James Butler
R.A. R.W.A. F.R.B.S. R.B.A.
James Butler was born in London in 1931. He studied at Maidstone School of Art, St. Martin´s School of Art and at the Royal College of Art, London.Butler worked as an architectural stone carver for seven years and carved figures and decorative features on many prominent buildings in the City of London, including The Queen´s Beasts in Kew Gardens.
He was appointed Tutor in Sculpture and Drawing at the City and Guilds of London Art School and he instructed there until 1975. Since then he has been a visiting teacher.
In 1964 Butler was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy, and elected a Member of the Royal Academy in 1972. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of British Sculptors, a Member of the Royal West of England Academy and an honorary member of the Royal Society of British Artists.
He has exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibitions since 1960 and at the following galleries:
Royal West of England Academy.
Richmond Gallery
Royal Scottish Academy
Institute of Fine Arts, Glasgow.
He has contributed works to Art Expos in New York, Washington, Chicago and Toronto, as well as Art Fairs in Switzerland and London. He has exhibited in private galleries in London and in the provinces, the Channel Islands, the United States of America and South Africa.
James Butler lives and works on a small farm in the Warwickshire countryside.The farm is close to Edge Hill and is situated on the battlefield of the first battle of the Civil War, in 1642.
Butler is married to Johannesburg born Angie Berry, and they have five daughters. His personal work is essentially domestic - he works from life and bases many of his works on his family.
Major Commisions
Life size portrait statue of President Kenyatta, Nairobi, Kenya - TwiceMonument to Freedom Fighters of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.
Portrait statue of Kwame Nkrumah, Zambia
Portrait statue of Field Marshall Earl Alexander of Tunis, Wellington Barracks, Bird Cage Walk, London.
Butler won a National Competition for this portrait statue, which stands ten feet high. For this he was awarded the Silver Medal of the Royal Society of British Sculptors for the "Best Work Exhibited to the Public" in 1985. The sculpture was unveiled by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, The Queen
Mother.
Memorial statue of King Richard III, Castle Gardens,Leicester
The Burton Cooper, bronze sculpture, Burton-upon-Trent
Portrait statue of Sir John Moore, attendant figures of Rifleman and Bugler, New Depot, Light Division, Sir John Moore Barracks, Winchester, unveiled by Her Majesty the Queen in October 1986.
Twenty foot sculpture for National Guard Sports Stadium, Ryadh, Saudi Arabia (Winner of competition for this commission)
50th Anniversary Fountain, Dolphin Fountain, Dolphin Square, London
Cippico Fountain, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh
Commissioned by the Constance Fund
Portrait statue of John Wilkes, New Fetter Lane, London
Portrait statue of John Wilkes, Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Skipping Girl, Kate, St Ann´s Road, Harrow
(Again a competition he won for a piece of sculpture to stand in a new pedestrianised shopping area in north London.This centre was opened by The Prince of Wales, in November 1987.)
The Leicester Seamstress, Hotel Street, Leicester
Portrait statue of James Greathead, Engineer, Cornhill, London
Memorial statue of Reg Harris, National Cycling Centre, Manchester
Memorial for Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Arborfield
Portrait bronze bust of Sir Nicholas Bacon, St Albans School, Hertfordshire
Portrait statue of Thomas Cook, London Road, Leicester
Bronze statue of The Stratford Jester, Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire
Portrait bust of Sir Frank Whittle, R.A.F. Club, Piccadilly, London
Portrait Statue of the Late Billy Wright, England and Wolverhampton soccer Captain, Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton.
D Day Memorial to Green Howards Regiment, Crepon, Normandy, France
Stone Fountain, Hatfield, and Hertfordshire.
Wall Sculpture, Birmingham.
Life sized painted sculptures based on the paintings of Rembrandt, commissioned by Madame Tussaud´s Ltd., London, and on permanent exhibition in Amsterdam.
He has also been commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and the English National Opera for numerous theatre sculptures.
