Lot 20: PAUL BUTLER (1973-), TALENT SCOUTS (FROM THE “TORONTO NOW” SUITE, 2008), collage, Sight 10.5 ins x 7.75 ins; 26.7 cms x 19.7 cms

PAUL BUTLER (1973-)TALENT SCOUTS (FROM THE “TORONTO NOW” SUITE, 2008)collagesigned and dated 2008 on the backing Sight 10.5 ins x 7.75 ins; 26.7 cms x 19.7 cms Provenance:Private Collection, TorontoLiterature:Dault, Gary Michael, “Artist adds a little voodoo to complicate things” The Globe and Mail, Dec. 6, 2008.Canadian Art, “Paul Butler: Masking, Making and Mystery”, December 11, 2008, Retrieved 28 Feb. 2017 2007, acclaimed fashion and editorial photographer, George Whiteside, produced a series of group portraits for Canadian Art’s Toronto Now which featured the city’s most prominent and influential artists, dealers, critics and museum directors. With titles such as The Directors, Marketplace and Talent Scouts, these portraits, shot in various art centre settings, would become Paul Butler’s impetus for a re-construction of the photos utilizing his signature technique of tape-masking. By taping over the individuals and reducing them to a concept, he symbolically encourages artists to stay true to making art despite the constraints of the art market. “I figured I’d edit all [people] out and destroy the system.”Paul Butler is from Winnipeg and is best known for his work in collage. He is a tireless promoter of the arts in various programs across Canada and has exhibited at notable institutions such as the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. Estimate: $800–1,000