the man
Born in Tacoma, WA.
Raised in Salem, OR.
1918
Worked as a waiter, cook, booker, harvest hand, and chief cook in the Marion County Jail, painting in spare time.
1936-1938
In these pages we will explore the life, times -and most importantly, art- of Byron Randall. As listed above, we give a brief overview of his life, a fair sampling of his works and where they can be found on display, and -very soon- more in-depth conversations discussing all things Byron with the ‘In The Periphery’ podcast series. This series will cover everything from Byron’s political views, social/political/environmental activism, to the art itself and why his work and name are largely unknown to this day, despite having worked alongside such herculean artists as Emmy Lou Packard, Pablo O’Higgins, Frida Kahlo.. to name a few. This series will go on to serve as the basis for the Byron Randall Project’s next evolutionary leap, a large format art book that will further showcase his works and his story.
But for now, we invite you dear viewer to dive into the imaginative and exhilarating world of Byron Randall. He’s an outlier, a free thinker.. look closely.. in his art, as in his life, the details are in the periphery.
First one-man show at Salem Federal Art Center; One-man show at Whyte Gallery, Washington, DC; Featured in Newsweek Magazine, Oct. 16th 1939.
1939
Marries Canadian sculptor, Helen Nelson, influential in forming his commitment to social activism; Moved to Mexico; First child is born - Gale - Sept. 1940. Continues to develop as a painter, inspired by the vibrant people and landscapes of Mexico.
1940
Retrospective show at Salem Federal Art Center; Byron and Helen in North Beach area of San Francisco.
1941-1942
Joins WWII effort as a Merchant Marine, where he was a member of Marine Cooks and Stewards Union, which had a strong communist element; Works as a ship’s baker and continues to paint, inspired by shipboard scenes and travels to Hawaii, South Pacific Islands, Australia, and New Zealand.
1943-1945
Served as an arts correspondent for a Canadian news agency in Yugoslovia for six months; Travels to Eastern Europe, painting and making prints of post war imagery, including a series from Poland on Jewish themes, featuring portraits of Jewish refugee children and rebuilding the Warsaw ghetto.
1946-1947
Show of Yugoslav paintings at American Contemporary Gallery, Hollywood, CA; Show of Yugoslav prints in Toronto, Canada; Paintings included in 8th annual exhibition of the Society for Contemporary American Art, Chicago Art Institute.
1947-1948
Second child is born - Jonathon - May, 1948; Moves family to Mount Tamalpais/Mill Valley in San Francisco Bay Area; Illustrates Communist Manifesto in Pictures.
1948
Continues to show work in California, including SF MOMA exhibition that included paintings by Robert McChesney and Emmy Lou Packard.
1949-1953
