Butch Anthony – Intertwangleism at Black Rat Projects

Rural folk artist Butch Anthony holds Intertwangleism, a display of “knick-knack” art work fresh from his home town of Seale, Alabama.

Anthony, creator of annual festival Doo Nanny, transfers his stateside work to the first show of 2013 at Black Rat Projects. Following the age-old folk art tradition of creating treasure from trash, Intertwangleism exhibits morbid yet humorous art. The doodle-style work combines photographs scrawled with cartoonish painting overlays and quirky slogans, seemingly positioned at random. The outcome: a junk-store, “hillbilly chic” collection of art.

Anthony’s Museum of Wonder, a converted barn, showcases the full range of his artwork for folk art collectors in his hometown. Anthony says: “I try to just take junk that I find on the road and turn it into the kind of junk someone would want to have hanging on their walls. But all of it is junk.”

Hailed as a national treasure, Anthony pushes the boundaries of art, normality and acceptance with his strange and beautiful creations. He states: “Intertwangleism is how I look at people and break them down to their primordial beginnings. Almost like x-ray vision, seeing through a person’s clothes, through their skin and muscles and veins and bones – even their shadow. These first skeletonised paintings are just the first phase of my Theory to take over the art world as we know it.” Butch – we look forward to it!

Verdict: ••••

Ashlea Griffith

Photos: Dimitris Amvrazis

Butch Anthony: Intertwangleism is on at Black Rat Projects until 23^rd February 2013, for further information visit here.