Katie Butler

Visual artist 

Exhibition: Bread and Butter 

July 10 - August 17, 2024 in Burton D. Morgan Gallery 

Katie Butler, a painter hailing from Akron, Ohio, specializes in allegorical still life creations that offer incisive commentary on American politics. Her paintings present tableaus featuring meat, seafood, and elegant china juxtaposed with commonplace gingham tablecloths, serving as a visual critique of the disparity between the affluent, privileged figures in power and the ordinary citizens they purport to represent. Using the dinner table as a metaphorical stage for political theater, Butler highlights the superficiality of "bread and butter issues" at the heart of political campaigns.

During her Akron Soul Train residency, Butler aims to extend her representation by collaging scenes that blend everyday objects from her life with powerful and absurd elements. This expansion of her visual language involves collecting imagery from individuals' domestic spaces, introducing a more expansive and specific vocabulary to her work. By incorporating these elements of the everyday, Butler seeks to enhance the depth of field and complexity of space in her paintings. Ultimately, she hopes that this portrayal of everyday life will underscore the stark differences in realities between the average citizen and those in positions of power, bringing this contrast to the forefront of her artistic narrative.