Sneak Peek: John Eric Byers

By Jared Ainscough

In the Elements department of New England Home‘s next issue we will feature a piece by artist John Eric Byers. On his Web site, Byers separates his work into two categories: functional and nonfunctional. It’s a funny distinction, as it implies there is no difference between his two types of works other than functionality. However, this subtle distinction blurs the line between art object and home design object. His nonfunctional works are two-dimensional artworks that could grace the walls of any of the residences we feature in New England Home. For his functional pieces, Byers more or less wraps the art around functional objects, be they tables, stools, desks or even a grand piano.

Here are three of Byers’s nonfunctional works. Imagine these beautiful pieces melted and wrapped around three open-form mahogany tables–but you’ll have to pick up our January/February issue to see their functional counterparts!

black #7: casein milk paint, wax on gouged panel, 48″ x 38″

black #8: casein milk paint, wax on gouged panel, 48″ x 38″

black #10: casein milk paint, wax on gouged panel, 34″ x 52″