Causa sui

About

Butler (b.1986) is a London-based artist and graduate of Chelsea College of Art. His work relies heavily on the language and gesture of painting yet resists the simple classification of a two-dimensional image. Composed of paint, chalk and dust, Causa sui is part of his recent series of paintings, in which he explores the possibilities of chance and the accident. This triptych was destroyed shortly after it was made. The nature of Butler's work is such that not all survive beyond their creation. The process of layering paint, chalk, dust and other fragments can leave surfaces unstable, this is reflected in the title; Causa sui, a latin phrase meaning cause of itself". Freud interpreted Causa sui as something that 'continues to create meaning beyond its own life.'