Lowry Burgess
Encyclopedia
Lowry Burgess is an internationally renowned conceptual and environmental artist
and educator. He has been an educator for over forty five years and is a professor at Carnegie Mellon University
where he is a Distinguished Fellow in the STUDIO for Creative Inquiry. As the former Dean of the College of Fine Arts
he has founded and administered numerous departments and projects at the institutional level. Burgess has also served as coordinator of the Graduate Program at Massachusetts College of Art and Design.
. From there, he continued his studies at the University of Pennsylvania
and at the Instituto Allende in San Miguel Mexico.
in Cambridge, Massachusetts where he created and directed large collaborative projects and festivals in the US and Europe. He has also been an active member of the National Humanities Facility. After the destruction of the Buddhas in Bamiyan, Afghanistan
in 2001, he authored the "Toronto Manifesto, The Right to Human Memory" that received worldwide endorsement. One of the provisions of the Manifesto has led to the creation of a new global value/incentive for the protection of cultural sites throughout the world. This new value/incentive is in the process being implemented by UNESCO and the World Bank., Currently, he has an exhibit, “Forum 61: Lowry Burgess,” on display at Carnegie Mellon University entitled “Vision Flower Portals”. The collection consists of four 15 to 17 ft (4.6 to 5.2 m) canvases strongly emphasizing both the elements of art and the principles of design including, but not limited to, space, symbolism, imagery, texture, and many more. The small collection is only a small part of his larger ongoing artwork entitled Quiet Axis, begun in 1966 This project incorporates eight major points that have been developed around the major features of the planet, expanding to the outer atmosphere where Burgess is closely related. Having an extended involvement with art developed upon space exploration, his 1989 piece entitled “Boundless Cubic Lunar Aperture” became the first piece of art taken into space by NASA
. “Vision Flower Portals” are all based upon a flower, but not the same one; for each flower and painting is its own addition to Quiet Axis. The “Quiet Axis” is a visionary realignment of the earth and heavens so that new relationships may be ordered to establish a new framework for consciousness. Each aspect of the “Quiet Axis” searches for the soul of the world wherein it is neither object nor belief — where darkness and light are one eternal presence.
As an internationally esteemed artist, he has received awards from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the National Institute of Arts and Letters, the Guggenheim Foundation
, the Rockefeller Foundation
, the National Endowment for the Arts
, the Massachusetts Artists Foundation, the Kellogg Foundation and the Berkmann Fund. His artwork can currently be found in museums and archives in many countries; especially those that focus on art and science.
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
and educator. He has been an educator for over forty five years and is a professor at Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
where he is a Distinguished Fellow in the STUDIO for Creative Inquiry. As the former Dean of the College of Fine Arts
Carnegie Mellon College of Fine Arts
The College of Fine Arts at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA oversees the Schools of Architecture, Art, Design, Drama, and Music; along with its associated centers, studios, and galleries....
he has founded and administered numerous departments and projects at the institutional level. Burgess has also served as coordinator of the Graduate Program at Massachusetts College of Art and Design.
Education
Lowry first received education at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine ArtsPennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is a museum and art school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1805 and is the oldest art museum and school in the United States. The academy's museum is internationally known for its collections of 19th and 20th century American paintings,...
. From there, he continued his studies at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
and at the Instituto Allende in San Miguel Mexico.
Achievements
Lowry Burgess has achieved a broad range of artistic recognition. For 27 years he has been a Fellow, Senior Consultant and Advisor at the Center for Advanced Visual Studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
in Cambridge, Massachusetts where he created and directed large collaborative projects and festivals in the US and Europe. He has also been an active member of the National Humanities Facility. After the destruction of the Buddhas in Bamiyan, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
in 2001, he authored the "Toronto Manifesto, The Right to Human Memory" that received worldwide endorsement. One of the provisions of the Manifesto has led to the creation of a new global value/incentive for the protection of cultural sites throughout the world. This new value/incentive is in the process being implemented by UNESCO and the World Bank., Currently, he has an exhibit, “Forum 61: Lowry Burgess,” on display at Carnegie Mellon University entitled “Vision Flower Portals”. The collection consists of four 15 to 17 ft (4.6 to 5.2 m) canvases strongly emphasizing both the elements of art and the principles of design including, but not limited to, space, symbolism, imagery, texture, and many more. The small collection is only a small part of his larger ongoing artwork entitled Quiet Axis, begun in 1966 This project incorporates eight major points that have been developed around the major features of the planet, expanding to the outer atmosphere where Burgess is closely related. Having an extended involvement with art developed upon space exploration, his 1989 piece entitled “Boundless Cubic Lunar Aperture” became the first piece of art taken into space by NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
. “Vision Flower Portals” are all based upon a flower, but not the same one; for each flower and painting is its own addition to Quiet Axis. The “Quiet Axis” is a visionary realignment of the earth and heavens so that new relationships may be ordered to establish a new framework for consciousness. Each aspect of the “Quiet Axis” searches for the soul of the world wherein it is neither object nor belief — where darkness and light are one eternal presence.
As an internationally esteemed artist, he has received awards from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the National Institute of Arts and Letters, the Guggenheim Foundation
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation was founded in 1925 by Mr. and Mrs. Simon Guggenheim in memory of their son, who died April 26, 1922...
, the Rockefeller Foundation
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
, the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
, the Massachusetts Artists Foundation, the Kellogg Foundation and the Berkmann Fund. His artwork can currently be found in museums and archives in many countries; especially those that focus on art and science.