Anthony Butts
Anthony Butts was born in Georgetown, Guyana. Primarily a self-taught artist, as a young man Anthony had some training with Stanley Greaves and Angol Thomson. Both of these well-known artists had an impact on his early style. Other early influences were the work of Denis Williams, Aubrey Williams and Dudley Charles.
In 1977 he held his first one-man exhibition at the Exhibition Hall in Georgetown, Guyana. Later that year he was awarded first prize in the National Art Exhibition and Competition in Guyana. Also in 1977, Butts exhibited his paintings at the first Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) held in Guyana.
In 1980 he designed and layout the Guyana Booth for the International Trade Exhibition in Suriname on behalf of the Guyana Government. Other of his artworks were shown at various galleries in Suriname before he migrated to Trinidad. In Trinidad he continued his work in the graphic arts industry. His growing proficiency in the field is evident in select pieces of his work displayed throughout the nation in stores and supermarkets.Anthony has been working with Studio 66 Art Support Community since 1999, tutoring art students and exhibiting his own work. Since its inception, Studio 66, a melting pot of diverse talents, has been the nucleus of the art scene in Trinidad, where many artists from all parts of the country and beyond meet and exchange ideas. One of the better known projects Butts worked on with the Studio team is the painting of a mural in the Panberri Steelband Yard. He has taken part in a number of nationwide exhibitions through Studio 66 as well, including their annual Emancipation exhibition at the Queen's Park Savannah. Artists associated with Studio 66, Makemba Kunle and Leroy Clarke, have exerted a great deal of influence over Anthony's more recent work. Clarke is internationally renowned as a master in the use of rich colours, large canvases, and semi-abstract depictions of spiritual, social, and political subjects, and has served as a mentor to many local artists.
Anthony's work expresses images that reflect the multi-cultural society that encompasses the Caribbean. His themes are drawn from various aspects of the diversity of the Caribbean culture. For example, 'Pan Explosion' emphasizes the themes of music and masquerade. Anthony uses acrylics and watercolours in most of his work, relying on other materials, such as chalk pastel and ink, to bring out the substance of his work.
Artist's Statement
"Some people ask me, 'What is art?' I tell them that for me, it is a personal expression on canvas that the artist shares with the wider society. It's not static. Like culture, it changes form with the times. Art is subjective and therefore infinite; it's beyond verbal expression, and quietly speaks for itself. My art is my life. When I paint, I paint of myself. When I share, I share part of me, exposed to the world. I paint in a style that best expresses my "Caribbeanness".
Contact:
12, Second Avenue
Barataria
Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.e-mail:
antoniodesign@yahoo.com
 Tambu Bamboo -acrylic- |
 Myself and I-acrylic- |
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 Sensual II - acrylic- |
 Divine Couple -acrylic- |
