Michelle O’Byrne, English Silver, 2011
Kotama Bouabane | Michelle O’Byrne | Michael Snow
Artist Statement
“Gesture is a series which brings to attention issues in the visual language of photography through paradoxes within the work. The gestures performed are both destructive and creative simultaneously. Through the destruction of the original image in the creation of a new image, the presence of the original is re-emphasized, revealing the process of change and inscriptions of time.
The images clearly demonstrate the hand of the artist which has cut and stapled the textured paper, however the scanning and reprinting process removes the tactility of these elements leaving only the appearance of texture and transforming the handmade object into a reproducible image. The decontextualisation of the images leaves the viewer with minimal information about the image’s original framework, reminding the viewer of the way in which photographs are often used as support to text. A tension is created because the viewer is free to explore and make new meaning out of the image, yet is constantly reminded that the image has been shifted suggesting the metamorphic effect of context.”
Biography
Michelle O’Byrne is a photo-based artist living and working in Vancouver. She received a BFA in Photography Studies from Ryerson University. Her work has been exhibited at the Gladstone Hotel, Lennox Gallery, AWOL Gallery and Galerie Pierre-Léon in Toronto.
Website: www.michelleobyrne.com