Deborah Butterfield

Deborah Butterfield by Robert Gordon. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780810946293.

Deborah Butterfield transforms selected pieces of scrap iron and found wood into majestic, life-size horse sculptures that are, as art historian Wayne L. Roosa has written, "simultaneously, like ancient, noble archaeological remains, skeletal and grand." This elegant and lyrical volume presents a retrospective look at this important American artist, whose early works fashioned from wood and sticks caused a sensation at the 1979 Whitney Biennial Exhibition. The color photographs of the sculptures-the visual core of the book-have been provided by the artist and were taken in gallery installations, her studios, or her foundry. An insightful essay by the noted author and horsewoman Jane Smiley sensitively captures the depth of Butterfields passion for horses both living and sculpted. John Yau, poet and art critic, adds a formal analysis of the artists work, and a selection of poems by the late, noted poet Vicki Hearne, a close friend of Butterfields, evokes the world of horses. Author Robert Gordon has followed the artists career for a quarter century and brings unique insight to her body of work. The first major monograph on this heralded sculptor, the book is timed to coincide with exhibitions at various galleries across the country and a major retrospective at the Yellowstone Museum.