GIVING BACK!
Servicing the community through art.
Educational & Entertainment services namely, visual art exhibitions, interactive visual art exhibits; providing an online workshop in the field of art & photography. All to educate and entertain young adults to interact with, learn from and be entertained by the visual arts.
THERON COOK
Stage 1: Caterpillar
Much like a butterfly, artist and creator, The Butterfli3ffect’s artwork is rare and beautiful, unique and one of a kind. It is a culmination of life expressed through the medium of art. Whether bright and bold, or dark and melancholy, it is always innovative and thought provoking. Its inception, although still cocooned, took place in 2002, in Reading, Pennsylvania, the city where The Butterfli3ffect grew up and started his journey as an artist.
Birthed in his mind, while he lay on a hospital bed preparing for one of the many surgeries that he’s endured in his life, The Butterfli3ffect lifestyle is inspired by a journey that has been plagued with pain, but stunning nonetheless. It’s minimalist, but it’s luxurious. Every move is calculated with exact precision, with the intent of changing the world through art.
Stage 2: Complete Metamorphosis
Each accomplishment and acrylic paint brush stroke led to the Butterfli3ffect’s blossoming. In 2013, he received the Artist of the Year Award in his hometown. In 2014, he earned his wings. By this time he had already self-published his first book in dedication to his late father and the mother of a childhood friend, but he wanted more. He fled his stable environment in Pennsylvania, leaving behind a comfortable home in suburbia and the office where he founded a small print and online publication. He started again in New York City. There, he worked as a designer for brands like Time Inc., BMW, Essence and Vibe. But his journey had just begun. His past caught up to him. Three separate near death experiences left him with blood clots in his lungs and a six month hospital stay, not to mention his jaw being wired shut for two months.
Stage 3: Butterfli3
If you asked The Butterfli3ffect how his life relates to that of a butterfly, he probably wouldn’t tell you. Instead, he’d let you answer your own question. Not because he doesn’t know the answer, but because like a butterfli3 he longs to be free – free of pre-judgment, free from confinement, free from any misconceptions that come with choosing (whether consciously or unconsciously) to be the quietest person in the room. Is it a methodology that allows The Butterfl3ffect to flutter in many circles, whether it is those of the upscale galleries in Soho, or the streets of Reading, Pennsylvania and Brooklyn, New York.
In contrast to the intricacies of his paintings, which explore the complexities of life, The Butterfli3ffect is inspired by something much simpler; he is inspired by unconditional love. He has received it from his family and supporters, and most recently, his infant son. Ultimately, it is complete metamorphosis that he is after. But the transformation isn’t self serving. It is for you, the viewer. It is for those who have at one time or another felt like their wings have halted their ability to fly. It is driven by the desire to continually shed dead skin while giving back to those who have not quite learned how to do it yet. Similar to the transmutation that a caterpillar goes through in order to become a butterfli3, it is a beautiful struggle. It is taking flight and it is here. It is, Butterfli3ffect.