Clyde Butcher
Encyclopedia
Clyde Butcher is an American
photographer known for wilderness photography
of the Florida
landscape.
, Clyde Butcher led a nomadic childhood with his parents until eventually settling in Southern California
at the age of 18. He attended California Polytechnic University
in 1960 with a major in architecture. While visiting Yosemite National Park
in 1963, he was exposed to the work of Ansel Adams
'. During Butcher's senior year of college he married his wife, Niki.
, and was responsible for a portion of the design of the Transamerica Pyramid
in San Francisco, California
. Upon losing his job, Butcher began showing his work at local street art festivals. He soon realized that he could make more money in photography
than he was making in architecture. By 1970, he left architecture for landscape photography
.
, Pennys, etc. He eventually accrued around 200 employees and an office in Akron, Ohio
and one in southern California
. In order to increase sales, Butcher added color photography to his repertoire. The bulk of his photography during this time took place west of the Rocky Mountains
and in the Pacific Northwest
. This chapter of Butcher's life was filled with strife and stress; so much so that he moved onto a sailboat along with his wife.
moored in the harbor of Newport Beach, California
. The boat had no electricity
, TV or refrigeration
. This experience gave the family a sense of peace and solitude while still being surrounded by the metropolitan city. Butcher's love for boating and the television program Flipper
brought him to Florida. Butcher sold his business in California, moved permanently to Florida, and returned to selling his art in street festivals.
In 1986, Clyde's son was killed in a car collision with a drunk driver. Butcher retreated to the wilderness for solace and restoration. He put aside his color photography and became a black-and-white landscape photographer.
Butcher's images are known for being large-format cameras ranging from 4x5" up to 12x20", which produces images ranging from 8x10 inches to 5x9 feet.
: The Monumental Landscape of Clyde Butcher [2]
September-October 2007 at the Muscarelle Museum of Art, America the Beautiful , Williamsburg, Virginia .
January 9 - February 12 2009Apalachicola River: An American Treasure. Photographic exhibit and documentary film with cinematographer Elam S. Stoltzfus.St Paul Public Library
April 2004 Living Waters: Aquatic Preserves of Florida. Photographic exhibit and documentary film with cinematographer Elam S. Stoltzfus[3]
2000-2001 Visions for the Next Millennium. Traveling photographic installation.
May 10 - October 16 2011 Clyde Butcher The G2 Gallery
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
photographer known for wilderness photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
of the Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
landscape.
Background
Born in Kansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, Clyde Butcher led a nomadic childhood with his parents until eventually settling in Southern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
at the age of 18. He attended California Polytechnic University
California Polytechnic State University
California Polytechnic State University, or Cal Poly, is a public university located in San Luis Obispo, California, United States. The university is one of two polytechnic campuses in the 23-member California State University system....
in 1960 with a major in architecture. While visiting Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
in 1963, he was exposed to the work of Ansel Adams
Ansel Adams
Ansel Easton Adams was an American photographer and environmentalist, best known for his black-and-white photographs of the American West, especially in Yosemite National Park....
'. During Butcher's senior year of college he married his wife, Niki.
Beginnings of Photography Career
During college, rather than use drawings, Butcher presented his architecture projects by creating and photographing miniature scale models. He set the models next to small plants and trees to make them look real. After graduating college, Butcher began a career in architectureArchitecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, and was responsible for a portion of the design of the Transamerica Pyramid
Transamerica Pyramid
The Transamerica Pyramid is the tallest skyscraper in the San Francisco skyline and one of its most iconic. Although the building no longer houses the headquarters of the Transamerica Corporation, it is still strongly associated with the company and is depicted in the company's logo...
in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. Upon losing his job, Butcher began showing his work at local street art festivals. He soon realized that he could make more money in photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
than he was making in architecture. By 1970, he left architecture for landscape photography
Landscape photography
Landscape photography is a genre intended to show different spaces within the world, sometimes vast and unending, but other times microscopic. This popular style of photography is practiced by professionals and amateurs alike. Photographs typically capture the presence of nature and are often free...
.
Commercial Success
Eventually, Butcher ended up in a partnership that sold his images to the wall décor departments of Sears, WardsMontgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward is an online retailer that carries the same name as the former American department store chain, founded as the world's #1 mail order business in 1872 by Aaron Montgomery Ward, and which went out of business in 2001...
, Pennys, etc. He eventually accrued around 200 employees and an office in Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
and one in southern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. In order to increase sales, Butcher added color photography to his repertoire. The bulk of his photography during this time took place west of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
and in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
. This chapter of Butcher's life was filled with strife and stress; so much so that he moved onto a sailboat along with his wife.
Move to Florida
For seven years, Butcher, Niki, and their two children lived on the sailboatSailboat
A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails. The term covers a variety of boats, larger than small vessels such as sailboards and smaller than sailing ships, but distinctions in the size are not strictly defined and what constitutes a sailing ship, sailboat, or a...
moored in the harbor of Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach, incorporated in 1906, is a city in Orange County, California, south of downtown Santa Ana. The population was 85,186 at the 2010 census.The city's median family income and property values consistently place high in national rankings...
. The boat had no electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
, TV or refrigeration
Refrigeration
Refrigeration is a process in which work is done to move heat from one location to another. This work is traditionally done by mechanical work, but can also be done by magnetism, laser or other means...
. This experience gave the family a sense of peace and solitude while still being surrounded by the metropolitan city. Butcher's love for boating and the television program Flipper
Flipper (1964 TV series)
Flipper, from Ivan Tors Films in association with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television, is an American television program first broadcast on NBC from September 19, 1964, until April 15, 1967. Flipper, a bottlenose dolphin, is the companion animal of Porter Ricks, Chief Warden at fictional Coral Key Park...
brought him to Florida. Butcher sold his business in California, moved permanently to Florida, and returned to selling his art in street festivals.
In 1986, Clyde's son was killed in a car collision with a drunk driver. Butcher retreated to the wilderness for solace and restoration. He put aside his color photography and became a black-and-white landscape photographer.
Butcher's images are known for being large-format cameras ranging from 4x5" up to 12x20", which produces images ranging from 8x10 inches to 5x9 feet.
Awards
- Ansel Adams Award from the Sierra ClubSierra ClubThe Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
, 2000 - North American Nature Photography Association, Lifetime Achievement Award in Nature Photography, 2005
- Best Florida Artist, http://www.floridamagazine.com/previous/bof.html Florida Magazine Best of Florida 2006
- Wolfson Award - Visions of FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
- PBS documentaryDocumentaryA documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
on Clyde 1992 - Heartland Community ServiceCommunity serviceCommunity service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
Award 1996 - EvergladesEvergladesThe Everglades are subtropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large watershed. The system begins near Orlando with the Kissimmee River, which discharges into the vast but shallow Lake Okeechobee...
Coalition Award 1997 (For Clyde's efforts to save the Everglades) - Person of the Week 1997 (Presented to Clyde by Peter JenningsPeter JenningsPeter Charles Archibald Ewart Jennings, CM was a Canadian American journalist and news anchor. He was the sole anchor of ABC's World News Tonight from 1983 until his death in 2005 of complications from lung cancer...
on ABC NewsABC NewsABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
)http://www.evergladescoalition.org/Barley.htm - American Planning AssociationAmerican Planning AssociationThe American Planning Association is a professional organization representing the field of city and regional planning in the United States. The APA was formed in 1978 when two separate professional planning organizations, the American Institute of Planners and the American Society of Planning...
- FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
Chapter Service Award 1997 - South Eastern Region Nature Conservancy Conservation Colleague Award 1998
- FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
ArtistArtistAn artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
Hall of FameHall of FameA hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
Award 1998http://www.florida-arts.org/programs/halloffame/memberInfo.cfm?member=5 - Keeping FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
Beautiful - Adopt-A-Highway Public ServiceCommunity serviceCommunity service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
Award 1999 - Ansel AdamsAnsel AdamsAnsel Easton Adams was an American photographer and environmentalist, best known for his black-and-white photographs of the American West, especially in Yosemite National Park....
conservationConservation movementThe conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental and a social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including animal, fungus and plant species as well as their habitat for the future....
Award 2000 - FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
Monthly Magazine - Best Florida Artist 2003 - Popular Photography MagazinePopular Photography MagazinePopular Photography, formerly known as Popular Photography & Imaging, also called Pop Photo, is a monthly American consumer magazine founded in 1937 and the world's largest imaging magazine, with an editorial staff twice the size of its nearest competitor.The current publisher is Jeffrey Roberts...
- Who Will Be the Next Ansel AdamsAnsel AdamsAnsel Easton Adams was an American photographer and environmentalist, best known for his black-and-white photographs of the American West, especially in Yosemite National Park....
? 2004 - Wolfsom Telly Award 2004
- Top 100 Most Influential People in FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
2004 - Best Gallery in FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
(Big Cypress Gallery) 2004 - Stars in the Arts Award 2005
- North American Nature Photography AssociationNorth American Nature Photography AssociationThe North American Nature Photography Association or NANPA is an organization dedicated to photography of nature. Established in 1994, the association has more than 3,000 members currently. Several categories of membership are available, including discounts for students. It annually sponsors many...
Lifetime Achievement Award 2005http://www.nanpa.org/history.php - International CollegeInternational CollegeInternationella kunskapsgymnasiet is an independent gymnasium in Liljeholmen in Stockholm, Sweden. The school is bilingual, with a mixture of Swedish and English used depending on the course....
Humanitarian of the Year Award 2005
Recent major projects
January 28 - April 15 - St. Paul, MN- America The BeautifulSeptember-October 2007 at the Muscarelle Museum of Art, America the Beautiful
January 9 - February 12 2009Apalachicola River: An American Treasure. Photographic exhibit and documentary film with cinematographer Elam S. Stoltzfus.St Paul Public Library
April 2004 Living Waters: Aquatic Preserves of Florida. Photographic exhibit and documentary film with cinematographer Elam S. Stoltzfus[3]
2000-2001 Visions for the Next Millennium. Traveling photographic installation.
May 10 - October 16 2011 Clyde Butcher The G2 Gallery
External links
- Clyde Butcher's website
- Ansel Adams & Clyde Butcher
- "Film on Aquatic Preserves wins national award", Florida Department of Environmental Protection
- "Clyde Butcher, A Photographer In The Heart Of The Everglades", Shutterbug, February 2004
- St Paul Public Library
- Butcher, Clyde on Indexmod, an open index of fashion, design and art brands around Eurasia