As part of Delbarton’s annual AP Art Exhibit, we continue our AP Artist Spotlight series highlighting the creativity, vision, and exploration of our senior artists. This week, we feature Dillon Byrne ’26, whose portfolio delves into abandoned spaces and forgotten objects, capturing the beauty of what time leaves behind.

“Beginning at a young age, I was always an adventurous person, exploring the outdoors and the world around me. While exploring, I would often encounter things that were left behind, lost, or simply withering away with time. These things often fascinated me even though many would walk by without giving them a thought," he explained in his Artist Statement.

This fascination with the overlooked and abandoned has shaped the focus of Dillon’s AP portfolio. By exploring abandoned buildings, settlements, and forgotten spaces, he seeks to convey themes of darkness, vibrance, and texture, inviting viewers to reflect on the passage of time and what is left behind.

“I wish to excite the mind of the viewer with questions about the passage of time and what we leave behind when we are gone," he said.

Dillon’s creative process begins with exploration: capturing 20–50 photographs of objects and spaces that spark curiosity. From there, he chooses the medium that best conveys the intended message for each piece. While Dillon began with straightforward paintings and single-medium works, his portfolio now embraces experimental and textural approaches, incorporating physical elements such as wood, newspaper, and dried plants. The variety of mediums includes acrylic paint, collage, dry point etching, and chalk pastel, each chosen to emphasize a particular aspect of the piece and enhance the overall narrative.

Through this focus on abandoned and overgrown spaces, Dillon transforms decay and neglect into moments of beauty and reflection. His work encourages viewers to reconsider the unseen stories embedded in the world around them and the traces we leave behind.

We thank Dillon for sharing his artistic journey and his unique vision, and we look forward to the next feature in our AP Artist Spotlight series.