David Byrd: Art Basel Kabinett

David Byrd (1926 – 2013) was an American painter who lived and worked in isolation. He used the GI Bill to enroll at the Ozenfant School of Fine Arts in New York City, where he studied under the French painter Amédée Ozenfant. He worked for 30 years as an orderly in the psychiatric ward at a VA Hospital to cover his bills and (more importantly) allow him time to paint. His experiences there inspired a 200-page manuscript which he considers his magnum opus. This poignant compilation expresses the artist’s perspective as a veteran himself, and his sensitivity toward those living with trauma.

Byrd’s style bears influence from different art historical periods: from European Post-Impressionism to Modernism and Cubism, to American Realism and Regionalism. He injects realistic portrayal with fantasy, creating an unsettling psychology to the otherwise tranquil compositions. His work was not publicly exhibited until months before his death at age 87.

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