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Matthew Byers // mona lisa

by Lorin Drexler · Feb 23, 2022

Matthew Byers – Featured Artist

mona lisa

screams
hidden in the hourglass of 
secret lives
behind the people that know
us best in all our worst ways
rendered to a diction
of what they know as their 
introspective version
of their imagined you
they travel with us in this vision
have seen us naked
broken
one eye eclipsed
mouth hung like a chamber
echoing from the people we really are
so great and terrible
to the very best we've 
been given

we only have so much
we only have this
thin at its best
we are scraped from the 
bottom of the barrel

she watches this
perched like a bird on branch
the water continues to
flow between the mountains
the wind converses and 
contours with the clouds
and the sun looks down
upon it all
indifferently

she stays silent
a member of those unencumbered by life
and its wars with the mind
but time has become an
obstacle of static power
shocking the grace
from under her

and when we realize just who
we are beyond these canyons
that swell inside us
when we're finally content
to allow the world
into our tiny little quarters
we might let on an epiphany
from ages torn to ages distorted
for a moment when it
all makes sense
and just then
in that same moment
we'll be flooded by light
and swallowed into darkness

by LORIN DREXLER


Matthew Byers

https://www.matthewtlbyers.com

Provincetown, Massachusetts

Artist Matthew Byers takes found imagery and transforms it to create work in his own style. Using painting as his medium, Matthew’s art puts a scary spin on some classic paintings and images such as ‘The Kiss’ by Klimt or Kim Kardashian’s champagne bottle shoot that broke the internet. Matthew enjoys creating these masterpieces in admiration for a collection of his favorite pop icons and friends. His work is created to be funny, and he says that his favored response is when people say, “I can’t help but laugh when I see your work.”


What is Gen Society?

Gen Society is an art space blog for visual art and creative writing collaborations, and other randomizations. Hosted by writer and musician Lorin Drexler, this online venue is an expressive experience for those interested in the world of the arts. It is a poetic journey through the hearts and minds of contemporary artists in practice and a reflection of those that have long passed.

If you’re an artist and would like to submit your work in consideration to collaborate with Gen Society, please click below:

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