Label TextDeborah Butterfield has used the horse as her primary subject since 1973. Initially her sculptures were naturalistic; however, as she became more interested in the formal qualities of found materials, the works became increasingly expressive and charged with personal associations. Butterfield works spontaneously, shaping, joining, subtracting, and adjusting until she captures the essence of a specific horse. Crafted from rusting metal rods and crumpled steel, Untitled (Hoover) has a special connection to the Art Center: it was inspired by a horse the artist purchased at a stable near Des Moines.
Exhibition History"Commitment, Community and Controversy: The Des Moines Art Center Collections," Des Moines Art Center, Jan. 24 - May 10, 1998
"Deborah Butterfield: Sculptures 1979 to 1992," Madison Art Center, Madison, WI, Feb. 19 - May 1, 1994; The Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH, June - Aug. 1994
"Critters," Des Moines Art Center, Aug. 21 - Oct. 31, 1993
"Deborah Butterfield," Edward Thorp Gallery, New York, N.Y.
(Figge Art Museum, Davenport, IA, Feb 19 - Jun 15, 2007)
Published References"Deborah Butterfield Sculpture 1979 to 1992," Madison Art Center, 1994, Exh. brochure, color cover ill.
Gallery Guide for "Critters," Des Moines Art Center, Aug. 1993
AN UNCOMMON VISION: THE DES MOINES ART CENTER, Des Moines Art Center, 1998, ref. & color ill. p.69, color ill. pp.68 & 69
Stephen Westfall, "Deborah Butterfield at Edward Thorp," ART IN AMERICA, Apr. 1987, b/w ill. p.218
Exhibition History"Commitment, Community and Controversy: The Des Moines Art Center Collections," Des Moines Art Center, Jan. 24 - May 10, 1998
"Deborah Butterfield: Sculptures 1979 to 1992," Madison Art Center, Madison, WI, Feb. 19 - May 1, 1994; The Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH, June - Aug. 1994
"Critters," Des Moines Art Center, Aug. 21 - Oct. 31, 1993
"Deborah Butterfield," Edward Thorp Gallery, New York, N.Y.
(Figge Art Museum, Davenport, IA, Feb 19 - Jun 15, 2007)
Published References"Deborah Butterfield Sculpture 1979 to 1992," Madison Art Center, 1994, Exh. brochure, color cover ill.
Gallery Guide for "Critters," Des Moines Art Center, Aug. 1993
AN UNCOMMON VISION: THE DES MOINES ART CENTER, Des Moines Art Center, 1998, ref. & color ill. p.69, color ill. pp.68 & 69
Stephen Westfall, "Deborah Butterfield at Edward Thorp," ART IN AMERICA, Apr. 1987, b/w ill. p.218
DimensionsOverall: 84 × 52 × 96 in. (213.4 × 132.1 × 243.8 cm)
Accession Number 1987.1
Classificationssculpture
CopyrightARS
