The Butterfly Effect

Dozens of silhouettes descend then swoop upward with delicately fluttering wings casting exquisite shadows beneath. They fill the space, creating an almost overwhelming illusion of mass and movement. 

And then, in a single afternoon, they’re gone.

Expertly cut by hand from paper, each butterfly created for Suffolk University Art & Design Chair Randal Thurston’s installation in the faculty art exhibit, About Scale, represents a student from the program. In the time it takes to make each one—about 20 minutes—Thurston thinks of an individual and what they’ve meant to him as he crafts a tribute in their honor.

His project began two decades ago when he challenged himself to remember everyone he’s ever known—from the classmate seated next to him in third grade to the students working in his printmaking class this semester. What started as an exercise to jumpstart his creative process has taken him on a journey through memory and appreciation.

“I try to remember people that I’ve met at different times, and I create an object in gratitude for that relationship,” explains Thurston. “The number of butterflies and moths that were on the wall was approximately the number of art and design majors we have. It was a way of recognizing their impact on me.” 

Thurston says his students constantly inspire him through their creativity and resilience. 

“I often tell the students in printmaking that each one of them will create something during the course of the semester that I’ve never seen before, because much of what we actually do is by happenstance,” he says. “The surprise of that, the work students created that I found completely inspiring and unexpected, helped to inform my own studio practice.”

Junior studio art major Megan Jenal recalls how Thurston put her at ease almost instantly when she walked into her first college class, an advanced printmaking workshop with upperclass students. “From day one he was deeply invested in each student as an individual and formed a unique relationship with all of the students in the class.”

In the years since, Jenal says she has seen other students thrive under Thurston’s mentorship, calling him “a resource, a safe space, a role model, and most of all, a friend.” She also admires his constant willingness to evolve. “For such a successful artist in his field, it would be easy to teach solely out of tradition and within his specialty, but Randal never settles for easy,” says Jenal. “He learns about new processes so he can teach the new generation of artists practical skills.”

A well-known artist whose work is on display in galleries and in public spaces, including the Lechmere station on the MBTA’s green line, Thurston gravitates toward natural themes in his work. He chose butterflies for this particular project in part because they evoke the concept of metamorphosis—and the ways that his students evolve as they grow in skill and confidence. “They are at this transitional moment in their lives where they’re going from an identity which may be not quite formed, but very determined, to something which is actually ready for a life as a practicing artist.” 

At the end of the exhibition, Thurston gave students a tangible reminder of their time together. 

“He invited the class up to the gallery with no further information,” says Jenal. “When we arrived, he told us we could each take as many butterflies as we wanted.” 

Leah Markt, a Class of 2026 studio art major, says the generosity of the act was in character for Thurston. “Randal’s nature as an artist seems to be one that strives to create community and spark conversation with his work, no doubt from his extensive experience with public art installations. I have already put my butterfly up on my wall at home and will cherish it always!”

The exhibition’s closing marked the beginning of a new phase in Thurston’s own life. This spring, he will step down as chair of the department and begin a process of phased retirement. He admits that dispersing the artwork affected him more than he’d anticipated. “I was sort of expecting to get through it OK, but it was emotional. It’s joyful and humbling.”

The gifted butterflies also hold another meaning for Thurston. 

“When you look at a swallowtail butterfly in black, you imprint your memory of what that looks like, with its beautiful colors and markings. The silhouette requires the audience to finish the image by placing their own experience in that ebony surface. My work with students is all about that kind of recognition and projection and understanding, but also remembering that a big component of what we are doing is creating a way to connect with people.”