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Kent Anderson Butler

Kent Anderson Butler (American, b. 1971)
Drowning With Land Still in Sight, 2016/2019
Mixed media sculpture
Westmont Acquisition

Drowning With Land Still In Sight is inspired by Herman Melville’s Moby Dick and the Old Testament story of Jonah and the Whale. Anderson Butler relates his sculpture to the 135th chapter of Moby Dick, as Captain Ahab is pulled out of the boat by the whale and Chapter 1 of the Book of Jonah that describes Jonah tossed overboard as a sacrifice to his Lord.

The torso in the wagon is a cast of the artist’s body-- no head, legs, or arms are represented, just the core of the body as though the rest is submerged in water. Anderson Butler addresses issues of pain and agony associated with his own body. This work communicates a sense of despair. Even his title suggests that after struggling, and coming within sight of rescue, the artist cannot keep up his fight. The red hose that attaches to the wagon is the water source, and a second hose empties out onto the floor, becoming a cyclical experience. It is the only hopeful message of the piece. Can an equilibrium of water coming in and water going out rescue the figure?

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