Behind The Freedom: An Interview with Raymond Butler

Posted 7/27/2010 by smartblackboy in Labels: , , , , , , , , ,




We sit down and talk real street art, book stores, Taekwondo gyms, and how to make it in the Dallas art scene with young up-and-comer Raymond Butler.

This is the second in our interviews of artists leading up to the grand opening of the Green Bandana Project Friday July 30th at the Arts Apartments in Dallas' newly renovated arts district. Click here for the first one.


Art Star: What motivates you to be an artist?
Raymond Butler: Street art. Lots of street art. Not sculptures and commissioned work done by muralists, but illegal work.
Art Star: Why street art?
Raymond Butler: Cause that stuff seems more free.. no rules. And most of those guys I think do it just to do it because they’re not gettin paid
AS: What media are you into right now?
RB: Mixed media, but I love oil paint.
AS: Who do you think is (are) revolutionizing art?
RB: All the street artists like bansky, invader, shepard fairey and others like them because they are using the streets as there canvas, It is like they are taking us back to cave man times; writing on walls leaving history for all to see -but in a more advance way.
AS: Where do you stand with art as a career? Full time? Part time with a random side job? How have you been able to make it over the years? Advice for the starving artist?
RB: I do art part time and work part time but I want art to be full time cause it’s a passion not a hobby. To make it as an artist I think you have to have drive and no fear. You have to put yourself out there and make it happen not wait for it. That’s been working so far for me. I have an art crew called the Peanut Gallery and we put on our own shows around Dallas.
AS: Where have been some of the places ya'll have shown?
RB: Deep ellum at a retail shop called the In Accord, Coco Andre in the Bishop Arts District, Soda Pop Gallery also in the Bishop Arts District, a backyard, a Taekwondo gym, any where we can find.
AS: What are your thoughts about the dallas art scene?
RB: Very slow. I go in major book stores and can’t find the art sections because they are soooooo small or they don’t have one anymore. I think Dallas artists need to get together more and have art events and let people know there is life in this city.
AS: If you were a sticky note what would you be stuck to and what would it say?
RB: Foreheads "Live Free Die Happy"
AS: Is there anything else that you would like to tell our readers about you art or about you personally?
RB: Most of my work is surrealism and it comes from my over active imagination. When people see my work I want them to smile because I think art has become waaaaay to sirius so I hope I'm the artist that leaves an impression on your face.

You can check out Raymond Butler and the rest of the Peanut Gallery here

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