CLYDE BUTCHER PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT
Las Cruces Museum of Art
491 N Main Street
September 06 – December 28, 2024
This fall, the Las Cruces Museum of Art will host an exhibit of photographs by legendary photographer and national treasure, Clyde Butcher. Butcher composes his works at pristine and untarnished locations across the US, creating arresting compositions that distinctly mark him as the foremost landscape photographer in America today.
Butcher has been called the next Ansel Adams by Popular Photography magazine, awarded as a humanitarian for acting for the betterment of his community, and recognized as a conservationist for bringing issues to the forefront of public consciousness through his art. His photography transcends political boundaries, challenging us to work together to protect natural places across the globe.
In the tradition of the nineteenth Century Hudson River School painters, Butcher composes his works at pristine and untarnished locations across the US, creating arresting compositions that distinctly mark him as the foremost landscape photographer in America today.
In 1986, Butcher’s 17-year-old son was killed by a drunk driver. After, Butcher found solace in the wilderness of the Big Cypress National Preserve, where the mysterious, spiritual experience of being close to nature helped to restore his soul. Resolving to relinquish his ties to color photography, he destroyed his color work and vowed to use only black and white film. Per his Instagram page:
"Ted was only 17 years old when he was killed by a drunk driver in 1986. In my grief, I disappeared into the Everglades for days at a time. I fell in love with the land and let it be the sanctuary I desperately needed. My time in nature led to a turning point in my career. I realized color photography was not my passion; it was not expressing what I felt. I loved black-and-white photography and knew that was my calling."
In 1983, Butcher shared a practical art booth design with other artists. These booths became the white tents ubiquitous to art shows all over the country today. Butcher is thus dubbed, "The Grandfather of the Traveling Artists' Booths." In 1985, Butcher decided to experiment and sell both his black-and-white and color images at an art festival. In his booth, one side was black-and-white, while the other was the color pieces. Sales of the color pieces exceeded those of his black-and-white, even though his interest was to return to black-and-white photography.
Coinciding with the Butcher show, the Brannigan Cultural Center will be exhibiting works from Emmitt Booher, a Native New Mexican whose photography promotes a personal narrative that is introspective and reveals a deeper understanding of our world.
Booher’s black and white photographs capture the movement, shadows, and beauty of White Sands National Monument, the Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument, the Trinity Site, and other iconic places in New Mexico. It has been said that Booher sees the artistic aspects of nature, like clouds and trees, as well as man's relationship to nature. Booher lives in the area and his work can often be seen at galleries in Mesilla and Las Cruces.
Do you need a place to stay when coming to Las Cruces for the Clyde Butcher show? Check out our listing for 1-2 people at Pajarito Casita on Airbnb:
Clyde Butcher | Black & White Fine Art Photography – Black & White Fine Art Photography
