Essence: The Horses of Deborah Butterfield

American sculptor Deborah Butterfield is among the most respected and acclaimed artists of her generation. Her horses, like Meijer Gardens’ own Cabin Creek (1999), have been the focus of great interest as much for their creative use of materials as for their craftsmanship. This exhibition featured the installation of both large-scale as well as pedestal-size horses. Each unique example was composed of a wide variety of materials from found and reclaimed metals, to branches and earth. Although each sculpture was inspired by a specific horse Butterfield has known, the works are not portraits in the traditional sense, but representations of the essence of that creature. For Butterfield, it is not merely the physical presence of such noble creatures she hopes to convey, but their spirit and energy as well. This exhibition featured the installation of both large-scale as well as pedestal-size horses.