Finding a place: Albuquerque-based artist Aaron Burt finds inspiration in texture and color

When Aaron Burt creates art, it’s full of texture and color.

Those are elements that captivate him, eventually starting conversations.

The Albuquerque-based artist will unveil his new works during the run of “Biographical Verses,” which opens from 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, at AC2 Gallery, at 301 Mountain Road NE.

The show features Burt’s works, as well as Maria Rose Wimmer and runs through Sept. 27.

Burt will hang 20 pieces of art – most of which are acrylic and charcoal.

He’s gone in a different direction for the majority of work in this show.

Previously, Burt has created pieces of work that have celebrities or scenes from a film or TV show. He also takes inspiration from his work as an independent filmmaker and writer.

“I used gesso to start,” he says. “Some of the pieces have cloth-like material and it’s very three-dimensional. I add texture to it, and I’ll go over it with paint. I’m fascinated by textures. What I think is cool about my pieces is that they are so high contrast. If the light hits it, the painting can change daily or hourly. That’s one of my favorite things about my work.”

“When I was a kid, I was a weirdo,” Burt says with a laugh. “I would go to my brother’s soccer games and just begin to draw. I was a soccer player too, but art was always an outlet for me.”

Burt began with drawing comic books and dreamt of becoming an animator thanks to his love for Disney films.

By high school, he took an art class for beginners.

“That’s when my teacher encouraged me to move into advanced art after a few weeks of class,” Burt says. “I was at Alamogordo High School and was scared to make the move into the advanced class. I stayed in the beginning drawing for one semester and then found my place in advanced art for the remainder of high school.”

In college, Burt focused on acting, which led him to not paint for a decade.

He didn’t pick up a brush until years later, when he painted a piece as a wedding gift for a friend.

“Then I took another break,” he says. “Then the pandemic happened and my job was dwindling financially, and the movie industry shut down. I kind of did a Hail Mary when I was really vulnerable. I posted that I wanted to get back into art and create pieces. I got four people to commission a piece from me. I sold 35 paintings in a year, and it was really shocking.”

Burt continues to find his groove within the art world.

As he does so, his confidence swells.

“I go back and forth with film and art,” he says. “The transition is difficult for me. It feels like I’m wearing two different hats. One project has to end before another begins.”