Considered by many to be one of the most iconic works in the collection, Butterfly, Half life represents the culmination of two decades of work by the artist. This introspective and emotional work addresses the cycle of life through the metamorphosis of the butterfly. Combining the use of texture, patina, and the baroque spiral, MacDonald constructs this unique story. With his hands and arms forming an abstract butterfly, the mime becomes the butterfly and in releasing the butterfly symbolically sets himself free.
Considered by many to be one of the most iconic works in the collection, Butterfly, Half life represents the culmination of two decades of work by the artist. This introspective and emotional work addresses the cycle of life through the metamorphosis of the butterfly. Combining the use of texture, patina, and the baroque spiral, MacDonald constructs this unique story. With his hands and arms forming an abstract butterfly, the mime becomes the butterfly and in releasing the butterfly symbolically sets himself free.