Susan Byrne
The Reconfiguration series began as an exploration of what can be achieved within limitations. Initiated at the height of the pandemic, the work was shaped by a deliberate restriction—three woodblocks and three ink colors. This constraint acknowledges the lived experience of that time, when daily life was defined by boundaries, uncertainty and continual adaption. Rather than resisting limitations, this series embraces them as a guiding force.
Each print begins with a plan—choosing a specific shape and three colors unique to that iteration of the series. From there the process becomes increasingly intuitive—I print the first layers and then react to what unfolds with each pass through the press. There is no predetermined number of layers; I continue to overlap blocks and colors until an expressive composition of color, form and pattern develops. And I see it as complete. Through this process, unexpected images and colors emerge, often revealing richer visual relationships that I had not initially anticipated.
