By
Jeff Bye
Piece description from the artist
Forgotten America is what interests me as an artist. My passion lies within exploring the unknown or the ignored, and capturing it before it disappears forever.
I have always been drawn to textured surfaces and the patinas that evolve over time on the exteriors and interiors of abandoned buildings, to historic structures that are being renovated, and to the Mom & Pop stores that have not changed since they opened decades before. I’ve been determined to capture those moments in time before urban developers erase and take over their DNA forever. Time is of the essence and time is a huge factor in trying to document these structures and neighborhoods that have a certain and unique character separate from other areas of their city. This is what’s frustrating as you see the diversity being replaced by a more uniform design and feel which loses its original intent and purpose.
Traveling back and forth to New York, Philadelphia and other smaller urban pockets, you can see the acceleration of this madness and often hear the same comments from people not identifying with there environment who express concern and say “this is not my city anymore.”
Jeff is originally from Long Meadow, Massachusetts. From an early age, he showed a talent for rendering still lives and landscapes. Because visual communication always interested him, he decided to pursue art after graduating high school.
Jeff entered the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) for his undergraduate studies, where he discovered his passion for the human figure. Jeff spent a year in Rome, Italy through RISD's European Honors program where he studied classical art and architecture.
After RISD, Jeff continued with his graduate studies at the New York Academy of Figurative Art. His formal education exposed him further to the works of artists like Henri Matisse, Pierre Bonnard and Lucian Freud, whose styles influence his work to this day. Also while in New York, he was able to focus his attention further with the figure while taking advantage of New York's vast cultural resources.
Jeff currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. He is part of galleries in NY, Boston, & Maine. His works have been exhibited nationally and internationally and is part of collections all over the world.
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