conceputal photograph

One of my images from a body of work entitled, “The Pear Series”. These images are the result of a long period of introspection and self-examination culminating in the series and this image.

The impetus for this project was a yearning to create beautiful images once again. After spending years in the cerebral machinations of the commercial arena, my response was to engage a vulnerability of spirit and heart I had not touched upon in my photography for sometime.

The Pears, gave me that opportunity. The symbolism of the pear is deeply connected to its form, and its similarities in the female figure. I visualized this shape as symbolic metaphor through which I am able to give voice to emotions and feelings I believe we all share.

Furthermore, this softer feminine element is often in stark contrast to the malleable and sometimes violating elements and concepts included in the series. This is an attempt to communicate the male ethos struggling to dominate; these manipulations are just that, the conquering nature of the man contrasted with the beauty of the woman. I was interested in revealing these dualities in myself, creation and power.

The Pears and its simile, pairs, gave me further conceptual fuel for examining relationships… relationships to society, to one another and to myself. Commonality and self-examination are some of the repeating themes threading throughout the series.

I choose color Polaroid film as my primary medium for these works. The degenerative look of the low resolution Polaroid suited my vision for the pears; soft, textural and inviting, though again, in contrast to the sometimes conflicted and emotional direction of the series.

Of course the missing component in this self-examination is the viewer and their interpretations, which are likely to be as varied as the uniqueness of each pear itself.

Emotion can be a significant component in a photograph, the medium can capture humanity in all of it’s raw and varied forms. I chose to express the commonality of our human experience through my “Pear Series” photographs, works on Polaroid. This body of work allowed me to communicate particular feelings through the vehicle of the fruit. Its feminine form spoke to compassion and nurturing, while the violations present in the work represented the destructive nature of man, both the individual and the species. This particular piece “Prickly Pear” represents the later. The concept came to me, as often was the case, in a quick vision after a long period of gestation. The execution of the image was nearly as quick. In some of the series I acquiesce to the notion of beauty, striving to make a pleasing or sensual photograph while still addressing the concept or emotion. In this case, however, I abandoned notions of beauty and technique for the visceral and the emotional. The background forms were found objects in my studio, I liked the idea of a contained space, however I also created windows, providing some relief – both literal and conceptual – for the otherwise confrontational nature of the image. I choose color Polaroid film as my primary medium for these works. The degenerative look of the low resolution Polaroid suited my vision for the Pears; soft, textural and inviting, though again, in contrast to the sometimes conflicted and emotional direction of the series. The Polaroid Corporation (now sadly defunct) published the work on their worldwide corporate site. Additionally, the PPA (Professional Photographer’s of America) took an interest in the series and published an article on my work in PEI Magazine. Please feel free to share and comment below. Thanks.