Burkhard Saur is a native German. After finishing high school, he cycled to Turkey with a friend. More travels to Southern and Eastern Europe, the Mid East and the Indian Subcontinent followed throughout his twenties, mostly on a bicycle, never without a camera. After getting a Masters in Psychology in Bonn, Germany, he followed his wife to Colorado, where he manages his business ‘Misché Art & Photography,’ in Longmont.

Burkhard’s interest in foreign cultures and love of travel is reflected in his artwork and photography. He uses the computer as an interface to blend computer graphics, watercolors, drawings and photography.

An example of the combination of different media is Burkhard’s Travel Series. The Travel Series combines photography from an overland bike tour from Germany to India with paintings of people Burkhard encountered on the way. The fusion of a realistic background with abstract, simplified foreground figures is inspired by psychological theories about mental images of the self. While we can see the facial features of others in photo-realistic detail, the mental images of our own facial expressions are thought to be more abstract and simple. Along this line of thinking, abstract portraits invite the observer to identify with the depicted subject and its emotions, making it easier to ‘step into’ the scene.

Currently, Burkhard explores the Colorado Rocky Mountains through micro- and landscape photography. Also on display are his photographic images from the Indian sub-continent.