John Byrd: Statement
I am interested in the nature of the autonomous, decorative object and the perception of finely crafted skill as used to exhibit a persistent commitment to an idea. Contextually speaking, my work tends to be derivative of specific aesthetic qualities that I associate with my personal autobiography. Growing up in the rural mountains of North Carolina, I had little exposure to art. Always a visual thinker, I've consistently found myself cataloging the visual descriptors of my place within the culture.
I generally assess a particular hierarchy of materials that I associate with this aesthetic and often apply skilled processes to either contradict or reinforce my understanding of them. Important to me is the idea of 'double coding,' attempting to simultaneously honor and critique my common inspirations as well as those one might consider more artistically elite. On some level, my work is often designed to be both beautiful and disturbing.
In regards to my use of animal specimens, while often more of a formal decision, I feel that absolutely all people, in one way or another, act to both honor and consume animals. My own direct use forces me to more readily acknowledge my own conflicted consumptive role. To some extent, I am interested in the ego attached to this process and sometimes attempt to almost justify the death of the animals by including them in a ridiculous setting that makes them seem more like humorous participants rather than victims.
In regards to the potential empathic response of the viewer, I find that people are apt to draw their own defining ethical lines in regards to their connection with animals, often influenced by their own distinct upbringings. I make no attempt to be a moral compass on this subject. My work is simply a personal study of my own hypocrisy as a participant in the notion of both honor and consumption.
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