Tom Byrne

Hi my name is Tom, Tom Byrne

I am a contemporary artist

I studied originally in the Bauhaus tradition which was founded in Germany. I then studied under the Irish abstract expressionists, their school of philosophy. I was selected to participate with the independent artists group Michael Kane etc of which I exhibited extensively being described by the Irish times as powerful in college I was influenced by the likes of Harry Clarke Jack Yeats, Kandinsky, Rothko, and other international Artists I have been described by international art critics as outstanding.

I began an abstract form of painting myself when I split from these old artistic movements which I called Fluidism following on from all the other isms I thought this one really suited my technique and philosophy check out my large abstracts. I eventually moved back to Berlin the home of Bauhaus and studied art there I worked with the underground Punk Artgroup there Archaos Designing large scale sculptures with them. Nowadays I would think of myself as simply a contemporary artist. I have been described as socio political and also as an engaged artist politically and culturally. I have designed artwork for punk fashion and artwork for the music industry in the eighties in ireland under my own now defunct label “Igor “.

My work is represented in a secondary schoolbook and other books such as anglo irish musicians in England. I appeared on request on artlives tv program on Irish artists with James Hanley and Robert Ballagh and other programs both on tv and radio. I am collected by Trinity College, Patrick Kavanagh Museum and other institutions both home and abroad plus private collections from Ulick O Connor to Bob Geldof, I have had exhibitions in London,Berlin, New York, Paris, Bejiing, Manchester, I try to keep my work up to date and modern with plenty of experimentation, I try not to become stagnant and just repeat the same thing over and over its too one dimensional for me. I am exited about the 21st century and what I can contribute to the Irish art scene.

Now some about me personally,

I am happily married with kids whom I love dearly, My day generally consists of getting up getting the kids ready for school, walking them to school,then sometimes I go for a swim, then I meditate and then I am fit and well enough to spend twelve hours working in the studio, I work hard in the studio there is always something to do, whether its prepare canvases,to painting,to doing new studies, to whatever. When I stop for lunch I will walk along the beach in meditation I get inspired here from the beautiful views of the rugged coastline to the views of the sugarloaf.

I will then go to my favorite cafe for lunch usually vegetarian (im not vegetarian anymore only at lunchtime)and meet sometimes with a friend or read,either a book on Art,a self help book, or the newspaper, then its back to the studio for more work. after I finish for the day I will go home either play with the kids or watch television with my wife I wasn’t always like this I was a tare away in my early days living a wild lifestyle of decadence and excess,the artworld and music scene seemed to demand this type of lifestyle esp the punk scene or so it seemed to me but this is all another story. I am much happier now and as you can see get a lot more done,but now for whoever reads this far I would also like to say my day often does not go like this man you know what I mean shit happens,anyway welcome to my site enjoy x