This past weekend, fifty black artists from across the country showcased their art at the fifth annual BUTTER Fine Art Fair in downtown Indianapolis. The equitability-focused event  centered around this year’s theme of “Remember.” Remembrance is an essential effort, particularly in the midst of the anti-historical and sociopolitical trends of the current Trump administration; with its emphasis on the range of black culture and “economic justice in the arts,” BUTTER serves as the artistic antithesis of the conservative agenda. The 4-day festival works tirelessly to broadcast resilience, reflection, innovation, and ingenuity.

GANGGANG, a multinational “creative advocacy agency,” is responsible for the birth of BUTTER in 2021. The uniqueness of this event comes not only from the variety of exceptional voices but also from the fact that it is entirely commission-free: the artists make 100% of the profit for their work.

When taking a break from enjoying the more than twenty-five DJs and cosmopolitan dining options, our journalists briefly spoke to Seed Lynn about his experience as a first-time artist at BUTTER. Lynn, a Chicago-based photographer, author, and “listener,” is drawn to the art of remembrance. Taking the artistic approach of a listener, he focuses on the idea of observing and connecting with his subjects as a way to understand them and their distinctive “voices.” Two pieces of Lynn’s were exhibited at BUTTER. When asked his favorite of the two, he gestured to Contact (pictured below), a dreamy blurred photograph of two people on a neon-lighted roller rink, framed by a worn wooden “gate.” 

Lynn expressed that it represents “where he’s going” with his art. He was inspired by the “world he inhabits at the roller rink” where there is “a gate, or a portal to another world.” As a former roller-skater, he wanted to showcase a world that may seem remote to non-members, which manifested in his striking frame: “framing it as a gate shows you something that might not be typically available to you.” He uses this piece as a tool to immortalize his experiences on roller rinks as well as tell the stories of his community. Lynn shared that he was a poet and hip-hop musician before beginning visual art and signing up for his first photography class in 1996. Always fond of using portraiture and double-exposure techniques, he aims to represent the portrait “within the world.” 

Seed Lynn, like many of the other talented artists at BUTTER art fair, is providing creative takes on the lives he observes and experiences. With sculptures, collages, photographs, paintings, fashion, and more, BUTTER promotes thought-provoking and exquisite fine art for all demographics from a large assortment of impactful voices. Offering free tickets to those under age 18, everyone should check out this bustling cultural scene of true imagination on Tenth Street.