Ian Burke
Ian Burke was born in Saltburn in 1955 and was brought up in Redcar. Educated at Sir William Turners Grammar School, Ian studied BA in Fine Art under Michael Rothenstein RA 1974-78 and Goldsmiths ATC 19779/80. After two years following his father onto the oil rigs as a labourer on the North Sea, Ian studied his MA in Fine Art at Goldsmith’s College, London 1982-84, a contemporary of Damien Hirst.
From there Ian went to work in various state schools in the North East and Cumbria, including head of art at Barnard Castle School and then at Rugby then Eton College where he was only the 13th Master of Drawing in its 582 year history and Head of Art.
A prizewinning member of the Royal Society of Printmakers, Ian is a painter, printmaker and “assemblagist” (look it up!) He has exhibited in galleries widely and has had several works accepted and exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibitions.
Much of Ian’s strong images are inspired by the boats, crews, buildings and people of the coastline between the Tees and Esk rivers on the north east coast, particularly the fishing village Staithes where he lived before he bought a watermill on the North Yorkshire Moors near the river Esk, where coincidentally his great great grandmother once lived in 1745! With a waterfall in his garden and a woodland on the edge of the property, Ian and his artist partner Susan live an inspired moorland life. A converted pig shed is his studio which houses his large 1856 Columbian press, where he has produced his art, mainly woodcut and linocut, for so many years - as well as laser cut, etchings, paintings and “assemblages” (!) Among all the many influences on his art, Ian prefers to print on quality japanese paper and japanese influences extend to assemblages made from driftwood japanese fishing floats that are washed up on the US coast often etched in the original japanese pictorial text.
His boyhood pursuits of drawing, walking, fishing and football (Middlesbrough FC) continue as an inspiration for work, as he would tell his students “to deal first with what they like and love” in subjects and designs for their artwork.
Ian’s choice, despite a successful teaching career, to remain embedded in the North Yorkshire community instructs his enthusiasm to make his art accessible to all ages at an affordable cost.