STORY BEHIND THE ART OF JOHN PASTORIZA PIÑOL

23rd Annual International

American Society of Botanical Artists at Wave Hill

Pomegranate

Punica granatum

The pomegranate is an ancient, mystical, unique fruit borne on a small, long-living tree cultivated throughout the Mediterranean region. It is native to the region of Persia and the western Himalayan range. Pomegranates are considered an emblem of fertility, fecundity and have a strong affiliation to women. They feature prominently in myth/ religion and are a symbol of the seasons of death and rebirth. 

For those of us who missed out on Classical Studies at University, Hades was the brother of Zeus and the god of the underworld, Persephone was the daughter of Demeter, the Goddess of nature. Hades fell in love with Persephone and decided to kidnap her. Whilst being held against her will in the underworld she was persuaded to eat the seeds of a pomegranate and she fell in love with Hades. Persephone never fully escapes but instead takes a leave of absence for four months to spend a portion of the year with her Earth Mother, Demeter. 

Goethe spoke of all things perishable, as merely an image. An awareness of the impermanence of all things engenders an appreciation of their beauty and their ephemerality. The pomegranate is like a jewelled ornament, glowing in the rather dull and bare winter landscape, the last fruit to ripen before the cold of winter. 

If I were fortunate to have a retrospective of my work, the pomegranate would feature heavily. It is a subject that continually eludes me and consequently my fascination with them never wanes. It was my first botanical subject I ever painted in watercolour at the age of 15. This rendition is unique as it is an enlargement of the fruit: a deliberate shift in my practice since my last major solo exhibition in 2017. 

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Read more about this artist’s work: 22nd Annual