Folk Syndrome

90 pages
148 x 210mm
First Edition of 200
Signed by the artists
Printed in Aotearoa
ISBN 978-0-473-64822-0
Signed by Cameron McLaren

A formal collaboration was made between the members of the McLaren family.
This work was made as a response to the recent lockdowns in New Zealand. It intimately represents a sense of personal humanity, relevant to a psychological state. An examination on the effect of isolation in lockdown, in particular on children’s mental health and its consequences. Looking through the lens of the everyday and its connection to documentary photography, this creates a space for compassion and mutuality.


When considering the routine and repetition of the everyday, it is important to understand the significance in the moments of quiet or the subtle details within conversation. When living with young children these moments of quiet are rare and out of the ordinary. The intensity and energy within a household changes into something completely different. The everyday objects around us take on new meanings and uses. Objects find a new meaning or expression, different from their original purpose, reimagined by the imagination of a child, or the frustration of a parent.