Elton Burgest

Elton Burgest’s art always starts with an open-ended question. Does a police officer have the same authority as God? Why do we need Jesus to look like us in of us looking like Jesus? As an African American Christian artist who grew up in the church and grew older in America, Burgest uses both his identity and experience to present these questions to the public. Not only to find answers but to spark conversation. He finds the most enjoyable thing about art is the conversation his questions spark. Burgest believes that sharing thoughts and ideas will lead to a better understanding of those to that we don’t relate leading to empathy. It’s all about the perspective of being African American and Christian. Burgest feels that his point of view isn’t well represented in the artistic space. Giving himself room for conversations through his artwork is what is most important to him. For Burgest, personal conversation with the viewer allows discourse to happen. As reflected in his works Burgest is a “People person” The subjects in his works are intended to create connections within the average museumgoer. His work includes casual poses, religious imagery, and red as visual cues to his race, religion, and the hidden meaning that connects both. Like artists such as Kehinde Wiley and Kerry James Marshall, Burgest wants his work to be a spotlight on the corrupt systems, the complexity of human behavior, and deconstructing the relationship between race and religion.