Riviera Way

Riviera Way is based on the promenade at Menton, in the south of France — a kaleidoscope of colour that Tom kept returning to.

Two details are worked into the collage, if you know where to look: a sunken Peugeot 205 floating among the waves — a nod to the iconic old French cars still seen along this coast — and a line lifted from Elle magazine, "je n'ai rien à cacher" (I have nothing to hide). A small, private joke about how much Tom likes to hide in his own pieces.

"Being challenged daily and discovering new and exciting ways of pushing boundaries keeps me motivated. My mixed media landscapes have something to say, which I like to express with collage and typography."

---

Butler creates this narrative with an expert use of characterisation; the people that occupy his scenes, a stylised representation of society that has often been compared to L.S. Lowry, are complemented and modernised with Butler’s collages.His inclusion of newspaper text, slogans, statements or a single word, adds a depth and intrigue that keeps the audience hooked.This murmur from the artist, a quiet commentary accompanying the scene itself can be likened to the hum of the city, the gentle chatter of a metropolis. With this, Butler brings an essence of the City onto our walls and into our homes.