In the past three months, the US has been lucky enough to host Jon Burgerman, UK doodler extraordinaire, for his summer vacation. Since Jon chose New York City to spend most of his holiday, I’ve been fortunate enough to hang with him a couple of times.

Jon Burgerman was born August 8th, 1979 in Nottingham, UK. He studied art foundation in Bournville, Birmingham and fine art at Nottingham Trent University. If you haven’t heard of Jon Burgerman, then you’re missing something, because he’s been plastering his doodles all over the place, including; books, walls, iPhone cases, tees, and has even crossed into the video game world with Little Big Planet. He’s one busy Brit!

During his stay in New York, he’s had a book signing and participated in two shows—one group show at Factory Fresh dubbed, Brooklyn Bailout Burlesque and a solo show at Giant Robot NY rightfully titled, My American Summer. As if a solo show weren’t enough, he recently filmed a music video for Anxieteam— the band he and Jim Avignon have brought to life. I’m not sure I’ve encountered many artists who crossover into the music realm, but even Jon and Jim’s music has the same spirit he captures in his drawings. Needless to say, for a man who’s here on vacation, he sure makes me feel like one lazy American.

I will admit that when I was first introduced to Jon’s art, I wasn’t exactly sure what to make of it. Jon is technically the first artist I’ve come across who doodles. I guess to a certain degree, I felt as though, if you don’t work with a brush, then you aren’t an artist. Boy was I mistaken. I quickly learned that Jon’s characters, though some look simple enough, are quite a challenge to create. And so, each time I tried to replicate his work, I just couldn’t get it right. Jon works with crooked lines, and weird shapes, but every one of his characters has a personality of his or herself—and it seems that Jon’s the only one who can bring them to life. Seeing his works in person, and seeing him live paint at Factory Fresh back in February has solidified my fandom for his works.

In addition to his characters, Jon tends to favor working with bright colors. Bright colors have a positive effect on my mood, and therefore, it’s rather pleasing to the eye. During his latest show, at Giant Robot, he also created some pieces that incorporate storytelling. I have to admit, that I love them. Jon is a rather private man when it comes to his personal life, and seeing bits of his personal experiences while in New York is hilarious. One thing is for sure, everything from Jon the man, to his art and his music, has a lightheartedness that is very endearing. If you haven’t heard of him or seen his works, I recommend you search him on Google. I found myself clicking every interview link and just wanting to know more. If his art is not your cup-of-tea, then why not stop by Anxieteam’s myspace and listen to his poppy tunes—they remind me of Phoebe Buffay’s songs in Friends, and I mean this as a compliment.

Jon Burgerman will be heading home in less than a week, and closing his American summer chapter. It’s quite possible he’ll be at Jim Avignon’s show at Factory Fresh this weekend. Sadly, I’d love to be there to give him a hug goodbye and wish him a safe trip home, but I’ll be in San Francisco by that time, so head on over and chit-chat with him before he’s gone.

Artist Website: jonburgerman.com
Artist Artkive: doodlesplatter.com
Anxieteam: http://www.myspace.com/anxieteam