E.A Byrne’s work originates from an interest in how art world language and subjectivity creates cultural and monetary value. Much of Byrne’s work centres on an ever-growing collection of art phrases, which are excerpts of language collected from art reviews, talks or overheard conversations about art. Just a few examples from this extensive collection include:
“Combining the nerve of an activist with the wit of an artist”
“This is a great opening - like facing a lone gunman”
“Critical resistance is futile”
“You move through the space expecting to be cut in half by the death-ray”
“Bobs up and down cheerfully in the gallery”
Byrne reconceptualises these art phrases by attempting to assign a value term such as colour, length, rank or weight, with the aim to playfully highlight the inability to place an absolute value on the subjective, like the interpretation of an artwork. Finding interest through this incongruity and simply seeing what might happen when two opposites collide creates a constant sense of experimentation.
Art Review Graphs attempt to determine the objective value of the subjectivity found within art phrases collected from specific art reviews. Each graph becomes an interpretation of an individual art review, turning the review and the reviewer back into a work of art themselves, where authoritative views on art are re-examined using seemingly authoritative methods of deduction.
Art Phrase Colour Charts go further to decontextualise the source of the art phrase where art phrases from different sources and multiple people are all displayed together against a background of numerous colours, shades and hues. The artist's appropriation of a phrase to a colour suggests a system is at play to quantify the underlying meaning or subjectivity within the phrase through colour. Byrne's various processes within this body of work endeavours to classify subjectivity, measure meaning and subvert recognisable systems through a process of pseudo-scientific and playful investigations.
Byrne's other works such Tesco Value vs Finest Chess encompass a curiosity for reconciliation between opposing ideals, tastes or values, where she combines science with art, religion and sci-fi or games and social status. Whilst manoeuvring between the realms of commercial culture, the art world, politics, science, sci-fi or religion Byrne continues to investigate the relationship between subjectivity and value, using language as a means of negotiating this process. Whilst at the same time with an underlying playful humour and subversion that is not instantly seen but on closer engagement is often revealed. Byrne’s multi-disciplinary practice draws on a wide range of interests, ideas and techniques, from 2-Dimensional processes such as digital prints, silk-screen printing and collage to 3-Dimensional forms, video work, digital animation, installation and performance are all together reflective of the diversity in the opinions and tastes towards art itself.
Born London, England, 1979
Lives & works in London
2011-2013 |
MFA in Fine Art –Full Time, Goldsmiths University, London |
1999-2002 |
BA (hons) Critical Fine Art Practice –1st Class, University of Brighton |
2011 |
Salon Art Prize 2011 |
2011 |
Anthology Art Prize 2011 |
2002 |
Burt Brills & Cards Graduate Award |
2011 |
Aesthetica Magazine |
2010 |
Co-Curator of TEOTWAWKI
|
2009 |
Co-Curator of Knights Move: Chess Laboratory, Tate Modern
|
2005 |
The Byrne Collection
|
2001 |
Curator of Eventual Consequences.
Interactive group exhibition curated at Public Life, Spitalfields, London UK, May. 16 artists invited to work along
the theme of the future consequences of our actions. |
From Interpretation to Meaning