Dakari Butler

rk is usually marked with a red line on the floor, inciting a warning urging you to not come near.   My work turns that tradition on its head.  It is an exploration of touch, of the tactile.   For me, touch is an essential part of connection,  with both the animate and inanimate.  I have always been quite a tactile person.  I have many memories as a child, going to places with my mother, and hearing the constant mantra to not touch anything.  She would repeat the order before we even stepped into the building, every minute we were inside, when my wandering little hands would reach out for many random objects.  To touch is to realize how tangible the object is in space.   

My work invites the viewer to do more than just view; they are no longer a viewer but a participator, open to manipulate the work with their own hands.  I use textiles manipulation, polyurethane foam, kitschy and everyday objects to create an experience that utilizes both actual texture and sound.