SV Artist Takeover: George Byrne

StandardVision follows up Izaac Enciso’s artist takeover on our SVLA1 screen on the Marriott Courtyard Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles with work by George Byrne. Byrne is the third, of many artists, to be invited to take over a week-long recurring 15-second spot to showcase their work to the public.

Byrne’s work aesthetically adheres to the month’s theme, Color Theory, with his eye for bold, primary color, and clean silhouettes. His latest project, a unique and challenging series called “Local Division LA” is an exploration of the urban landscape, inspired by Ed Ruscha and Richard Diebenkorn among others. This series heavily emphasizes composition, light, and color. There is more depth to the work than these basic elements of photography; his photos explore the bitter truths of poverty, people’s everyday struggle, and uncover the sublime in supremely ordinary moments.

Byrne admits he enjoys finding visual puzzles in everyday life, and capturing the solution through his lens. He also says he “arranges and rearranges his subjects”, which to him is about finding the right way in which to capture the unmovable city. The subject dictates the composition and arrangement of the work. As an artist, Byrne exhibits his work across the world, but recently has begun using his Instagram as a visual gallery and scrapbook. It has become an important and easily accessible extension of himself and his work.

Take a look at his latest series here and at his instagram @george_byrne