Kathy Butterly Presentation

Audio

Transcript

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Kathy Butterly was born in 1963 in Amityville NY. She graduated from Moore College of Art – located in PA in 1986 with her Bachelor of Fine Arts. She then received her Master of Fine Arts at University of California in 1990. 

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Butterly studied with Robert Arneson who was a funk art and nut art sculptor. Arneson, like Butterly, had also studied at University of California. He later became a ceramics professor there for nearly three decades.

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Another artist Kathy Butterly is associated with, is her husband Tom Burckhardt, who does abstraction and figuration paintings. They both have a studio in Maine where they split their time between NYC and the rural environment.

“‘The light in Maine is just so beautiful,’ says artist Kathy Butterly…‘You see more of the sky here than in New York. You’re very acutely aware of the elements.’” adds Tom Burckhardt.

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Here are just some more photos of their studio in Maine, on the bottom left you will see some paintings by Tom Burckhardt.

 “Contradictions are important to my work, and these two polar opposite places are real influences,” says Kathy. “In New York, I absorb the intense energies, the graffiti, the sounds. In Maine, I have a garden and watch bulbs develop and bees pollinate. I observe how petals glow like the glazes I use—how insane colors are in nature!”

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As an undergrad at Moore College Art and Design, Butterly thought that she would be an oil painter. 

“The pieces I had been exposed to were mostly utilitarian and ‘earthy.’ I wanted to make art that conveyed ideas”

That was until she saw a sculpture exhibition in 1984 by Viola Frey. Who was a painter and drawing in addition to sculptor. Renowned for her large and colorful glazed clay sculptures of people. This nontraditional, boundary pushing style is what sparked Butterly’s work.

“I saw how ceramic materials could resolve my need to work both two- and three-dimensionally,” says Kathy. “Clay is such an expressive material.”

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Butterly uses a variety of muses today including but not limited to children’s toys, pop culture, dolls, asian culture, and the body. Butterly’s work often explores the female figure and the stereotypes and expectations that come with it. The vessel’s contortions, bulges, and lumpy midrifts make it impossible to use as a functional mug or cup. They resist the expected purpose of the vessel. Demonstrating Butterly’s strength in conceptual and abstract ideas. 

Kathy Butterly creates vases and vessels that stand no taller than 12 inches. She tends to create sculptures closer to 6 inches though to be able to create intimate, complex pieces. She starts with a simple porcelain slip cast form, then pokes holes and folds in the walls of the form. She then will often decorate the exterior with ropes of porcelain or carefully crafted beads.

These sculptures are presented on colorful pedestals or plinths to support the even more vibrant forms. Butterly’s color usage is something she is known for. Using vibrant colors resembling those from mid-century modern. A style which highlights clean lines, and organic shapes. The reason for her remarked use of color becomes clear when you realize the tedious work she puts into the layers. To achieve the iconic painterly effect on the surface of the piece, Butterly will fire and layer glazes on her works up to 40 times.  

As Butterly works on each piece, she allows the materials and her creative flow drive her the process so each vessel is unique. 

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I admire how Butterly leans into the concept of imperfection. She uses the flaws of her art like errant firing to her advantage. Going with the flow and being flexible with “happy accidents” in art is something I try to improve on. Of course not just in craft but conceptually too; she extinguishes any expectations a viewer might have of her ceramics.

Her work being as conflicting and complex as it is, truly inspires me to do the same in my art work. It made me realize that my ideas don’t need to be fully flushed out to express myself. They merely need to create a spark or opportunity for the audience to feel conflicted or seen through the contradictory.

I’m inspired by Butterly’s artwork mostly from her use of pallet. She uses a wide range of colors that are bright and playful. Lately I’ve really liked the concept of embracing femininity in my artwork; Butterfly does a beautiful job at this, with the usage of pink alongside the lace-like elements that resemble small strings of pearls. 

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I’ll leave you with a quote from Kathy Butterly that might resonate, “Currently, I’m thinking a lot about the environment and politics and society—how messed up it all is, yet also how beautiful it is, too,” she says. “There are always dualities.”

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Thank you.