Victor Burgin
Senryū, 2022
Framed photographs with text
Diabetes Clinic Waiting Area, Mile End Hospital
Victor Burgin’s series of images invites contemplation. The photographs are grouped into three pairs, and each includes a different phrase:
Passing seasons teach / children dreaming at their desks / lessons of history
The title of the artwork, Senryü, refers to a Japanese form of short poetry (similar to the better known, haiku) which reflects on the nature of mankind.
When read together, from left to right, the three phrases can be interpreted as a short poem—about the passage of time and children learning about the past.
This is suggested by the woodland path shown in the summer and in the winter; a classroom, seen from inside and outside, overlaid with a reflection of clouds—often associated with daydreaming; and the interior of a spacious, sun-filled home, set in contrast to houses set in a smoggy industrial landscape.
The artwork is placed in an area where patients and family often wait while visiting the Diabetes Centre. It is hoped that this artwork offers expeditions of the imagination during that wait.
“Traditional haiku are observations of nature and must include reference to a season. Senryü follows the form of haiku while departing from traditional content.”
About the artist
Victor Burgin was born in Sheffield in 1941 and has lived in the USA, France and the UK. He graduated from the Royal College of Art in 1965 and later received an MFA from Yale University. He has held several academic positions and has honorary doctorates from both Liege University and Sheffield Hallam University.
The artist was nominated for the Turner Prize in 1986 and has widely exhibited internationally. His work is in major museum collections, including Museum of Modern Art, New York; Tate Gallery; the V&A Museum; the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; and the British Council Art Collection.