Pears - Contemporary & 19th century analogue photography processes

Ian Phillips McLaren (b. 1960) is a British contemporary artist, his varied practice combines contemporary and 19th century photographic processes, video, sculpture, performance and animation.

His body of work examines dementia as a state of being, memory, personal identity and the construction of self in our visual culture, portraiture and self-representation.

Ian’s current work, The ‘Self’ & The ‘Other’ is an exploration of the ‘Self’ through the lens of ancient Roman portraiture – The ‘Other’ referring to the ways in which identities are formed.

“By combining traditional 5×4 inch analogue paper negatives of my self with hybrid digital negatives of ancient Roman portraits and fragments, I’m re-imagining the historical self-portrait, in a similar vein to how the Romans re-imagined (Hellenistic) Greek art for their own purposes”.

Pear

The pear has a multiplicity of meanings and has been used in art as a symbol as far back as the Romans on the walls of Pompeii. Gothic and Early Renaissance painters used the pear to represent marital faith but it also symbolized inner peace.

In some cultures it symbolizes affection. In christian contexts the pear symbolizes the Virgin and Child, probably because of it’s sweetness. It also bestows wisdom and health, the Chinese considered the pear as a symbol of immortality.

In ancient Greece, pears were used against nausea as a natural remedy. In the Odyssey, Greek poet Homer refers to pears as “a gift of gods.”

Pear leaves were smoked before tobacco became popular in Europe.

The pear in contemporary art can have different meanings, i.e. transitory and momentary. Consuming seasonal pears has benefits for your health, the environment and sustainable development, because the pear is grown in the UK then there are no air miles.

Fine art prints
Most of the images on this website can be purchased as a fine art prints. Email me for details, if you can’t find your image in the shop.