Mixed-media artist Bev Butkow is here to fill our world with colour inside and out. Her journey has been a unique experience, providing us with inspiration around every corner
Colour hides a power still unknown but real, which acts on every part of the human body, said the explosive Russian painter, Wassily Kandinsky – and he couldn’t have been closer to the truth. Just one glance at the complexity of the colourful artworks by local mixed-media artist Bev Butkow, and the viewer is teleported to a world of complete sensual pleasure.
Once upon a time a chartered accountant, Bev heeded the call of the inner artist in her mid-40s – a true leap of faith! Once her children had entered adulthood, an opportunity presented itself for Bev to experience the world with a new frame of reference – that of a full-time artist and explorer. As Bev immersed herself in the world of artistry, her unapologetic expression through her art invited some controversy: ‘A textile-based sculptural piece of mine was placed in the reception area of a legal firm. It had a strong physical presence in the space that some of the male lawyers found uncomfortably assertive and challenging. They requested it be removed. This is a small example of how my creations have been met with resistance from (mainly male-dominated) audiences who find my work provocative’, explains Bev. Despite this, she has confidence in the growing trend of female curators and collectors who appreciate the strength of femme-centric subject matter and aesthetic – a positive testament of the progress towards equality in the world of art.
Bev’s artworks, an amorphous entanglement of woven fabric, is an enchanting sight to behold. Witnessing the depth of emotion and meaning that dwells within each centimetre of art reminds us of how the microcosm is an expression of the macrocosm. Bev’s work is informed by the desire to understand the human experience through the creative process, and her subject matter encompasses several important social matters including the intricate experience of balancing motherhood and career, socially encoded expectations of women, cross-cultural experiences, environmental awareness and homelessness in South Africa. ‘I have multiple inspirations that stem from internal factors and my engagement with the external world. Some of these inspirations are the world around me, the people I interact with, Mother Earth, the creativity of others, the hidden structures that guide human sociability. My body functions as a receptor to the moods, events, consciousness of all around it, which all wind up in some way in the creations I make’, she says.
Bev succeeded in her quest for a Master’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of Witwatersrand, and her Master’s exhibition received some incredible feedback from the audience – many describing it as a spiritual, self-reflective experience. When prompted as to what she hopes her artwork extends to the viewer, Bev expressed that she desires the audience to feel the artwork through their bodies and senses, and be open to allowing different levels of awareness to arise within them. Her journey has taken her from a structured life to one that exists within creative flow, opening up a different way of engaging and being within the world.
Artwork that is this dynamic calls to be delicately placed in order to best appreciate the details of creative expression: ‘My works relish spaces that are open and spacious. They respond to light, either natural lighting and shadows, or dramatic artificial lighting that creates layered shadows. Because many of my works are free-form, they don’t take one specific form and can be rehung to allow multiple variations’, suggests Bev. Artists like Bev provide the opportunity for us to engage with their expression of emotion, and to discover the meaning of our personal experiences through it – and for that, we can be infinitely grateful.
Words by Ria Naidoo
Photography: Courtesy Images
