Britomart Series at One Room

Philip Butler paints from a booth at Britomart as part of his artist-in-residence project. Picture / Greg Bowker

In nothing more than a small glass booth, Philip Butler spends five days a week drawing and painting at Auckland's Britomart Centre. This is not a stunt for reality TV or a perverse test of endurance, but an opportunity to work on a project of his own design.

As Britomart's third and final artist-in-residence for 2005, Butler has chosen the centre and the people passing through it as the subject of his artistic project.

Using the interior of Britomart and its combination of neoclassical and modern design, Butler's main theme is the juxtaposition of figures and light.

"I like the interior of the centre and the contrast between natural and artificial light. In my work I want to show the expression of the body against light. I am trying to create a delicate balance between the figure and the background, as if they are merging into one."

People in Butler's paintings are indistinguishable, purely silhouettes cast in shadow.

"When you don't personalise people, but see them as a mass of creatures like ants going about their business, you get to pare things down to the essential elements."

Britomart has been the ideal vehicle to express his themes and the perfect place for observation, he says.

"I am really looking to capture the little pools of light and the anonymity of figures passing through."

Though the figures in his work are often grouped, there is a strong sense they are solitary beings.

The glass booth he works in - fittingly entitled One Room - is in the foyer of the centre, which means he has a bird's eye view

He does get the odd person inquiring after tickets or the toilets. And although he is observing passersby, they are also watching him.

"The booth makes you slightly conscious of the public gaze, that people are looking at you working. So sometimes you do become more deliberate and less spontaneous."

The benefits, however, of being an artist-in-residence are not lost on Butler who says it has enforced a greater sense of discipline.

"Creativity can become a comfort in itself. The fact I have to produce work for the whole month means I've always got an end goal in sight. It has meant I have to produce something in a day or a week and it has done me good to have that imposed on me."

The time constraint of the residency has resulted in increased productivity, which in turn has boosted his confidence.

"At home I was working for one to two hours and here I have to work for six. I feel more confident I am going to produce something of merit."

When we spoke it was week two, and Butler had about 12 small oil pastels and acrylic paintings on paper and canvas on display.

Since most of his supplies were donated by Auckland art shops, Butler has also had to work with colours and materials he would not normally use. "In my first week I used quite a bit of oil pastels. But in week two I attempted to doctor the colour, tone it down a bit. I am exploring a number of things, such as layering oil pastels and acrylic to create a highly textured surface."

After being diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 1996, Butler says he has had no choice but to work with the erratic nature of the disease.

"I have a small window of opportunity in a day. So in a way it has been ideal to be here. It has given me the need to persevere even when things don't always go right."

What: Britomart Series, by Philip Butler
Where and when: One Room, Britomart Centre, to September 30