Synthetica: George Byrne
Synthetica is a new series of works by George Byrne exploring the tension between the natural and the artificial and challenging preconceptions of reality in an increasingly digital age – all the while paying homage to the artist’s analogue photographic roots. Byrne began his photography career in the style of the New Topographics movement, which sought to represent ‘matter-of-fact’ subject matter with the banal aesthetic of man-made structures such as parking lots, warehouses and industrial infrastructure. As he became more curious about the process of making photos and experimenting with various forms of manipulation and digital reconstruction, Byrne became less interested in the actuality of what was in front of him. He began to interpret and invent with the help of new technologies. Synthetica consolidates the artist’s creative practice up to this point, taking photography as a starting point for the artworks and then building upon or taking away, according to a particular visual interest point in the original image. Thus, Byrne imagines new possibilities for the physical world. The exhibition shows from February 6 – March 2, 2024.
