Ian Dean

A Photography & Digital Imaging Ringling grad, Ian's current project is a collage series of nostalgic items from his childhood, with objects mostly from the 1980s-1990s. Nostalgicons is comprised of 18 collages so far made up of 100 photographs each, with the toys and media fitting together to form a cohesive whole using shapes, colors, or subject matter, and often create ironic or amusing interactions along the way. As a story-teller, he enjoys using the series to bond with the viewer through shared memories, while also displaying a small portion of what shaped his own life.

His prior series had him taking out and displaying the objects in a room to show the owner of that space’s personality and create a portrait without showing the person. Nostalgicons evolved from it and uses as its paint everything from classic playthings, video games, shirts and cups, school supplies and more to give thought to how many tiny forgettable items can play a microscopic or major role throughout childhood.

The series is also inspired by the installation work of his father Kevin Dean, which fascinated him when he was younger, even if he didn’t understand the meaning, symbolism, or anything about The Divine Comedy. Still, the love for seeing how premade objects of all kinds can be given new meaning simply by placing them together.