John Byam  1929-2013

The artist, John Byam, died on March 30, 2013, shortly after his first New York solo exhibition concluded at Andrew Edlin Gallery.

Byam was born on April 20,1929 in Oneonta, New York, an area he lived in all his life except for the two years he served in the Army, when he was stationed in Japan during the Korean War. He assisted his family in running a trailer park and did various other odd jobs in addition to his art making.

In Jerry Saltz's New York Magazine review of the show at Edlin he commented, "...these, wee, captivating wood carvings include sprinkles of sawdust, other detritus, paint, and ink, and depict stairs, caskets, ladders and furniture. They're made by an upstate visionary named John Byam who operates under that absurd label "outsider artist." He's an artist, period, and continues to make art as he approaches his 84th birthday."

John Byam leaves behind him a singular and imaginative body of work, which continues to bring pleasure to those who view it.