Jacob Arden McClure
Los Angeles, California.
America, b. 1980-
Jacob Arden McClure is a contemporary American artist, whose works include video, sculpture, painting and collage. Though frequently altering his materials and format, the artist’s style remains distinctly recognizable, with an emphasis on symbolism, iconography, texture and layering.
A prolific artist, McClure's personal work has been shown in galleries and collections around the world, and has been published both here and abroad. He’s best known for his engaging multimedia installations that highlight his ability to work cohesively with a variety of mediums. His signature aesthetic usually includes sharp lines, desaturated colors, palpable surfaces, a definite element of classical beauty and challenging, often provocative subject matter. His design style is always a delicately orchestrated balance of classic and modern, beautiful and ugly, reassuring and tense. McClure’s works offer conceptual explorations of relationships, society, and the hierarchy thereof. Frequent use of symbols, such as the triangle, denotes man’s triangular relationship and struggle with good and evil.
Creating a sense of nostalgia, and the contrast of old and new, are also important elements in McClure’s creative process. Paying homage to history, the artist recreates relics of the past, with his handmade, electrified, light up signs. Inspired by classic American signage and advertising that used to flank Main Street USA, McClure’s sculptures evoke memories of childhood and reflection upon better times. Through a process of hand-aging, his sculptures’ false patinas represent a visual narrative of the passage of time, and stand like totems warning us of our impending modernity.
By integrating mediums and pushing boundaries McClure is an artist examining the best and worst of scenarios, documenting his personal exploration, and challenging viewers to trust in beauty… and question everything else.