Various Objects pulls together three loose strands of the artist’s studio practice, the first of which being figurative paintings made in response to a research trip and residency undertaken by Butt in Amsterdam in January 2019. Additionally, the exhibition also presents works made immediately prior to this trip, as well as works from as far as 2014, alongside non-objective objects made before and after the artist’s time in Amsterdam.
While ranging from the figurative to the abstracted, these works are drawn together by their engagement in notions of transit and propose travel as a methodology in and of itself. Through the combined exhibition of figurative, abstract, object-based and photographic works, Butt overcomes their disparity by inviting subtle connections and situating his practice as a highly conscious cycle of investigation and revisitation.
Image: Aaron Butt, Man reading (after Rooney) (2018), Oil on board with round corners, 29 x 21 cm