Bourke’s imagery is drawn from her personal and family life. What she sees, what she knows, what she encounters fuels her artistic instincts. Her twin sons, husband, and parents are often chosen as models. For seven of the compositions she has elected to use her own image. Distinct visual themes are interwoven throughout her work.The world she sees is often filled with danger. It is a world that has perils, pitfalls, enemies, and confusion. The brewing storm of life’s menacing misfortunes is just over the horizon. We are all standing on a precipice of uncertainty in the theater of life.
There are six ages of Man’s life on one side of the screen and six ages of Woman’s on the other. The images represent Infancy, Childhood, Golden Youth, Parenthood, Later Years, and Death and Transfiguration. All of the themes woven throughout this exhibition are cross-stitched within this work: the artist’s interest in theater, costuming, role-playing, fantasy, and classical settings. This comprehensive tapestry acknowledges the passage of time and celebrates the continuity of life.
EAM has educational opportunities for visitors to learn more about the exhibition:
Curator Tour
Wednesday, June 16 from 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Be the Artist: Mary Bourke
Wednesday, June 16 from 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Tour the Mary Burke: Living Matters exhibition, which showcases work by artist Mary Bourke. For our hands-on portion of the evening, we will be making self-portraits, which capture not only the detail in our faces but also mimic Mary Bourke’s ability to capture light. This program is designed for children ages 10-14 and the cost is $8.00 for Members and $10.00 for non-Members. To register, please call (630) 993-8901.
