billbyers.com
bill byers art
I live in New York City, and travel to wilderness areas regularly. Both surroundings inform my thoughts and inspirations. Elements of the world around me are then remixed in my studio. Patterns of the earth, the sky, or even skin are reconsidered and reconstructed into new context. Painting, sculpture, works on paper, and photography are used to advance my ideas.
In ways dimensional, conceptual, and metaphorical, I explore the modern landscape.
Topographical maps are an inspiration. Two dimensional guides to the three-dimensional world. Sculptural space defined by lines on paper. Landscape paintings co-produced by art and science.
I have used them as guides in the backcountry and in my art practice.
The climatic changes happening to our planet have altered my view of these maps as reliable records of our environment. The ice and water of our planet are moving in unfamiliar ways. Traditional printed maps can quickly become irrelevant as they express a permanence that we can no longer rely upon.
My paintings reflect a landscape of transformation.
I build up my most recent paintings using multiple layers of translucent paint, so the light passes through the colors and bounces back to the viewer. It is like a form of alchemy.
This technique allows me to create images of ethereal characters that are less than solid. The figures hover above the terrain, no longer assured of sense of place.