PEEKSKILL, NY November 5, 2004 to December 19, 2004 - In a solo-show of new paintings, artist Edward A. Butler builds on more than three decades of experimentation in the fusion of surprising color, both intense and muted, to create a series of images of people and still lifes in serene and compelling settings. Presenting his subjects in cultured landscapes or richly complex interior environments, he continually surprises with the use of striking details of color, expression and accessory.

"With these new works, Mr. Butler takes a traditional subject - the portrait - and introduces new elements, some beautiful, many surprising, at times shocking - resulting in a new direction and concept in image presentation. He surprises and delights in just the right combination every time, and he changes our concept of what to expect from a portrait today," said Gallery 25N owner Ed Burke.

The wealth of detail and subtlety in these new works invites and inspires many viewers to take a much closer look, moving to within inches of the canvas to examine the intricate detail and layers of color. There they find that one color peaks out from beneath an overlaying hue, all revealed through the brushstrokes of a third in a combination of taut emotional precision.

As the viewer steps back, every area of detail works in concert to reveal realist images of profound depth and beauty. As in many great portraits, the subject attracts and haunts the viewer with an inescapable gaze and expressions that invite conjecture. In these works, Butler builds from there, using varied elements - rich and unusual color, paintings within paintings, intricate design and ornamentation, and other nuance carefully combined and deployed to enhance the impact. He uses these innovations to expand and shape the more traditional emotional content contained in a subject's stance, gaze, and emotional resonance.

Mr. Butler's portraits are not portraits in a traditional sense. In his paintings, environment and subject have equal impact. For example, "Cristal in a Red Room," captures the artist's daughter in profile. While the figure is beautifully rendered, the surroundings are given equal attention - the couch on which she sits, the flowered rug, the rich color of the red wall, and most strikingly, the two paintings that hang on the wall behind her. One, a moss-draped tree, the other, a beachscape, both in beautiful wooden frames, could be paintings in their own right. Another, "Sara, chrysanthemums," shows young women seated at a table with flowers. Behind her, a door opens to a landscape with dramatic clouds, while on the wall behind her, a frog dressed as a drum major dances in a fanciful landscape of his own.

The show, the first commercial and solo exhibit for the artist, includes 14 recent works from the artist's New York studio. In addition to the figurative works, the show contains several remarkable still lifes and landscapes that evoke the same feeling and emotional impact of the portraits; it's as if the subject of the portrait has just stepped out of the frame.

Mr. Butler will consider a limited number of commissions.

The show of new works by Edward Butler is on view at Gallery 25N, 25 North Division Street, Peekskill, NY 10566, from November 5, - December 19, The gallery is open Friday - Sunday 12:00 to 5:00 PM and by appointment. More information about the artist and his work is available at: www.gallery25N.com or www.edwardabutler.com

For more information contact:
Jen Prunty
914-293-0811
mail@gallery25N.com
www.gallery25N.com