ARTIST STATEMENTMy current work returns me to the ephemeral and the ordinary. Things unnoticed, discarded, or blown about by the wind, tend to attract my eye. In an overstuffed and complicated world, I find respite in the contemplation of something as seemingly inconsequential as a torn piece of paper, a twig, or a bit of rusted wire.With a minimalist aesthetic, these subjects are presented quietly and without pretense. In this unambiguous manner, my goal is for the viewer to see what I see, that these objects, though often familiar and ignored, are worthy of reflection.Byron's work seeks to find the balance between abstraction and realism, spontaneity and order, left-brain and right-brain. A variety of traditional and non-traditional tools are used to move paint, make marks and create layers. These layers are built up and scraped away, revealing the depth and history in each piece. What results are richly textured surfaces, reminiscent of the beauty and poignancy Byron sees in peeling paint, old walls, crumbling facades. Into this, Byron introduces a element of realism as a contrasting focal point and hint of a narrative. These subjects are based on photographs Byron takes of birds and other fauna. Simple objects culled from countless visits to antique malls and flea markets also find their way into his paintings. The thing is to keep searching.SELECTED EXHIBITIONS2015 Emergence, Adam Cave Fine Art, Raleigh, NC 2015 Harmonic, Water Street Gallery, Douglas, MI 2014 University Gallery, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL 2013 Josie Eastwood Fine Art, Hampshire, UK.2013 Aviary, Adam Cave Fine Art, Raleigh, NC2012 New Works by Gallery Artists, The Haen Gallery, Asheville, NC2010 Lark and Key Gallery, Charlotte, NC2008 South Bend Museum of Art, South Bend, INEDUCATION1979-1982 Cal Poly, Applied Art and Design, San Luis Obispo 1977-1979 Environmental Studies, University of California at Santa Barbara