THE FOCUS

My work embodies the transformational spirit of the vernacular. I search for and collect articles and materials with a specific history. I then add to the history of the thing by employing multiple techniques and processes such as airbrushing, spray painting, vacuum forming, or simply reassembling the object. Over the past sixteen years, I have been professionally custom airbrushing at t-shirt and car shops, athletic events, carnivals, festivals, and homes. Customizing and personalizing things is to me a rite. I...

McLean Fahnestock: So what brought you to Memphis? Jesse Butcher:  Corkey and I moved down -- Corkey Sinks is my wife, she's from Dallas. I was actually born in Memphis but I grew up in Jackson, Mississippi. We met while we were both living in Texas while maintaining our own studio practices. Both of us were curating shows for smaller independent galleries. And then both of us did our graduate degrees in Chicago. I was teaching in Chicago for...

The images I make are unplanned and improvised. I work spontaneously and tend to work on multiple pieces at the same time. Typically, I am terrible with organization, including but not limited to arranging my materials. Josh Elrod, Studio Visit, October 2016 Josh Elrod, Studio Visit, October 2016 What I mean by this I is rarely feel prepared to make anything, and I just use whatever I can find on hand at the moment. I'm largely self taught and increasingly my...