Desayuno. Jaime Byrd, artist
Beginning Friday, August 14, Jaime Byrd Contemporary Art presents Containers, a special exhibition of new works by Byrd that explores the theme of how we compartmentalize our lives, both physically and emotionally. An opening reception, free and open to the public, will be held from 4–7 p.m.
“The inspiration came from my love of containers,” says Byrd. “Everywhere I went, I kept collecting containers. Mostly boxes and bags, but also bottles, tiny houses, drawers and collections of objects. I started wondering why we’re so drawn to putting things inside other things. The more I painted, the more I realized that this is something we do emotionally as well. We create places to hold joy, grief, love, fear, dreams and memories. Sometimes those containers help us heal and make sense of our lives. Other times they become places where we’ve stored things we’ve forgotten to revisit. This has been especially true for me post-Helene.”
Garden Bottles. Jaime Byrd, artist
Byrd envisions her paintings as holding places as well—for emotions, seasons or questions. “I don’t always know exactly what a painting is trying to tell me when I begin, but by the time it’s finished, I usually understand something about myself that I didn’t know before,” she says.
Like much of her work, the paintings will also include short films that can be experienced along with the artwork. “Rather than explaining the paintings, the films expand them in many ways,” Byrd says, “sometimes adding emotional layers to the experience. Having spent so years as a film editor before becoming a full-time painter, I naturally think in both still and moving images. I love that a painting can hold a moment forever, while film allows that moment to breathe and evolve. Together they create an experience that’s more immersive than either medium could achieve alone.”
The artist finds herself particularly drawn to houses in her work. “They’re containers for families, traditions, celebrations, heartbreak and ordinary moments that eventually become our memories,” she says, adding that the same house can remind various people of the different places that they’ve called home.
“We live in a world that encourages us to move way too fast from one thing to the next,” Byrd says. “I hope art asks us to pause more. If someone leaves the exhibition thinking about a memory they hadn’t revisited in years, or reflecting on what they’re holding onto or maybe what they’re finally ready to let go of (me included), then the paintings have done their job.”
Jaime Byrd Contemporary Art is located in the Aura Arts Building at 375 Depot Street, #105, in Asheville’s River Arts District. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, or by appointment. Learn more at JaimeByrd.com.
