# Ken Butler

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American artist/musician

For the American stock car racing driver, see [Ken Butler III](/source/Ken_Butler_III).

Ken Butler Ken Butler in 2002 Background information Born Kenneth Lee Butler (1948-08-03) August 3, 1948 (age 77) Bethesda, Maryland United States Genres Experimental art and music Occupations Artist musician performance artist Years active 1967–present Label Tzadik Records Website Ken Butler's Hybrid Visions

Musical artist

**Kenneth Lee Butler** (born August 3, 1948) is an American artist and musician, as well as an [experimental musical instrument](/source/Experimental_musical_instrument) builder. His Hybrid musical instruments and other artworks explore the interaction and transformation of common and uncommon objects, altered images, sounds and silence.[1] The idea of bricolage, essentially using whatever is "at hand", is at the center of his art, encompassing a wide range of practice that combines live music, instrument [design](/source/Design), [performance art](/source/Performance_art), [theater](/source/Theater), [sculpture](/source/Sculpture), [installation](/source/Installation_art), [photography](/source/Photography), [film](/source/Film)/[video](/source/Video), [graphic design](/source/Graphic_design), [drawing](/source/Drawing), and [collage](/source/Collage).

He is internationally recognized as an innovator of experimental musical instruments created from diverse materials including tools, sports equipment, and household objects.[2]

His works have been exhibited and performed in galleries, clubs, museums, festivals, and theatres throughout the USA, Canada, and Europe including [The Stedelijk Museum](/source/The_Stedelijk_Museum) in [Amsterdam](/source/Amsterdam) and [Lincoln Center](/source/Lincoln_Center) and The [Metropolitan Museum of Art](/source/Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art) in [New York City](/source/New_York_City) as well as in South America and Japan.[3]

## Early life

Butler studied [viola](/source/Viola) as a child and maintained a strong interest in music while studying the visual arts at [Colorado College](/source/Colorado_College) and in France at The Institute for American Universities in [Aix-en-Provence](/source/Aix-en-Provence), completing his [MFA](/source/Master_of_Fine_Arts) in painting from [Portland State University](/source/Portland_State_University) in 1977. He moved to New York City in 1988 from [Portland](/source/Portland%2C_Oregon), [Oregon](/source/Oregon).[4]

## Collaborations

In the past and currently Butler has worked with artists like [John Zorn](/source/John_Zorn), [Laurie Anderson](/source/Laurie_Anderson), [Butch Morris](/source/Butch_Morris), [The Soldier String Quartet](/source/Dave_Soldier). Butler has released an album on [John Zorn](/source/John_Zorn)'s label [Tzadik Records](/source/Tzadik_Records), and performed in many places including the [Knitting Factory](/source/Knitting_Factory).[5][6]

## Media appearances

His works have been reviewed in [The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times), [The Village Voice](/source/The_Village_Voice), [Artforum](/source/Artforum), [Smithsonian](/source/Smithsonian), and [Sculpture Magazine](/source/Sculpture_(magazine)) and have been featured on [PBS](/source/Public_Broadcasting_Service), [CNN](/source/CNN), [MTV](/source/MTV), and [NBC](/source/NBC), including a live appearance on [The Tonight Show](/source/The_Tonight_Show).[7]

## Discography

- Ken Butler, Voices of Anxious Objects, (CD with 16-page color booklet.) Tzadik Records, TZ 7402, 1997.

- Live at Zebulon 2005, CD, Hybrid Visions Music, 2006

- KB's Greatest Hits 1993-1996, CD, Hybrid Visions Music, 2005

- Live at Kerrytown Concert Hall, (trio w. vocals) CD, Hybrid Visions Music, 2005

- This is It: Live at Zebulon Volume 1, includes "Par Twelve", CD, Zebulon, 2005

- Out of Nowhere, Judith Ren-Lay, CD, Knitting Factory Records, 2003.

- Improsculpt, Collaboration with Oeyvind Brandtsegg, [http://teks.no/oeyvind](http://teks.no/oeyvind) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20060203104748/http://teks.no/oeyvind/) 2006-02-03 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), 2002

- Gravikords, Whirlies & Pyrophones: Experimental Musical Instruments, CD, with 96-page booklet and CD, Ellipsis Arts, CD 3530, 1996.

- An Artist in The Civilized World, Ric Soshin, CD, Phantom Records 4321, 1996.

- Testament: Conduction #23, Lawrence D. Butch Morris, CD, New World Records, 80482-2, 1995.

- AS IS, Loretta Roome, Eric Feinstein, (guitar tracks), for self-produced cassette, Brooklyn, NY, 1994.

- Experimental Musical Instruments, Nicasio, Ca., From the Pages, cassette Volume III, 1988, and Volume VIII, 1993.

- Improvisations, Ken Butler and Dina Emerson, Gargoyle Mechanique, New York, sampler cassette, 1990.

## Film and video production

- Hybrid Visions, (2-hr. DVD of excerpts 1993-2006), Hybrid Visions Music, 2006

- "Hand Song", 16 mm animated film selected for Ann Arbor Film Festival, 1974.

- "Hybrid Antics", video produced at Rogers Cablesystems, Portland, Ore, 1984.

- Art Directed Gus Van Sant's first film "Mala Noche", Portland, 1986.

## Career highlights

- **2008** Pollock/Krasner Foundation Grant, The Dayton Art Institute Ohio, Compiegne Library, France

- **2007** Art Gym at Marylhurst Univ, Hallie Ford Museum, [Elizabeth Leach Gallery](/source/Elizabeth_Leach_Gallery), artMoving Projects

- **2006** Mass MoCA, Sideshow Gallery, The Lab, Light in Winter Festival

- **2005** Lancaster Museum Pa, The Avampato Museum NC, Dowd Fine Arts Center, NY

- **2004** De Paul Univ. Chicago, Michigan Theatre, 2B Gallery Budapest, Kerrytown Concert Hall MI

- **2003** Collective Unconscious, The Knitting Factory, NYC

- **2002** The Aldrich Museum, CT., F. Donald Kenney Museum NY, (color catalog),

- **2001** The Klanghaus Hamburg, Rose Art Museum Brandeis, Paris, Radio Bremen.

- **2000** Exit Art, Florence Lynch Gallery, The Boston Museum, BAM Cafe, The Kitchen

- **1999** NYFA Fellowship, The Brooklyn Museum, Smithsonian Magazine, The Tonight Show .

- **1998** Wintergarden Theater, Citicorp Atrium, Met Life Windows NYC.

- **1997** Metropolitan Museum of Art, Art Gallery of Ontario, Oakland Museum, Knitting Factory, CD on Tzadik.

- **1996** The Kitchen, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Soho Festival NYC, Portland Center for the Performing Arts.

- **1995** Lincoln Center, Thread Waxing Space, Experimental Intermedia, NYC, Maryland Institute of the Arts.

- **1994** Printemps de Bourges and Art Rock St. Brieuc Festivals, France, Podewil Berlin, Cave 12 Geneva, Whitney Museum NYC.

- **1993** NY Foundation for the Arts Fellowship, Exit Art, Thread Waxing Space, Performing Garage, The Drawing Center, Roulette, NYC, Images du Futur, Montreal.

- **1992** Test-Site Gallery, Generator, NYC., Portland Center for the Performing Arts, Gallery Nishiasabu, Tokyo.

- **1991** Metropolitan Museum of Art, Great Hall at Cooper Union, NYC, Music-Action Festival, France, [ICPNA](/source/ICPNA), Lima, Peru, Jamison Thomas Gallery, Portland.

- **1990** Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, New Music America Montreal, Roulette NYC.

- **1989** NEA InterArts grant, The Apollohouse Eindhoven the Netherlands, The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, The [Painted Bride Art Center](/source/Painted_Bride_Art_Center) in Philadelphia.

- **1988** The Kitchen NYC, New Music America Miami, NW Artists Workshop, Portland.

- **1987** Franklin Furnace, The Knitting Factory, NYC, Portland Center for the Visual Arts, New Langton Arts Multidisciplinary Project Grant.

- **1986** The Art Gym, Portland, On the Boards, Bumbershoot Festival, Seattle, Dance Studio, LA.

- **1985** On the Boards, Seattle, The House, Santa Monica, CA.

- **1984** Littman Gallery, NW Artists Workshop, Portland.

- **1983** NEA Artist Fellowship, Oregon Arts Commission Fellowship, Portland Art Museum, Portland Center for the Visual Arts.

- **1982** Elizabeth Leach Gallery, NW Artists Workshop, Portland, Rosco Louie Gallery, Seattle

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Arts. Ken Butler & The Anxious Objects"](http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=5887). Retrieved 2010-07-10.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Ken Butler : Hybrid Visions"](http://www.tfaoi.com/aa/8aa/8aa102.htm). Retrieved 2010-07-10.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Hybrid Strings, Ken Butler, artist musical, sound designer, unique art and experimental musical instruments"](http://www.oddmusic.com/gallery/om19600.html). Retrieved 2010-07-10.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Ken Butler Biography, Discography-"](https://web.archive.org/web/20121008064227/http://www.starpulse.com/Music/Ken_Butler-P278915/). Archived from [the original](http://www.starpulse.com/Music/Ken_Butler-P278915/) on 2012-10-08. Retrieved 2010-07-10.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Vanguard Visions - Ken Butler"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110717184657/http://www.vanguardvisions.com/butler.html). Archived from [the original](http://www.vanguardvisions.com/butler.html) on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2010-07-10.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["allmusic ((( Ken Butler > Overview )))"](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p278915). Retrieved 2010-07-10.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Ken Butler : Define, Explore, Discuss-"](http://www.museumstuff.com/learn/topics/Ken_Butler). Retrieved 2010-07-10.

## External links

- [Official website](http://kenbutler.squarespace.com/)

- [Ken Butler](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p278915) on allmusic.com

- [Ken Butler](http://www.oddmusic.com/gallery/om19600.html) on oddmusic.com

- [List of media and tv appearances](http://www.mindspring.com/~kbhybrid/bio.html#media) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20091004223238/http://www.mindspring.com/%7Ekbhybrid/bio.html#media) 2009-10-04 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

Authority control databases International VIAF WorldCat National United States France BnF data Artists MusicBrainz RKD Artists

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ken Butler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Butler) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Butler?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.