Karen Lovegrove gallery presents Benjamin Butler's "New Trees". Benjamin has explored tree forms for approximately five years. He told me that prior to the tree motif, he painted mountains. The painting's impact hits me when I engage with the subtle, spatial brush work. Lots of sensitive dry brushing of equally thick, equally spaced lines. The sharp edge of Benjamin's sables distinguish the body of his muse, the trees.
I was struck with the similarity of the new works on view this month in Los Angeles, with Mondrian's transitional works, the tree deconstructions in particular. Benjamin told me that his work was inspired by minimalism, and though it isn't minimalist, it seems to be a frozen moment akin to that stage referred to before in Mondrian's development. It's nice to see the kinship here, but it makes me wonder as well. Mondrian was moving on. Where is Benjamin Butler moving onto next?
