Jamie Burmeister

Jamie
Burmeister
Art Discipline: 
Visual
Address: 
Gretna, NE
United States
Dates of Residence: 
Oct 1, 2007 to Oct 12, 2007

University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, MFA, 2005 University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, MS, 1995 Creighton University, Omaha, NE, BA, 1992 Currently a full-time art instructor, Metropolitan Community College, Omaha, NE "As I go through my everyday life, I am drawn to seemingly uninspiring observations and experiences, such as watching a bug walking across a leaf, riding a bike, taking apart a machine to see how it works or pondering a question from my child which I just cannot answer. These simple occurrences inspire me to explore these ideas further through art. Through experiments with sculpture, installation, mechanics, electronics, computers, the Internet, interactivity, sound and video, I have put together a diverse body of work that revolves around my conscious experience of the world. All of these pieces have elements of humor, absurdity and the mundane. Many of the pieces are interactive, creating situations where the viewer becomes a part of the piece. The experience of the work is unique depending upon how the viewers choose to interact with it. I place common everyday items in situations that give them characteristics of human behavior. By merging new digital technologies with old mechanical technologies I animate these humble materials seeking to change their context. The resulting videos, sculptures and installations are metaphors for various aspects of the human condition. While at the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts I plan to work on a series of interactive animation installations. These video animations will interact with viewers as well as the specific spaces in which they are installed. Various sensors and related electronic systems will be developed for viewer interaction. This residency is important to me at this stage in my career because it would allow me time and space to explore how animation can become a part of my installation work. I hope to make work specific to my experience at the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for Arts and the Nebraska City area."