David Butler

Bio

David Butler (1898-1997) began obsessively filling his Louisiana yard and covering the facade of his house with artwork after retiring from his job at a sawmill following a work-related injury and the death of his wife. He created colorful cut-tin sculptural assemblages in the forms of fantastic creatures, mermaids and wild animals, designing many of these works to be kinetic whirligig-like pieces that shifted in the wind. Butler’s metal forms were then painted with bright enamel paint and adorned with a variety of found objects, often including plastic Mardi Gras beads. While much of his artwork was mobile (he was famous for the highly decorated bike he rode), even the stationary pieces he created over his windows cast shadows that were constantly in motion. Much of the artist’s imagery was intended to serve as protection, as Butler believed these “spirit shields” sheltered his home, and himself, from life’s anxieties and unfriendly forces.