Dennis Burton was born in Lethbridge, Alta. in 1933, and first explored painterly abstraction during his studies at the Ontario College of Art during the 1950s.
After practicing painting at both the University of Southern California and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine, Burton returned to Canada to work at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as a senior graphic designer from 1957 to 1960.
Throughout his career, Burton taught at art institutions in Toronto, Banff, Vancouver, and at the University of Lethbridge. Though initially recognized for his abstract canvases, Burton rose to artistic fame in the mid-1960s with a controversial series of paintings of the female nude and undergarments. He continued to produce both figurative and abstract works into the 1990s.
Burton's work has been exhibited extensively across Canada and is housed in numerous public and private collections. The artist currently lives in Vancouver.
For a look at more of Burton's work, or any of the other 13,000-plus works in the U of L's collection, follow this link.
This story first appeared in the June 2012 issue of the Legend. For a look at the entire issue in flipbook format, follow this link.