Jacques Butler – for all Occasions
Solo exhibition. Gallery IKM: Oslo Museum
June – August 2009
Focused by the artist’s investigations into the biography of Afro-American jazz soloist Jacques Butler (1909-2003) – the first artist of color to make a recording with Norwegian musicians in Norway – this montage of works draws a personal portrait. "After the Ball" was recorded in Oslo, February the 14th 1940, only few weeks before the German occupation of Norway.
Normalia – Lange's symbolic union between Norway and Somalia works as a backdrop, present both by the artist book "Normalia - featuring Jacques Butler" and trough the sound piece "The Great Normalia Mix". A filmed interview, with Butler's only son, Jean Jacques Butler, was conducted for the project.
Works in the exhibition: (Click to enlarge images)
”Normalia – featuring Jacques Butler”
artist book with CD audio piece, 54 min (bench with headphones). More
”Jacques & Louis”
video , 6’30 min. More
”All the best Norge – Jacques”
digital print, 83 x 124,5 cm
(Photographer unknown, source: Norwegian Jazz archive)
”Your Swinging Pal”
(Letter to impresario and writer Nils Jacob Jacobsen) digital print, 35 x 49,5 cm
”Paris Blues”
collage, 29,5 x 41 cm
”Dagbladet 13 January and 1 February 1940”
digital print, 61,5 x 118 cm. Enlarge
”I had taught them how to clap their hands and swing and everything else”
collage/ digital print, 55 x 44 cm
”Jacques Butler (portrait)”
digital print, 55 x 44 cm
(Photo: Bernice Jacobsen, source: Norwegian Jazz archive)
”Searching for Jacques Butler”
triptych, digital print on colored paper, each 65,5 x 48 cm. Read
”Oslo, February 14, 1940, recording at Vitenskapsakademiet”
digital print, 83 x 126 cm (Photographer unknown, source: Norwegian Jazz archive)
(from left: Stein Lorentzen, Fren Dahl, Jens Magnus Jenssen, Nils Jacob Jacobsen, Fred Lange-Nielsen, Robert Normann, Per Nilsen, Arvid Grahm Paulsen, Ivan Jacobsen, Rowland Greenberg, Jacques Butler)
”Jacques Butler’s home, East Village, NYC 2003”
digital print, 48 x 67 cm
(Photo: Albane Sharrard)
”Jacques Butler, Bermuda Club, NYC 1987”
digital print, 48 x 59,5 cm
(Photographer unknown, source: Jean Jacques Butler)
"My father (known as Jacques Butler)", video, 30 min. More