Art connoisseurs recently flocked to the first-ever encore lecture series “From the Artist’s Perspective” at the Boca Raton Museum of Art to view a video presentation filled with the Dali-esque “Circus and Sound” oil paintings by Christopher Joseph Burlini. The whimsical yet dramatically emotional portfolio features a private carnival with a pinging arcade machine, a Warhol-style still life replete with playful artifacts like a pop-up clown box, as well as a red velvet-curtained stage of vividly scaled tropical fish playfully tantalized by a dangling carrot.
“All of my paintings evoke a dream-like state, with a blend of humanity and humor,” said Burlini. “Each piece
demonstrates coexisting contradictions in life – like the security and childhood glee of a circus that masks the
sometimes dark side of animal care.” In fact, the portfolio may be a surreal reflection of Burlini’s own past. Prior
to arriving in Miami, he painted large murals for the eccentric Squished Eye Theatre in San Francisco, owned
by Robert C. Pritikin, author of “Christ Was An Ad Man.” When the stage curtains came to a final close, so did
Burlini’s time in San Francisco.
MASTER IN THE MAKING
Many of the great Italian masters became famous for their artistry post mortem, but some say Coral Springs resident Burlini is an up-and-coming modern-day master painter living among us. And while such a statement would make the down-to-earth painter shake his head in disbelief, there’s no doubt his collectors would agree. Burlini is a visionary artist attracted to subjects that explore trials and triumphs of human emotions through his classical, pop-surreal style.
Burlini, 40, now on staff as a painting instructor at the Boca Raton Museum of Art and at Boca’s Polo Club, recently launched his own Burlini Studio of the Arts in the same city in August. But reaching this impressive plateau hasn’t come without the notorious struggle many young artists must persevere.
Prior to his trials, however, Burlini had the good fortune of growing up in a family of artists who were, and are, prominent sculptors near Chicago. His father, Joseph Burlini, is well known in the local art circuit for his metallic kinetic creations that can be found on display throughout the Windy City. Young Christopher was born with the family gift of artistic talent, but at the age of 3, he discovered his love was for drawing, not sculpting. “Everything I looked at I envisioned in paint,” Burlini said.
Burlini’s family encouraged him to go into graphic design. But he dashed that path after enrolling in his first painting class at the Illinois Institute of Art – a painting class he nearly failed. You see, after the very first class, Burlini immediately realized his passion for painting. He bought oils and brushes and the largest canvas he could find. Trouble was, the canvas was too big to transport to class, so he simply painted at home. On the last day of the semester, Burlini showed up with his completed canvas – and the result made the instructor’s jaw drop. This young man truly had God-given talent.
LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY
In his last year of college, Burlini created a portrait of Marilyn Monroe that drew the admiration of Richard Don of Edward Don restaurant supply family. Don purchased the painting and, upon delivery, offered Burlini the choice of two envelopes, one thick and one thin. The young artist instinctively selected the thicker one think- ing it was stuffed with cash. But upon returning home, he later found the contents were actually old brochures of Italian master painters. A puzzled Burlini called Don. The savvy businessman explained that he wasn’t paying Burlini money for the painting, but rather something much more valuable: training at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy. It was an opportunity of a lifetime!
Yet despite the extravagant nature of the payment, Don didn’t intend the experience to be a vacation retreat. He wanted Burlini to seek the true meaning of becoming a fine artist. So, in addition to learning the importance of rudimentary drawing, proportion, shadowing and systematic progression, Burlini also experienced first-hand the plight that artists must endure on the road to success. And what a plight it was. A cash-strapped Burlini slept in bathrooms, alternatively slum- bering on school classroom tables when necessary. He learned to love the art, not the compensation it could one day merit. “It was a real awakening to learn to survive,” Burlini said.
After studying in Florence, Burlini eventually relocated to South Beach with the dream of spreading artistic cultural awareness. He made ends meet by selling erotic paintings in the hot-spot’s night clubs. But over the years, Bur- lini stayed true to his love for pop pluralism. Today, his work can be found in Chicago’s Field Museum, has been featured in American Art Collector Magazine, and a painting commissioned for the 2008 McDonalds World- wide Convention is hanging in the AES Gallery in Chicago. His steadfast attitude eventually earned him an invitation to be one of four presenting annual artists at the Boca Raton Museum of Art. A lecture on his first exhibit produced the largest turnout in the museum’s history – 500 arrived to an auditorium built to accommodate 80. And the rest is history.
If you would like to purchase one of Burlini’s Circus and Sound paintings at a special rate, go to the Opulence Magazine Gallery at www.SouthFlorid- aOpulence.com. If you would like to create a painting of your own at the new Burlini Studio of the Arts in Boca Raton, visit the studio at 3500 NW Boca Raton Blvd., #702 or call 561-393-9999. To view more paintings by Burlini, go to www.Burlinistudio.com.
