We recently connected with Arnold Butler and have shared our conversation below.
Arnold, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?
I went to an artist talk in which Radcliffe Bailey was the keynote speaker and he was asked what advice would he give aspiring artists and his answer influenced the trajectory of my ART career. He said that the key to making masterful Art is to make you ART so personal that it becomes universal. If you focus on the emotional process of the work, the outcome will have a universal appeal.
Arnold, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I grew up watching my father paint and I had a habit of studying his disposition more than his technical skills. His approach to ART was very cerebral in a spiritual sense. He sought his canvas as if he was the proverbial sinner seeking the highest salvation. The manner in which my father locked into his zone was very intriguing to me and I wanted to traverse the same inter-dimensional realms as him. When he painted, he seemed to exist in a space where time didn’t exist and I would sit in silence for hours looking at him looking beyond. When Art finally chose me, I was in the midst of an intense emotional shift and painting was the only medium that was able to articulate the untranslatable emotions flooding my entire existence. ART became my therapeutic release-unlocking any and every emotion holding me hostage.
I want any potential client to understand that I don’t paint pictures-I paint my prayers.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
Many non-creatives appreciate the “outcome” more than the “process” that achieves the outcome. It takes passion to understand passion and many non creatives need to learn how to properly respect the process of creation.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Make the space for ARTISTs to beautify society.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aB2ether.com
- Instagram: @ab2ether