Tynan Byrne’s work begins from a deeply personal place and expands outward into something communal, urgent, and enduring. A photographer, writer, and bookmaker, Byrne approaches image-making as both an act of devotion and a form of cultural record. A 2015 graduate of the Art Institute of Boston, Byrne’s connection to Lesley University has continued to evolve, deepening through the MFA in Visual Arts program. Now graduating, his practice reflects a commitment to representing his lived experience with honesty, care, and intention.
Originally from a small town in rural Maine, Tynan describes growing up in a place where access to art and media felt distant and delayed. That absence became formative. It shaped not only what he sought out as an artist, but what he ultimately set out to create. His work is driven by a clear ethos: to make the images he needed but did not have. Photographs of life as a gay man, intimacy, and presence that feel immediate and unfiltered.
Working primarily in black and white film, Tynan uses a Pentax 6x7 camera, a medium that allows for only ten exposures per roll. His photographs are deeply autobiographical, centering on his life, his partner Richie, and the community they have built over time. Friendship, intimacy, and queer sociality are not peripheral themes; they are the core of the work. The people in his life become collaborators and muses, contributing to an evolving archive that reflects the textures and nuances of community.
This approach is most fully realized in his recent artist book, how strange others' hands on the body that you love. Spanning over two hundred pages, the project combines photographs with poetry and short prose, marking his most ambitious publication to date. The book traces his relationship with his partner Richie, moving through moments of tenderness and joy before shifting unexpectedly into a period of crisis when Richie faced a life-threatening medical emergency. The work does not shy away from that rupture. Instead, it confronts it directly, documenting vulnerability, care, and recovery with the same attentiveness given to moments of celebration.
Central to Tynan’s practice is the question of representation. Who is behind the camera matters. In a field historically shaped by exclusion, his work asserts presence and authorship while contributing to a broader gay archive, extending visibility to experiences that have often been overlooked or erased. This commitment feels especially resonant during Pride Month, a time that honors both visibility and the ongoing work of building and sustaining community.
As the MFA in Visual Arts evolves into the MFA in Visual and Literary Arts, Byrne expresses confidence in the program’s direction, noting that future students will benefit from the same level of engagement and care. He credits faculty for offering both critical rigor and meaningful support during pivotal moments in his practice.
Looking ahead, Byrne hopes to return to the classroom as an instructor, engaging students in conversations around photographic history, visual literacy, and challenging established norms.
For Byrne, making work extends beyond the personal. His photographs do more than document life; they extend an invitation for others to see themselves within it.
We invite you to view the work at the MFA Visual Arts Thesis Exhibition. The opening reception will be held on Friday, June 26, from 6–8 pm. The exhibition will remain on view from June 26 through July 24 at the Lunder Arts Center.
