Fly fishing is an angling technique that uses an ultralight-weight lure called an artificial fly, which typically mimics insects to attract and catch fish.

Big Fly Big Fish is a collection of art assemblages by artist and angler Kevin Byrd. It's the combination of two life-long pursuits: art-making and fly-fishing.

The artworks explore traditional fly tying techniques at an exaggerated scale by using large fish hooks typically found in deep-sea shark fishing. Household items – zip ties, USB cables, speaker wires, plastic broom bristles – are repurposed as raw material, reimagined into artistic lures.

“

In my studio, I came across a tangled spaghetti of old computer cords and asked myself: Why the hell do I still have a Firewire 400 cable from 2007? Old iPhone cords, speaker wires, printer USB cables... Why have I been holding on to these out-of-service relics?

— Kevin Byrd

”

From the initial intention to tie absurdly large flies unfolded a new subject: materiality. How the flies are composed is not hidden, and becomes a prominent aspect of the completed work.

These art assemblages nod to minimalist sensibilities of artists like Dan Flavin and John Chamberlain, who used materials from hardware stores and pre-manufactured elements such as neon lights, industrial foam, and automotive parts in their artwork.

The resulting aesthetic hints at a fantastical new universe, reminiscent of post-apocalyptic films like Mad Max and Waterworld.

Each fly acts as a new type of attractor, not for fish, but for humans.