About John Byrne

Currently my work is concerned with the nature of masculinity. Although they appear ostensibly portraits they are not traditional portraits and are concerned more with a sense of anonymity and distance as opposed to pure characterization, more related to types and reflections on presentation. These paintings draw upon previous interests in decoration drawn as much from a background in design and illustration .

My art school training was traditional in the sense that there was an emphasis on drawing from the figure and classic painting techniques.

In recent years, I have concentrated on drawing and watercolor as it has provided me with the clarity and lightness of touch which I am striving for.

Of particular interest to me as a figurative painter is the artist’s relationship to photography which in recent years has very much come to the fore with the ubiquity of photography in this era of the digital age.

The notion of painting a portrait has changed dramatically as consequence of this era, painting from the live model was once mandatory for the figurative/representational painter but in this age it is considered not strictly necessary (although some would disagree). The ‘image’ as portrayed by the artist to a world wide audience through social media outlets such as ‘Instagram’ ‘Pintrest’ etc has revolutionized how we perceive the art making practice.Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any enquiries about my work..