Daniel Brush, “Ten Butterfly Box”, 1991-1993,
Known for his reclusive genius, Daniel Brush constructed all of his own tools and worked entirely alone in his Manhattan studio without assistants.
He Brush carved the lid of the steel box into a fluid, wavy texture reminiscent of water. The ten pure gold butterflies are attached via magnets, allowing them to appear as if they are gently landing on or hovering mid-flight above the dark, rippling waterscape.
Gold, steel and magnets,
Photography by John Bigelow Taylor












