Byron O'Neal

Artist Statement:
My interest in humanity’s legacy of leaving marks on walls began as a child looking at pictures of petroglyphs from the American Southwest. Through these ancient depictions, I dreamed my days away by mentally visiting these realms of the past and wondering what their lives must have been like. My interest grew throughout adolescence prompting me to pursue my inquiry further, eventually leading to studying anthropology in college where I analyzed this pictorial phenomena in ancient cultural traditions and was fascinated by the diverse variety of these symbols and their universal graphic language. Captivated by their ability to communicate so efficiently, given their simplicity, I was prompted to look for a modern interpretation and found it in graffiti. Often overlooked, hated, and misunderstood, these colorful depictions are merely an extension from the classic tradition of people attempting to communicate the complexity and challenges facing them and their ever changing world by putting marks on walls. Through the medium of photography, my graffiti spheres portfolio imparts the notion of returning full circle in time, linking the traditions of the past with the present continuing the legend of this rich visual history.

www.byrononeal.com