Ryan Paonessa

I believe I was first introduced to the folk art of Butch Anthony 5 or 6 years ago via a New York Times article about his drive-thru museum in Seale, Alabama. I was immediately intrigued and began following his work — especially his "Intertwangleism" pieces which Butch describes as "...how I look at people and break them down to their primordial beginnings. Almost like x-ray vision, seeing through a persons clothes, through their skin, and muscles and veins and bones even their shadow."

When I moved from New York to Florence, Alabama, Butch's name came up often in conversation, rekindling the intrigue I felt after first being introduced to his art. I decided to shoot him an email introducing myself and to inquire about commissions. I explained that I had two prints of photographs that I had taken in Morocco a few months prior and that I thought they'd be a perfect canvas for his work. He wrote back "ok, send it to (address), thanks butch" — which I did the very next day. Two months later I received a large box with 40-something individual stamps plastered to the front. Inside were the prints, properly Intertwangled by Butch Anthony.