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John Michael Byrd holds an MFA in Studio Arts from the University of Massachusetts - Amherst and is also an alumnus of Louisiana State University, with a BFA in Painting and Drawing. He is primarily a painter, but has also worked in drawing, collage, objects, performance and printmaking. John Michael’s work has been featured in numerous regional and national exhibitions, and he has mounted almost a dozen solo exhibitions in Louisiana, Oregon, Massachusetts and New York. Also, he has been awarded several grants and scholarships, including the J. Kenneth Edmiston Memorial Scholarship and the Carl M. Thorp Memorial Art Scholarship. His work can be seen in the pages of: The Oxford American Magazine, Studio Visit Magazine, Hyperallergic, The Sewers of Paris, Painters on Painting, Kolaj Magazine, The Tulane Review, The Manifest Annual, WordSmiths Literary Review, DIALOGIST, Starry Night Programs Artists To Look Out For, Fresh Paint Magazine, Country Roads Magazine, Together Underground, 21st Century Queer Artists Identify Themselves, Art Business News, 225 Magazine, The J.O.S.H., The Ivory Tower Magazine and The Advocate. John Michael Byrd’s work is focused on absurdity and the uncanny, in an attempt to resolve the gap between the artificial and the real, juxtaposing appropriated imagery in various media. John Michael works as an Academic Advisor at SVA and is constantly painting, writing and reading Tarot cards in his spare time.
Published on March 19th, 2023. Artist responses collected in months previous.
What are you fascinated with right now?
I'm always fascinated with many things at once: the writings of Ottessa Moshfegh, blind contour drawings, the biography of René Magritte, homesteading videos on Youtube, and rewatching old episodes of the Muppet Show are all in my current orbit. I've been reflecting on recently finishing Madeline Miller's book Circe (somehow, I had avoided it for years). Its melodic sentences are dancing in my head. I've also been binge-listening to the podcast Let's Grow Big Together. It is an LGBTQ-friendly bodybuilding podcast. I'm not a bodybuilder, but I am very interested in devotion to one action or outcome. The parallels to the commitment to the studio are uncanny.
What advice would you give your younger artist self?
I advise my younger self that others have the same fears you do and are just waiting for you to reach out to them often. So, reach out, connect, and do what you want; people are paying little attention to you. They are busy with themselves. You might as well ask for what you want. Try new things, baby JMB; you will thank yourself later. Also, drink more water and work on your sleep pattern.
What are your tools for creative resilience these days? Do you have any methods to stay positive when life becomes difficult and perhaps when you have limited time to create?
I keep a pretty solid gratitude practices for myself in the morning, midday, and night time before going to bed. It is essential to compliment people when they deserve it; reading and writing daily for pleasure helps to recalibrate my emotions when days get tough. A daily practice of sketchbook drawing keeps me on my toes. I list many things I want to accomplish and what I am grateful to have completed as I go.
What is your dreamy vision for your creative career and art practice three years from now?
I want to present the best work I can daily to the world. The joy I find in my career is found in my overall happiness. It is not lost on me that I always prosper no matter where I am or what is going on around me. It is vital for me that I'm delighted daily that my talents are in demand and I'm appreciated for them. Ultimately, I would love to be part of a huge international show or biennale to showcase my studio and my ideas on a global scale; it's in the back of my mind lately.
How are you being kind to yourself as you look towards realizing your vision for your art career?
I remind myself daily, like with anything worth doing, just because it feels like it is happening slowly doesn't mean it isn't happening. Kindness to yourself is a daily practice, just like the studio; you don't ever turn it off; you check in with that space within yourself every day. Additionally, I remind myself that niceness isn't always kind. People pleasing only sometimes helps everyone involved. You can only get what you want by asking for what you want.
What are you fascinated with right now?
I'm always fascinated with many things at once: the writings of Ottessa Moshfegh, blind contour drawings, the biography of René Magritte, homesteading videos on Youtube, and rewatching old episodes of the Muppet Show are all in my current orbit. I've been reflecting on recently finishing Madeline Miller's book Circe (somehow, I had avoided it for years). Its melodic sentences are dancing in my head. I've also been binge-listening to the podcast Let's Grow Big Together. It is an LGBTQ-friendly bodybuilding podcast. I'm not a bodybuilder, but I am very interested in devotion to one action or outcome. The parallels to the commitment to the studio are uncanny.
What advice would you give your younger artist self?
I advise my younger self that others have the same fears you do and are just waiting for you to reach out to them often. So, reach out, connect, and do what you want; people are paying little attention to you. They are busy with themselves. You might as well ask for what you want. Try new things, baby JMB; you will thank yourself later. Also, drink more water and work on your sleep pattern.
What are your tools for creative resilience these days? Do you have any methods to stay positive when life becomes difficult and perhaps when you have limited time to create?
I keep a pretty solid gratitude practices for myself in the morning, midday, and night time before going to bed. It is essential to compliment people when they deserve it; reading and writing daily for pleasure helps to recalibrate my emotions when days get tough. A daily practice of sketchbook drawing keeps me on my toes. I list many things I want to accomplish and what I am grateful to have completed as I go.
What is your dreamy vision for your creative career and art practice three years from now?
I want to present the best work I can daily to the world. The joy I find in my career is found in my overall happiness. It is not lost on me that I always prosper no matter where I am or what is going on around me. It is vital for me that I'm delighted daily that my talents are in demand and I'm appreciated for them. Ultimately, I would love to be part of a huge international show or biennale to showcase my studio and my ideas on a global scale; it's in the back of my mind lately.
How are you being kind to yourself as you look towards realizing your vision for your art career?
I remind myself daily, like with anything worth doing, just because it feels like it is happening slowly doesn't mean it isn't happening. Kindness to yourself is a daily practice, just like the studio; you don't ever turn it off; you check in with that space within yourself every day. Additionally, I remind myself that niceness isn't always kind. People pleasing only sometimes helps everyone involved. You can only get what you want by asking for what you want.
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