Delaware River

Central to Burko's work is the effect of humans on landscapes, specifically topographical changes due to climate change. She has traveled with scientists to some of the areas most affected by climate change. In the mid-1980s, Burko made works that featured an array of landscapes; while some showed dramatic rocky mountains and valleys, others featured details of bodies of water. Still others are similar to View of the Delaware River and feature bucolic scenes with rolling hills and waterways. The scene recalls a range of artists, such as 19th century Americans (Albert Pinkham Ryder and Thomas Cole) yet while the work's subject fits within the traditional landscape genre, Burko uses an expressive modernist visual language. The scene appears from an unnatural aerial view at a slight angle, while the riverbank and waterway appear to dissolve into abstract patterned marks, Burko thus juxtaposes elements that are traditional and contemporary, soothing and jarring, natural and manmade to create a powerful composition.