We’re certainly a bit biased but you have to agree, Florida’s landscape is one of a kind. It’s even more breathtaking when it’s captured by Clyde Butcher’s camera. Through his photography, we see a mixture of elements: elegance; even, an eerie calming effect. The renowned Florida photographer has teamed up with Coral Springs Museum of Art to showcase 36 new works in “Preserving Eden,” opening September 6.
As a young man Butcher first set his sights on becoming an architect. In college, he created mini-models of his projects then photographed them, rather than just draw the projects. But architecture was not his strength. Soon after leaving the field in the early 1960s, Butcher toured an Ansel Adams photography exhibit at Yosemite National Park. (Adams is an iconic American photographer whose black-and-white landscape photographs focused on the American West.) That exhibition changed the course of Butcher’s life and inspired him to sell his photography at art festivals.
In 1971 Butcher’s company Eye Encounter was picking up steam. His photographs of landscapes, both in color and in black and white, were sold as wall decor to department stores such as J.C. Penney’s and Sears. The company continued to expand hiring approximately 200 employees. Then in 1977, Butcher sold the company and moved cross-country to Florida. A few years later, he met Florida native Oscar Thompson, who acquainted Butcher with the Big Natural Cypress Preserve and the Everglades. Butcher saw so much mysterious and primeval that he refocused his black and white film on the swamps.
Today, Butcher’s mural-sized photographs are epic, winning him many prestigious awards and titles including the Artist Hall of Fame Award and 2005 Humanitarian of the year award and many others.
The exhibition is on display until November 22. In honor of Butcher’s exhibit, Coral Springs Museum of Art will host a Masterpiece Event, “Butcher & Blues,” a casual evening of food tastings, live entertainment, raffles and a silent auction on Thursday, Sept. 11, 6:30–10:30 pm. In addition to celebrating Butcher’s exhibit, the event will pay homage to all things American, in honor of the Sept. 11 tragedy. RSVP to [email protected] or call 954-340-5000.
