STATIC INTERFERENCE

an exhibition of new works by Eric Butcher
11 May to 16 June 2007

Eric Butcher’s third solo exhibition at Vertigo gallery, Static Interference, presents a group of dramatic new three-dimensional works in oil and resin on aluminium.

Butcher’s work has consistently pushed the definition between painting and sculpture, or surface and object. Aluminium panels interact dynamically with their surrounding spaces. Some are curved in arc form, others stand proud of the wall, and another follows the wall before turning abruptly into the viewer’s space. The surface of these panels are painted with delicate layers of colour, each layer and the underlying aluminium making its presence felt far beyond its immediate environment. The application of the paint is ordered, meticulous – Butcher uses flat tools of his own making to pull the paint across the surface, allowing the tiniest imperfections in the aluminium to dictate the surface’s final appearance as the tool hesitates and jumps imperceptibly at every bump and burr.

The surfaces of these works are careful studies of the materials used, exploiting their hidden, underlying properties. Butcher capitalises on their smoothnesses, irregularities and the reflectiveness of the metal as he applies his paint. But their impact is not restricted to the surface. In installation the pieces respond to their surrounding spaces, each element controlled with deliberation. Successive plates are positioned precisely both in their distance from adjoining plates and from the wall. The shadows and space between the pieces are incorporated into the work and the repetition and regularity of their hanging contributes to the viewer’s visual satisfaction. In another piece, painted extrusions of differing lengths and widths are placed together to form a large work where blocks of colour and their distance from each other transform the space, surprising the viewer from every angle.