In her early work, Butterfield used humble materials such as plaster, mud, clay and sticks. Concerned with the ephemeral nature of these materials, Butterfield began using scrap metal (found steel) in 1979 when she moved to a ranch in Montana, and in 1985, Butterfield was introduced to bronze casting – a defining moment in her career. 

Since then her process has remained relatively the same. Butterfield begins each sculpture by creating it with the gathered wood. She then meticulously documents the sculpture before taking it apart and casting the wood in bronze. To this day Butterfield continues to create works in bronze and found steel. Though Butterfield says, “I have steel moods and bronze moods.”

Find her most recent sculptures in her current exhibition at L.A. Louver, on view through November 10, 2012.

Images via: Deborah Butterfield, by Robert Gordon, published by Abrams, NY, 2010; and Jeff McLane, L.A. Louver