Kathy Butterly

Sculptor Kathy Butterly thinks of herself as a painter “who happens to work with clay, three-dimensionally.” She is known for abstract ceramic vessels ranging in size from small to nearly five feet tall, whose twisting forms with pinched openings resemble “shrunken hybrids of alien life forms and domestic objects from which something is oozing, leaking, or dipping,” as described by critic John Yau. Evoking the crumpled ceramics of George Ohr, these playful sculptures begin as symmetrical cups or vases, which she prods into a unique biomorphic shapes. Butterly considers some pieces to be self portraits—Fall into Spring (2004) for example, expresses how she, a downtown New Yorker, felt after September 11th—while others engage the quotidian, inspired by baking, flea markets, cartoon and horror film effects, and the like.American , b. 1963, Amityville, New York, based in New York, New YorkBorn: 1963; Amityville, NYEducation: 1990 University of California, Davis, CA; MFA1986 Moore College of Art, Philadelphia, PA; BFASelected Solo Exhibitions:2015 The Weight of Color, Shoshana Wayne Gallery, Santa Monica, CA 2014 Enter, Tibor de Nagy Gallery, New York2012 Lots of little love affairs, Shoshana Wayne Gallery, Santa Monica, CA2010 Pantyhose and Morandi, Tibor de Nagy Gallery, New York2009 Big Gulp, Shoshana Wayne Gallery, Santa Monica, CA2007 Kathy Butterly, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CABetween a Rock and a Soft Place, Tibor de Nagy Gallery, New York2005 Freaks and Beauties, Opener 10: Kathy Butterly, The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY Body Language, Shoshana Wayne Gallery, Santa Monica, CA; also 20032004 Fall Into Spring, Tibor de Nagy Gallery, New York2002 Recent Work, Tibor de Nagy Gallery, New York2001 Franklin Parrasch Gallery, New York; also 1999, 1998, 1997, 1995, 19942000 Bernard Toale Gallery, Boston, MA Byron C. Cohen Gallery for Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MO1996 Albers Fine Art Gallery, Memphis, TN1994 Nancy Margolis Gallery, New York1993 The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA1992 Moore College of Art, Philadelphia, PASelected Group Exhibitions:2015 (self contained), Ventana 244, Brooklyn, NYIn Conversation, Shirley Fiterman Art Center, BMCC/The University of New York, NYNature, Sculpture, Abstraction and Clay: 100 Years of American Ceramics, Museum of Fine Arts, BostonPretty Raw: After and Around Helen Frankenthaler, Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, MA2013 404 E 14th, Tibor de Nagy Gallery, New YorkVisionary Women: Kathy Butterly and Ann King Lagos, Moore Collage of Art & Design, Philadelphia, PAMy Crippled Friend, Columbus College of Art & Design, Columbus, OH2012 Figuring Color, Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, MA2011 Uberyummy: Contemporary Confection and Objects of Desire, Robert and Frances Museum of Art, California State University, San Bernardino, CAObject/Image, Tibor de Nagy Gallery, NYContemporary Clay, RH Gallery, NYC2010 The Jewel Thief, The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum, Saratoga Springs, NY Kathy Butterly and Jill Bonovitz, Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, PA2009 Dirt on Delight: Impulses that Form Clay, Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia, PAPretty Is As Pretty Does, SITE Sante Fe, NMSelected Group Exhibitions (continued):2006 Your Beauty’s Gold is Clay, Alexandre Gallery, New YorkThe 181st Annual Invitational Exhibition of Contemporary American Art, National Academy Museum, New York2005 New Horizon of Ceramic Art, 3rd World Ceramic Biennial 2005 Korea, Icheon, KoreaFired at Davis, Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts, Stamford University, CAInvitational Exhibition of Painting and Sculpture, American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York2004-05 Carnegie International, Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, PA2004 Couples, Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Rockport, METhe Eve Aesthetic, Memorial Union Gallery, University of California, Davis, CAStanding Room Only, 2004 Scripps 60th Ceramic Annual, Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery, Scripps College, Claremont, CACurators’ Intuition, Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art, Portland, ME2003 Byron Cohen Gallery for Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MO2002 Very Familiar: Celebrating 50 Years of Collecting Decorative Arts, Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, PAKanazawa World Craft Forum 2003, Kanazawa, JapanWorks on Paper: Variations and Themes, Pace University Gallery, Pleasantville, NYRe-Inventing Pleasure, University Art Gallery, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA2001 15th Anniversary Exhibition, Franklin Parrasch Gallery, New YorkFigstract Explosionism, Bridgewater/Lustberg & Blumenfeld Gallery, New YorkThe 57th Scripps Ceramic Annual, Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery, Claremont, CA2000 Byron C. Cohen Gallery for Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MO Selections from the Allan Chasanoff Collection, Mint Museum of Craft & Design, Charlotte, NCFranklin Parrasch Gallery, New YorkCeramic National 2000, Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY; Samual P. Harn Museum, Gainesville, FL; Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL; Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CADefining Craft I, The American Craft Museum, New York1999 Pioneers and Terriers: Colenbrander, Ohr & USA Clay Today, Museum Het Paleis on Lange Voorhout, The Hague, NetherlandsThe Art of Craft: Contemporary Works from the Saxe Collection, M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco, CA1997 Forms and Transformations of Clay, Queens Borough Public Library Gallery, Jamaica, NY1995-96 New York, NY: Clay, Norkenfjeldeske Kunstindustrimuseum, Trondheim; Ostfold Kunstnercenter, Fredrikstad; Rogaland Kunstnercenter, Stravanger; Hordland, Kunstnercenter, Bergen, Norway1994-95 Robert Arneson: Changing the Face of American Ceramics, A Tribute, Kingsborough Community College, Brooklyn, NY1994 Talentborse Handwerk 1994, Munich, Germany1992 Contemporary Ceramics, Bennington College Gallery, Bennington, VT1991 Thirty Years of TB-9: A Tribute to Robert Arneson, John Natsoulas Gallery, Davis, CAThe 47th Scripps Ceramic Annual, Lang Gallery, Scripps College, Claremont, CA1990 The Fourth Concorso Nazionale della Ceramica d’Arte Savona-Fortezza Primiar, Savona, ItalyMuseum Collections:The Currier Museum of Art, Manchester, NHBrooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NYThe American Craft Museum, New YorkCarnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, PADetroit Institute of Art, Detroit, MIEverson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NYFrances Young Tang Teaching Museum, Saratoga Springs, NYIris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts, Stanford University, CAThe Luce Foundation Center for American Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DCM.H. de Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco, CA (promised gift of the Saxe Collection)The Mint Museum of Craft and Design, Charlotte, NCMuseum of Fine Arts, Boston, MAMuseum of Fine Arts, Houston, TXThe Museum of Modern Art, New York, NYOakland Museum of California, Oakland, CARenwick Gallery, National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DCUniversity Art Museum, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZSelected Awards:2014 Guggenheim Fellowship Award2013 Visionary Woman Award (Moore College of Art & Design)2012 Smithsonian American Art Museum Contemporary Artist Award2011 Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant2009 New York Foundation for the Arts GrantJoan Mitchell Foundation: Painters & Sculptors Grant2007 Artist’s Legacy Foundation Grant2006 Ellen P. Speyer Award, The National Academy of Art, New York2002 Anonymous Was A Woman Grant 1999 New York Foundation for the Arts Grant1995 Empire State Crafts Alliance Grant1993 The Evelyn Shapiro Foundation GrantSelected Bibliography:2015 Smee, Sebastien, “Bowled over by MFA’s delightful ceramics show,” The Boston Globe, January2014 Buhmann, Stephaine, “Interview 08,” SeptemberMahony, Alexander, “10 Cool Trends in Contemporary Ceramic Art,” ARTnews, JuneLarkin, Corina, “ARTSEEN: Kathy Butterly.” The Brooklyn Rail, MayFrankel, David, “Review: Kathy Butterly,” ARTFORUM, MayPechman, Ali, “New York Reviews: Kathy Butterly and Jen Mazza,” ARTnews, MaySmith, Roberta, “Art Trek Review: Kathy Butterly,” The New York Times, AprilClark, Garth, “Kathy Butterly: Little Sexual Beasts at Tibor de Nagy,” CFile, AprilYau, John, “Kathy Butterly and the Aesthetic Challenge of “No Two Alike,” Hyperallergic, MarchBergman, Jeff, “Kathy Butterly: Enter,” ATLAS: Contemporary art new & reviews, MarchCembalest, Robin, “14 Artworks That Proves Pink is Tough,” ARTnews, FebruaryWei, Lilly, “Claytime!,” ARTnews, January Selected Bibliography (continued):2013 Levin, Elaine, “Kathy Butterly: Lots of little love affairs”, Ceramic Monthly, MayOllman, Leah, “Exhibition Reviews: Kathy Butterly”, Art In America, MarchBoucher, Brian, “ARTWORLD AWARDS”, Art In America, January2012 Sutton, Benjamin, “Playful Ceramicist Kathy Butterly Wins Smithsonian’s 2013 Contemporary Art Prize.” Artinfo, NovemberPagel, David, “Review: Kathy Butterly’s compact sculpture pack a big punch,” LA Time, October”Figuring Color: Kathy Butterly, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Roy McMakin, Sue Williams,” JenellePorter, ICA/Boston, HATJE CANTZ.Brown, Jared, “Figuring Color at the ICA.” WGHB, FebruarySmee, Sebastian, “‘Figuring Color’ Exhibit Shows Pigments of Their Imaginations.” The BostonGlobe, February 17.2011 Johnson, Ken, “Are you Experienced? How Psychedelic Conciousness Transformed Modern Art,”Prestel.Karlins, Nancy, “Contemporary Clay Hot and Cold,” Artnet Magazine, July.Princenthal, Nancy “The Jewel Thief,” Art in America, January.Cotter, Holland, “New Sparkle for an Abstract Ensemble,” The New York Times, January 7.2010 Yau, John, “ARTSEEN: Kathy Butterly – Pantyhose and Moriandi,” The Brooklyn Rail, June.2009 Schaffnew, Ingrid and Porter Jenelle, “Dirt on Delight: Impulses that Form Clay,” Institute of Contemporary Art/University of Pennsylvania (catalogue).Smith, Roberta, “Crucible of Creativity, Stoking Earth into Art,” The New York Times, March 20.Gopink, Blake, “Clay’s Biggest Day,” The Washington Post, March 1.2007 Mendelsohn, Meredith, “Reviews: New York, Kathy Butterly,” ARTnews, Summer.Cohen, David, “Art in Brief: Kathy Butterly,” The New York Sun, MaySmith, Roberta, “Art in Review: Kathy Butterly,” The New York Times, April2006 Piché, Jr., Thomas, “Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY.” American Craft Magazine Vol. 66, No. 1 (February – March): p. 86-87.2005 Miles, Christopher. “Ceramics: Such Fragile Objects.” Los Angeles Times (November 11): E28.Genocchio, Benjamin. “Quirk and Textured, Works Vie for Attention.” New York Times (November 6).Landi, Ann. “Beautiful and Grotesque.” ARTnews (Summer). Siegel, Katy. “2004 Carnegie International.” Artforum (January).Volk, Gregory. “Report from Pittsburgh – Let’s Get Metaphysical.” Art in America.Trainor, James. “2004 Carnegie International.” Frieze (January).2004 54th Carnegie International, Carnegie Museum of Art Chicago, IL: Carnegie Institute. (catalogue)Shaw, Kurt. “It’s a small world.” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (December 2). Schjeldahl, Peter. “Goings on About Town: Kathy Butterly.” The New Yorker (November 29).Johnson, Ken. “Art Review: Pittsburgh Rounds Up a Globe Full of Work Made in Novel Ways.” The New York Times (November 4). Johnson, Ken. “Art in Review: Kathy Butterly.” The New York Times (October 29).Thomas, Mary. “Energy, Enthusiasm Flow through International.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (October 16).Gopnik, Blake. “Pick of the Litter: At the Carnegie International, Artists of All Stripes.” Washington Post (October 15).Heller-LaBelle, Greg. “International Artists Create Diverse Show.” The Pitt News (October 11).Selected Bibliography (continued):2003 Thomas, Mary. “Art Review: Carnegie Museum sets place of honor for decorative arts’ anniversary, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (December 20).Ollman, Leah. “Surprises in Irreverent Clay: Kathy Butterly.” Los Angeles Times (May 30).Scobie, Ilka. “Reviews: Kathy Butterly.” American Ceramics Vol. 14, No. 2. (February). 2002 “Goings on About Town: Kathy Butterly.” The New Yorker (March 18).Smith, Roberta. “Art in Review: Kathy Butterly.” The New York Times (March 1). 2001 Chambers, Karen. “Kathy Butterly.” Internet Art Resources (January 6). Del Vecchio, Mark. Postmodern Ceramics New York: Thames & Hudson.Kingsley, April. “Kathy Butterly Miniature Moments.” American Ceramics Vol. 13, No. 3.Long, Charles. “Top Ten.” Artforum (March).Niederlander, Rebecca. “The Ambassadors from Eulipio (Why It’s Okay to Feel Again).” 2001 Ceramic Annual: Scripp’s College 57th Ceramics Exhibition, Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery Claremont, CA: Scripp’s College. (catalogue)2000 Sherman, Mary. “National Reviews: Tom Burckhardt and Kathy Butterly.” Artnews (December).Koplos, Janet. “Review of Exhibitions.” Art in America (June). 1999 Burgard, Timothy. The Art of Craft: Contemporary Works from the Saxe Collection San Francisco, CA:M.H de Young Museum, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (catalogue).Danto, Arthur C. and Janet Koplos. Choice of America: Modern America Ceramics from the Museum Het Kruthius Collection Hertogenbosch, Netherlands: Museum Het Kruthius (catalogue).Johnson, Ken. “Art in Review: Kathy Butterly.” The New York Times (December 31).1997 Portfolio. American Craft (December – January 1998).Glueck, Grace. “Art in Review: Kathy Butterly.” The New York Times (October 10).Chambers, Karen. “Next of Kiln.” Art & Antiques (January).1996 Adkins, Gretchen. “The Pots of Kathy Butterly.” Ceramics Art and Perception Issue 23.Chambers, Karen. “Exhibitions: Kathy Butterly.” American Ceramics (December 2).1995 Clark, Garth. “Rising Above the Polemic-Organic Abstraction in Contemporary Ceramics.” Ceramics Art and Perception Issue 22.Smith, Roberta. “Art in Review: Kathy Butterly.” The New York Times (August 4).