Larry Burton’s Montana heritage originated with his father who homesteaded on the Powder River near Broadus in the 1930's and with his mother who was raised on a farm outside of Wolf Point. Born and raised in Billings, he attended the University of Montana earning BA degrees in Psychology and Sociology. While working in Vocational Rehabilitation throughout the state over the past 30 years, he developed a keen appreciation of Montana’s dynamic landscape, seasons, and wildlife. His closeness to nature was punctuated by his fourteen years running dogsled teams in Western Montana, the Beartooth Mountains, and Yellowstone National Park.

For over a decade he pursued his desire to capture Montana’s beauty through the viewfinder of a 35mm camera. On occasion, concealed in a white canvas blind, he observed bald eagles catching salmon on the bend of the ice covered Flathead River in Glacier National Park. He synthesized his experiences, skills, and appreciation of nature into the focus of his art. Since 1985 he has honed his technique with each glass project he has completed.

Artist's Statement

I have been intrigued by etched glass for much of my life. The old Victorian doors had a strong attraction when I was young. For 20 years now I have explored the ways etched glass can be used as art in architecture. Through trial and error I have perfected my own style with the medium to present Montana’s natural beauty. My goal is to design the glasswork with sensitivity to the surroundings, appropriate to the function and scale of the structure. Adding the design criteria of the client, designer, or architect provides a sound base for the design. Throughout the process, the concentration required is a lengthy meditation. The forethought and determined effort must be maintained for once sandblasted, a mistake cannot be erased or “painted over”. My work is a continuous process of exploring and refining the technique, artistic representation, and functionality.

This intrigues me: to produce a work of art in black, white and varying shades of gray with such detail, depth, action, and perspective that it transports the beholder into it’s world without concern for the absence of color. This required me to step out of the box and perceive the etching as an accurate representation of nature rather than the typical simplified cartoon caricature, the albino wildlife, or the overall tone rendering the representation of a black and white film negative.

Geometry is the language of architecture. Geometric design is timeless. It was used by the Arab, Oriental, Venetian, Celtic, Native American, Art Deco, and Arts and Crafts cultures. By personalizing the graphics and the medium, I consider my work to be of our time, while finding inspiration in all of these genres.