From John Button’s obituary, written by Michael Brenson, in The New York Times:
John Button, a San Francisco-born painter and teacher known for his city-scapes and his passion for light, died of a heart attack Sunday in New York City. He was 52 years old.
Mr. Button followed in the tradition of Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper and Fairfield Porter in looking at everyday subject matter with such attention and reverence that the landscapes, city-scapes and interiors would, at times, reveal the drama and substance within them.
He was fond of unexpected points of view – for example, from street level, or from right up next to the scene -which he used to draw the viewer in. Then, by placing the viewer to the right or left of the scene, he broke the intimacy and created a tension that preserved the distance of people and streets and moving skies.