:39:00.004-05:00

chris barr has been doing a lot of really cool portraits - particularly, portraits of musicians.

he does the drawing in his sketchbook and colors it up real nice in photoshop.

the other night, i asked him if he wanted to do a collaboration - me do a drawing of john baizley of baroness and him color it.

this is the drawing i came up with.

i'm excited to see what he does in return.

john baizley also does all the art for the band.

it's really impressive.

see here

2009-11-12T18:36:00.001-05:00