A
self-titled photo educator from Santa Monica College, his life as a teacher, has helped
many young artists pursue their dreams through his Master Classes and award-winning
assignments. Many of his proteges have moved onto pursue their goals on the international
stage which has helped Burkhart garner partnerships with prestigious programs like Eddie Adams
and funding from the Getty Museum.
And it is no wonder. Gerard’s work has been listed on the Fulbright Specialists Roster to engage in
educational diplomacy for the U.S. State Department and published in the New York Times and
Pulitzer Prize-winning editions of the Los Angeles Times.
Burkhart’s eye for the
dramatic and his creative
instincts pull what could
be disjointed landscape
imagery into a developed
theme. Yet, he can’t escape
his city roots. Like excellent
street
photography,
Burkhart doesn’t shy away
from revealing his source of
light. Red light paints the
rock and Joshua Trees in
two of the images (left).
Banshee Canyon, Hole in the Wall
Mojave Yucca, Hole in the Wall
6
THE DESERT LIGHT
| Sept/Oct 2018
In one the source of a
backlight stands like a
street lamp witnessing
some event on the city
stage. The Joshua Tree
standing alone, caught in
the limelight for all to see.
A dramatic moment and
yet we feel as though we’ve
been let in on a secret. A
flash in time – like street
photography. Here, the
horizon is askew as though
the photographer were in a
hurry and just captured the
image before life moved on.
The ‘street-light’ flares the
lens, but there is no other
way he could’ve captured
this moment. The drama
unfolds in the night on the
desert floor.