Kisbee Therapeutics

A critical life transition drove Mary Lynn Burke towards photography. Pivoting from her career in social work, she followed her instincts into the world of art. In 2019, after 15 years in commercial photography, a move to New Zealand prompted Burke to look inward and find new meaning with personal work. For over 2 years, Burke resided in remote seaside locations, creating art in solitude and in otherworldly terrain. It was during this isolation in majestic landscapes, Burke found belonging in alternative process photography and mixed media art.

Mary Lynn Burke’s photographs and paintings combine expressive layering with movement that mimics the landscape or mindset before her, creating emotive compositions. Her work navigates the space between vulnerability and belonging while absorbing both the tension and stillness of passing time. Burke values the contrast of precise and uninhibited mark-making as a reflection of her journey with nature and feelings. Unconcerned with theme or figuration and shaped largely by chance, she presents color and form with raw openness. Her works draw inspiration from Abstract Expressionism, recalling the lyricism of Manoucher Yektai and Helen Frankenthaler and the zen-like works of Morris Louis.

Burke works with a variety of media—including photography, cyanotype, oil paint, acrylic, oil sticks, encaustic, watercolor and charcoal—to create intuitive imagery which externalize her emotions and personal experiences. Burke lives and works in Lexington, Massachusetts and has exhibited in Gisborne, New Zealand and Boston, Massachusetts.