Before There Was Barack Obama, There Was Another American Born In 1961 Who Had A Somewhat Unusual Name -- Byron Kim ...

Byron Kim, Synecdoche, 1991-92, oil and wax on panel, 394 panels, each 10 x 8 inches. Collection of the artist; courtesy Max Protech Gallery, New York.

"Byron Kim belongs to a generation of artists striving to revitalize the practice of abstract painting and to make it relevant for contemporary times. Kim brings to his painting autobiographical and cross-cultural references. His first landmark work, Synecdoche, 1991-92, included in this exhibition, is a grid of 400 monochromatic rectangles each based on the skin color of various people, thus redefining the traditions of portraiture and figurative painting."

Photo and caption credit: (c) Byron Kim via University of California, Berkeley Art Museum. 2004. All rights reserved. With thanks.