Untitled, 2007
found copper, welded
34” x 45” x 14”
Gracie, 2006
cast bronze
39” x 48” x 14”
Untitled (2673), 2003
Unique cast bronze
95.5” x 126” x 33”
Untitled (2988), 2006
cast bronze
41” x 53” x 14”
Untitled (3008), 2006
cast bronze
39” x 46” x 14”
Untitled 3024.1, 2006
cast bronze
39” x 50” x 14”
Ryuanji, 2006
cast bronze
87” x 98” x 34”
Deborah Butterfield's sculptural forms are based on her unique subject, horses. Constructed in wood, and cast in bronze, the freestanding sculptures are shown in two scales: life size works and smaller bronzes.
With extraordinary focus and conviction, Butterfield works independently of the tides of trends and art movements. She has become a master of three-dimensional images of horses, building her sculptures with no sketches or maquettes, working directly with wood pieces or found metal scraps.
Her intense commitment to her subject enforces a discipline that, rather than restrict possibilities, opens up a vocabulary of great breadth and expression. The powerful immediacy of Butterfield’s shapes is tempered by a refinement and serenity of gesture and line.
Deborah Butterfield, a catalog reviewing thirty years of her work, released by Abrams Inc. Publishers is available for purchase from the gallery. With an introduction by the author Jane Smiley, the book features poems by the late poet Vicki Hearne and an essay by poet John Yau.
The artist’s sculptures are represented by many museums’ permanent collections, including the Smithsonian Institution, the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, the San Francisco Museum of Art and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.
Copyright Gallery Paule Anglim
14 Geary Street | San Francisco, CA 94108 | 415.433.2710
