Christian Butterfield
Christian Butterfield works at the intersection of memory, representation, and eroticism in his experimental paintings. The artist uses the history of traditional portraiture and avant-garde movements to create compositions often focused on a main character—stories of desire, love, and pardon.
Butterfield’s work links personal experiences to concurrent events in the media as an act of catharsis, allowing him to work through past sentiments and new experiences. Often the artist incorporates collage elements into his compositions. Time magazine is used as a source to comment on contemporary society, often with humor or sarcasm.
In the body of work Apology Flowers, the artist attempts to reconcile his past relationships with former friends, lovers, and acquaintances. His work offers a mirror for us to reflect on the common anxieties and experiences of navigating and maintaining relationships.
His most recent paintings mark a departure from collage and Dada influences that characterize Butterfield’s earlier work. Anchored by the surrealist blooms of his mixed media Apology Flowers, these canvases exhibit a sophisticated handling of paint. Mindful depictions of light, sprouting from multiple directions, destabilize perspectives and create an otherworldly atmosphere.
Christian Butterfield, mainly self-taught, was awarded a place in the School of Visual Arts Residency Program, Fine Arts: Contemporary Practices, New York City in June 2022. In 2018, he held a residency at the AKIN Studio Program at the Musuem of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Toronto. Corkin Gallery presented his inaugural solo exhibition, Green Light, in September 2021. His work has been included in a number of group shows at Corkin Gallery, including presentations at Art Toronto. Butterfield’s work was featured in NOW Toronto in 2020 as one of the most covetable pieces of the year.
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Christian Butterfield | Apricity
23 Nov - 21 Dec 2024Toronto, ON - Corkin Gallery presents new works by Christian Butterfield. Characterized by a tactile and sculptural use of paint, the Apology Flowers began as tokens of apologies to friends,...Read more -
To Will One Thing
14 Sep - 14 Oct 2023Corkin Gallery presents 'To Will One Thing' an exhibition delving into the intricate connections between human longing, built environments, and the pursuit of idealized societies. Through the works of Constantin...Read more -
Artists Across Generations
17 Dec 2022 - 20 Apr 2023This exhibition brings the breadth of our international roster - ranging from local artists including Christian Butterfield and Gina Rorai to international artists Frank Mädler and Andrés Marroquín.Read more -
What happens in silence
29 Jun - 3 Sep 2022Ann Agee | Young-Il Ahn | Barbara Astman | Vincent Barré | Virgil Baruchel | Lynda Benglis I Brassaï | Christian Butterfield | Sarah Charlesworth | Michelle Forsyth | Lily Cox-Richard | Kyungah Ham | André Kertész | Brendon McNaughton | Frank Mädler | Larry Poons | Gina Rorai | Grit Schwerdtfeger | David Urban | Zulu CultureRead more
"What happens in silence' brings together artists who reference notions of the sacred. These artists re-envision cultural icons by pushing the limits of media -
Christian Butterfield
11 Sep - 9 Oct 2021Corkin Gallery is pleased to announce "Green Light", the debut solo exhibition of work by Christian Butterfield. The canvases in this presentation exemplify Butterfield’s preoccupation with painting as a medium for spatial and psychological investigation.Read more -
Accidental Geometries
9 Oct - 19 Dec 2020From mediums as diverse as photography, painting, drawing and sculpture, Corkin Gallery presents the exhibition Accidental Geometries with work by artists: Barbara Astman, Virgil Baruchel, Christian Butterfield, Jota Castro, Jeff...Read more -
Sorry to bother you
11 Jul - 1 Sep 2019Artists: Virgil Baruchel, Christian Butterfield, Hana Elmasry, Neil Maguire, Rafael Yaluff Sorry to bother you explores the disquiet and apprehension of contemporary life. Troubled and inspired by the looming global...Read more
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Christian Butterfield in Toronto Life
The 10 Most Covetable Pieces for Sale at Art Toronto November 4, 2020CULTURE - BlogTO The 10 most covetable pieces for sale at Art Toronto BY JEAN GRANT For local art obsessives, Art Toronto is the undisputed...Read more -
Corkin Gallery at Art Toronto 2020
Corkin Gallery presents the group exhibition Accidental Geometries as part of Art Toronto 2020 October 2, 2020From mediums as diverse as photography, painting, drawing and sculpture, Corkin Gallery presents the exhibition Accidental Geometries with work by artists: Barbara Astman, Virgil Baruchel,...Read more