RON BURKHARDT — Founder of Notism

Ron Burkhardt is the founder of Notism, a unique genre of contemporary American art that fuses abstract semiotics, geometric structure, and organic writing. His work explores the emotional residue of memory; the nostalgic voids, fragments, and fleeting impressions humans attempt to preserve as life inevitably moves toward “non-existence,” the conceptual foundation of his Notism movement.

Burkhardt’s artistic journey began long before his first solo show in March 2001. A lifelong list-maker, he developed the core of his style while building a career as a New York advertising executive. Navigating the controlled chaos of agency life, he turned to art as a way to process the relentless pace of modern information overload. Through Notism, Burkhardt transforms words, symbols, and cultural artifacts into dense, architecturally structured compositions that provide viewers a moment of stillness amid the saturation of contemporary life.

His meticulous process reflects the discipline of a draftsman: measuring and designing shapes and lettering with pencil and ruler, taping off sections, and layering acrylic or oil paint to construct dimensional, geometric forms. Once the underlying structure is formed, Burkhardt refines each piece over weeks, meticulously correcting imperfections to achieve a polished, precisely engineered surface.

Over his three decades of creation, Burkhardt has received more than 200 awards for creative excellence. His work has been recognized by institutions including the United Nations, The Art Directors Club of New York, The One Show, the Clio Awards, Effies, Cannes Lions, Palm Springs International Film Festival, International Broadcasting Awards, and many others. His paintings have been featured in Who’s Who in American Art, ART and Living Magazine, Gotham Magazine, Hamptons Magazine, Promenade, and numerous television segments on CNN, NBC, Plum TV, Inside Edition, and PBS. He has also served as a judge for major creative competitions, including the Clios, CA Annual, Andys, Creativity, and the International TV & Film Festival.

Burkhardt’s Notist works are widely collected and continue to evolve as he expands his vocabulary of abstract communication and psychological resonance, preserving memories through a language that is both personal and universally human.

Explore Ron Burkhardt at DTR Modern Galleries

DTR Modern Galleries features a curated selection of Ron Burkhardt’s Notist paintings across our locations in New York, Boston, Palm Beach, and Washington, D.C. Known for their intricate draftsmanship and conceptual depth, Burkhardt’s works appear alongside our broader contemporary program and remain an impactful choice for collectors interested in text-based abstraction and culturally reflective modern art.