Great artists have always been inspired by impressive landscapes (from Degas to Van Gogh). Construction contractors often work in similarly vivid vistas, full of pristine green grasses, brown muddy jobsites, white broken concretes and a rich mixture of colorful project conditions.
Brad Burns has become an expert at capturing these uniquely constructive landscapes. In 2000, Burns was commissioned to create paintings that would serve as magazine covers for The Engineering & Utility Contractors Association (EUCA). Shortly after, the president and CEO of Preston Pipelines asked Burns to work with his interior design firm to develop a series of large canvas paintings that would depict the company’s expertise and experience. It would provide a “unified palette” in a newly-constructed, 33,000-sq ft corporate headquarters.
“I worked from company photos of equipment, jobsites and work crews,” said Burns. “I composed the paintings, removed unwanted elements, and enhanced and adjusted the components in order to complement the color palette developed by the interior designers. The result was a series of large pieces that make a bold statement about Preston Pipelines.”
Since that first series, his construction art portfolio includes more than 300 paintings, which can be found in office installations throughout the United States and abroad. He has created what he calls the largest fine art resource for construction-related art in the world.
Ultimately, he says his goal is to communicate the strength and fortitude of the people who dedicate their lives to the building of planned developments, highways and bridges. He feels he knows them, and that his art understands them.
“These are the people who believe in an honest day’s work,” he says. “They seem to have an innate ability to get projects done. They have the drive to build things both large and small. It is my privilege to tell their stories through art.”
Burns’ art can be viewed at www.constructionfineart.com and we’ve included a few examples below. Enjoy.
August 13th, 2012 // By Replica Watches