The Pursuit of Happiness Untitled 2 Collage

Burton Machen is an American conceptual, mixed media artist with a focus on street art and photography. He was born in Ashville, Alabama, USA, in 1970 and has lived in New York, Washington DC, New Orleans, Atlanta, Rio de Janeiro and now splits his time between Los Angeles and New York. Burton has been photographing street art and urban decay for more than a decade. He believes that street art is a powerful form of expression that has the ability to influence our thoughts and attitudes, often without our knowledge. Burton is drawn in by the collage-like effect that occurs when artists and elements work together in urban settings. Most of his "˜Urban Evolution' series originated in New York, which remains Burton's sentimental first love. From this series Burton developed the "˜Portraits Project'. With "˜Portraits Project' Burton invites the world in by posting portraits in cities like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New Orleans, London, Berlin etc., and observes the reactions that they incite. He documents the evolution, which includes other street artists, taggers, time, weather, passersby, etc., until he has a FINAL image. Burton observes this process, for him it is a reflection on the passage of time and speaks to "the effect we have on the world". In addition to photographic prints Burton also creates unique mixed media works both by embellishing elements that were added to his portraits on the street with Diamond Dust, polyester glitter and acrylic and enamel paints and by creating unique mixed media photo collage in his studio.