Cassie Butcher grew up in West Virginia and went to Berea College where she majored in Art and Psychology. Shortly after graduating, she had the opportunity to go to the Penland School of Craft to study glaze chemistry. In March 2004, Butcher was granted a resident artist position at Odyssey ClayWorks in Asheville, N.C. where she continues to live and work today. She creates ceramic sculptures inspired by the way human beings relate to one another, exploring human relationships and interactions. By stripping the figure of details that would lead to a specific identity, she makes room for the viewer to create a personal reflective narrative and hopes to evoke a deeper sense of empathy. Butcher refers to these basic clay figures as "souls" because they touch on the essence of humanity, rather than physical appearance or circumstance. In a world driven by individuality, her sculptures remind viewers that we are not all that different at our core, reconnecting us to each other through shared universal experiences. For the exhibition Here Today, the still, contemplative nature of Cassie Butcher’s souls provides a moment of pause, challenging viewers to fully enjoy and experience the moment they are currently in rather than rushing to the next thing.

A&L:  For your exhibition Here Today, you challenge viewers to pause and experience the present moment. How do you use the tactile nature of clay to disrupt our fast-paced, individualistic culture?

Cassie: When I was first getting started in my career, I had a critique with a potter who said about one of my sculptures that if it were in her home she knew she would stop and contemplate what it meant everyday. That was very insightful for my path because as much as I love being surrounded by beauty and handmade pottery, I had the unique opportunity to create work that asks questions, that transforms thoughts, to create empathy. 

Clay lends itself to this contemplative concept because it takes time. There’s an action from me and reaction from the clay. It interrupts the fast pace in my life. In the studio, it’s calm and steady for me, even when deadlines approach. 

The combination of the process and the results create interest that draws folks in to observe or question the process or meaning. One of my responses I hear is “I like this one! Oh I like that one…well, I really like them all.” Not because it’s a compliment but because of the bigger picture of reality. Is that not the attitude toward actual human souls we should have?!

A&L: Surface design plays an important role in your work. You seem to experiment quite a bit with the color and patterns you create on each form. How do you determine which colors, patterns, and textures will best evoke the specific emotion or relationship you are trying to capture?

Cassie: I try to make all of the little individual souls one of a kind, so on a practical front I look at my inventory and take notice that I may need more polka dots or more turquoise or more glossy glaze! But I also try to think of glaze and texture combos I’ve not done before and get out of my comfort zone. 

For Here Today, one piece I really tried to expand my comfort zone is “Glimpsing the Unseen.”  I tend to stay in the neutral color wheel on big sculptures. But this one I really wanted to be bold and radiant. When we think about the unseen things (like the spiritual realm), there’s a tendency to think ghostly angels robed in white. But the unseen is here with us. And I wanted bright colors joyous colors to reflect that the unseen spiritual realm is something in the distance but here with us.

A&L: Do you have a favorite artist or artists?

Cassie: I sure do! Two of my biggest inspirations for a long time are Antony Gormley and Magdalena Abakonowicz who are both figurative sculptors that have varied how realistic or defined the form is. 

The first work of Gormley’s that caught my attention was an installation where a room was filled with hand sized figurative blobs of terracotta with two eye holes in each staring up at the viewer. 

Abakonowicz’s works of larger than life hollowed bronze castings gave me the feeling that I could step into that figure’s body and be able to completely empathize with them. One of my favorite artist colleagues in Asheville is Amy Massey who creates these flowing, ethereal yet grounding delicate watercolor works. Very inspiring also!