Michael Byron Opens at MOCRA
Cosmic Tears, an exhibition of paintings by internationally recognized artist Michael Byron, opens at Saint Louis University’s Museum of Contemporary Religious Art (MOCRA) on Sunday, September 13, 2009 with a free public reception from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. The exhibition continues through December 13, 2009. (Unfortunately, Mr. Byron cannot attend the opening, but he will be giving a talk about his work on Sunday, November 15, 2009, at 2:00 p.m., followed by a reception).
Michael Byron, Cosmic Tears 12, 2003.
The earliest work in the Cosmic Tears series dates from 2003. While works from the series have been shown in other exhibitions, this is the first time they have been displayed as a body of work. In these evocative paintings, Mr. Byron explores the relationship of the individual to the universal. The works are based on a text by the artist that meditates on the inevitable mix of emotions that accompanies the act of creation; pain and joy together elicit a “cosmic tear” that is the “womb of our psyche.” Yet the paintings themselves attest to the potential of art to “shape that tear into Meaning.” The abstract works simultaneously suggest both microcosmic and macrocosmic perspectives, and evince a quiet, reflective quality.
Mr. Byron is Professor of Painting at the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis. In his distinguished career he has exhibited throughout the United States, as well as the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, France, Germany, Spain, and Mexico. He was selected for the 1989 Whitney Biennial. His work is included in many public collections including the Saint Louis Art Museum, the Museum of Modern Art (New York), the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Museum Boymans-van Beuningen (Rotterdam), and the Tamayo Museum (Mexico City).
MOCRA thanks the artist and Philip Slein Gallery, St. Louis, for their assistance in assembling this exhibition.
Regular museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Exhibition admission is free, though there is a suggested donation of $5, or $1 for students and children. More information is available by calling 314-977-7170 or visiting MOCRA’s website.
