THE REALM OF THE SENSES

Jeff Burton understands subtlety. Unlike most purveyors of salacious imagery, Burton takes the cunning approach rather than the obvious one – if you would like in your face (read: crotch) titillation please see Uncle Terry. Knowing that Burton began is career shooting on sets of adult films, gives you a hint of the kind of things he has to offer, but ultimately it is a red herring. There is sex – the subjects of Burton’s pictures appear to be in a constant state of ecstasy, whether they are arching their backs and parting their lips, or taking drags from post-coital cigarettes – but it never strays into gratuitous territory. Even when shooting porn stars like the nubile Sasha Grey, Burton manages to maintain an aura of mystery. His world is at once familiar and new; somewhere in between Marilyn Minter’s subversiveness and Nan Goldin’s voyeurism, lies the place Burton takes you to. You are given a glimpse into his reality, hidden behind palm leaves and shrouded in mist, blurry and out of focus in the background. Every time I see one of his pictures I get chills…

Angela Lindvall | LA Times, 2008