Eileen McKeon Butt
Interview by Kiran Gurung, Colloquium Manager
Eileen McKeon Butt
Kiran Gurung: Your art seems to focus on a range of areas related to nature and the universe - how did you first become interested in these subjects?
Eileen McKeon Butt: I’ve always been fascinated by small details - when I was a kid, I was always exploring - hanging out in the treetops, trekking through the woods near my home, and climbing up cliffs searching for rocks and fossils for my collection. I really enjoyed hunting for interesting objects and spending time in nature, and I think those activities were the formation for a lot of my artistic explorations later on.
Long after college, I became interested in areas of science that I hadn’t actually studied while in school. I started developing an interest in particle physics and cosmology, and was fascinated by what these disciplines were showing us about the origins of the universe and the underlying connections between all things. I found all of this an incredible artistic inspiration, so I started turning my interest into paintings.
Eileen McKeon Butt: I’ve always been fascinated by small details - when I was a kid, I was always exploring - hanging out in the treetops, trekking through the woods near my home, and climbing up cliffs searching for rocks and fossils for my collection. I really enjoyed hunting for interesting objects and spending time in nature, and I think those activities were the formation for a lot of my artistic explorations later on.
Long after college, I became interested in areas of science that I hadn’t actually studied while in school. I started developing an interest in particle physics and cosmology, and was fascinated by what these disciplines were showing us about the origins of the universe and the underlying connections between all things. I found all of this an incredible artistic inspiration, so I started turning my interest into paintings.
"The Rosetta Nebula"
KG: You say on your website that "A lot of the things I'm most interested in are a bit out of the ordinary..." What do you view as ordinary, and what types of extraordinary subjects do you choose for your paintings?
EMB: As to ordinary things, I was thinking of what we see in the everyday world at a casual glance. I’m much more interested in what’s beyond the surface, which is where my physics art comes in. I enjoy creating artwork from information that we’ve never had access to before, like particle accelerators and Hubble images of deep space objects. I guess you could say I’m attracted to painting both the smallest and the largest structures in the universe.
EMB: As to ordinary things, I was thinking of what we see in the everyday world at a casual glance. I’m much more interested in what’s beyond the surface, which is where my physics art comes in. I enjoy creating artwork from information that we’ve never had access to before, like particle accelerators and Hubble images of deep space objects. I guess you could say I’m attracted to painting both the smallest and the largest structures in the universe.
"Beautiful Decay"
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"Cat's Eye Nebula"
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KG: What's the most difficult aspect of being an artist interested in science? And what is the most rewarding?
EMB: A challenging aspect of using science as inspiration for art is in understanding something significant about the subjects I choose to paint. This is why I normally undertake research before embarking on a project. While I want my images to be recognizable to viewers whose fields they represent, I also try to express the hidden esthetics that science reveals.
What I find most rewarding is being able to show people the beauty in things they might never have seen before; tiny things like subatomic particle collisions, or vast things like galactic clusters.
EMB: A challenging aspect of using science as inspiration for art is in understanding something significant about the subjects I choose to paint. This is why I normally undertake research before embarking on a project. While I want my images to be recognizable to viewers whose fields they represent, I also try to express the hidden esthetics that science reveals.
What I find most rewarding is being able to show people the beauty in things they might never have seen before; tiny things like subatomic particle collisions, or vast things like galactic clusters.
"Proton-Proton pile-up at the LHC"
KG: Do you have any upcoming exhibitions, or news to you'd like to share?
EMB: In January, I’ll be on the judging panel for the Scholastic Art Awards at St. Stephens Episcopal School. From February 24-April 13, my artwork will be on display at the Carver branch of the Austin Public Library. In May, I’ll be participating in the West Austin Studio Tour (May 9-10 and 16-17). My paintings will also be in three locations of Epoch Coffee in Austin from June-August this summer, and my work will be at Reveal Dental from August 5th through November 4th.
EMB: In January, I’ll be on the judging panel for the Scholastic Art Awards at St. Stephens Episcopal School. From February 24-April 13, my artwork will be on display at the Carver branch of the Austin Public Library. In May, I’ll be participating in the West Austin Studio Tour (May 9-10 and 16-17). My paintings will also be in three locations of Epoch Coffee in Austin from June-August this summer, and my work will be at Reveal Dental from August 5th through November 4th.
See more of Eileen's work on her website
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