Scott Fraser - 2020 Exhibition

SCOTT FRASER

Exhibition of new works

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Lithograph in colors on wove paper, 1976 Sheet Size: 35 1/4” x 24 1/2” inches Fine Signed and numbered 9/125 in pencil, lower right Printed by the Rainbow Art Foundation, New York A very good impression of this scarce print.

Art

Nantucket gallery Willem de Kooning donated this image titled “Devil on a Keyboard” to the Rainbow Summer 2020 Art Foundation in June 1976. The Rainbow Art Foundation is an organization which helps young and new printmakers. The R.A.F. has informed us that this is indeed a historical piece since de Kooning himself worked on it. The image was made into a nine color lithograph print in an edition of 70 signed and numbered prints. De Kooning then added the word Rainbow to the image and signed and numbered 125 pieces which is this edition.

Scott Fraser

(American, b. 1957) Scott Fraser is a leading figure in twenty-first century realist painting, specializing in taking ordinary objects and composing them in extraordinary ways. Many adjectives have been used to describe his work: quirky, intense, humorous, thoughtful; but above all, there is a sense of the personal in his unique compositions. Fraser taps into a variety of influences, including art history, former teachers, friends and family. His work can be found in over 25 museum collections around the country including the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the Denver Art Museum; the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco; and the Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, OH.

detail from Nantucket Spiral

Three Shells oil on panel 8 x 11 inches

I collected these three shells along with the others in my Nantucket Spiral back in 2015.

I love the variety of colors and patterns portrayed within the same family of bivalves.

Each shell is placed at a slightly different angle, forming various vanishing points to help create a kind of visual harmony.

Peacock Swallowtail - Front and Back oil on panel 12 x 8 inches

This is part of a recent series I have been doing on butterflies. The difference between the top and bottom sides of their wings is fascinating to me. It’s hard to believe they are the same butterfly, with such variation of markings and color. The greatest challenge is capturing their luminosity with oil paint, which will never match the real-life iridescence of the tiny scales on their wings.

Circle, Square, Circle, Square oil on panel 9 x 17 inches

Circle Square Circle Square is a composition about bold shapes and repeating patterns.

The crackers and clothespins become almost sculptural against a keyed-up red background and reflective black glass.

Emoji Toad oil on panel 10 x 7 inches

Emojis have become so ingrained in text messaging that they sometimes take the place of words. The sad state of this toad’s life and death is spelled out in four little hieroglyphs over its head. I found this little carcass while walking along a river path with my wife and dog one day, and as soon as I saw it, I knew I would paint it someday.

The emojis were inspired by my kids who have since moved on to gifs and memes, once again leaving me behind in the realm of technology.

Bundle

oil on panel 14 x 10 inches When I was younger I used to hunt for wild asparagus in the spring. I would find it growing along irrigation ditches bordering the fields surrounding the northern Colorado town where I live. Now you can get it in the grocery store at any time of year, but it never tastes as good. My wife brought this beautiful bunch of asparagus home from the store, thinking we would eat it for dinner, but it ended up in a painting instead. We did finally eat it once I finished painting it.

Yellow and Black oil on panel 9.5 x 10.5 inches

This spring, more than ever before, gardening has offered a cathartic stress release for me. When pansies first appeared in our garden center, it signaled turning a corner from winter into spring. Pansies are often passed over for showier, more glamorous flowers, but they are a personal favorite of mine. They have the tenacity to winter over in my garden, and I especially love their vivid colors.

Nantucket Spiral oil on panel 20.5 x 32.5 inches

I have always been fascinated by spirals.

They have a visual magnetism that draws people in. I find this works particularly well with shells and their accompanying shoreline debris. The objects in this spiral were all collected from places in Nantucket when my wife and I visited the island for my solo show in 2015. We had a delightful time beach combing and exploring the area. I am from Colorado, so anytime I visit places by the ocean, I collect shells and objects with the idea they might end up in a painting someday.

Sweet Tooth oil on panel 22 x 39 inches

I titled this painting Sweet Tooth since it reminds me of my dad who loved desserts. He also loved to fish. I think this painting would make him smile. Dad caught this bass right out front of his family’s cottage on the Fox River north of Chicago where he grew up. It was a prized possession and I remember it hanging on the wall of his office when I was young. The first time I painted his bass was 28 years ago in a piece titled Three Fishermen which is now in the permanent collection of the Denver Art Museum.

Watch Tower oil on panel 14 x 10 inches

The design of this painting may look random but in fact I spent a lot of time creating the complex structure of pencils woven together in a way that is strong and stable.

I like the visual impact of the sharp pencils cradling the tender fruit. I frequently put pears in my still-lifes since their shape evokes the human form.

Monkey Puzzle oil on panel 32 x 12 inches

Arranging this composition was like putting together a puzzle. The structural challenges really appealed to me as I tweaked and adjusted chairs, monkeys, matches and planks until I got it the way I wanted it. This was all assembled in a shadow box with my trusty glue gun. The final result is a kind of pinball for the eye, full of movement and color.

Sinking Ship (study) graphite drawing 28 x 43 inches

Drawing is essential to my work and I always sketch out a painting first before transferring it onto a panel to paint. This gives me a basic understanding of the mechanics of the piece. Most are just the bones of the work, but sometimes I go into much more detail, which leads to a more finished image, such as this pre-study for Sinking Ship.

Graphite allows for different shading and detail, and has a different impact and texture than the oil paints I usually use.

Sinking Ship oil on panel 28 x 43 inches

I love art history, and have used this particular woman’s face from Georges de La Tour’s painting, The Fortune Teller in several other paintings. It has a different impact depending on the subject matter around it.

This time her face is on a produce bag and she is eyeing the ship off her starboard side.

There is strong visual tension created by the goldfish fleeing from the sinking ship to the opening in the bottom of her portrait. I leave what happens behind that little door to the viewer’s imagination.

(Take a Seat) Levitation oil on panel 12 x 23 inches

My intention is for the viewer to imagine that the chairs are being levitated by the silver egg. It reminds me of old-school stage magic such as spoon bending or sleight of hand. I love the sculptural quality of this little silver egg with its bird feet. Its reflective surface captures my whole studio in a microcosm. I have used it in a number of paintings since its quirky construction lends itself to such a variety of narrative possibilities.

SELECTED COLLECTIONS Acadia Foundation, Northeast Harbor, ME Amarillo Museum of Art, Amarillo TX Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson AZ Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock AR Arnot Art Museum, Elmira NY Brandywine River Museum, Chadds Ford PA Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown OH Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, Colorado Springs CO Colorado University Art Museum, Boulder CO Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington DE Denver Art Museum, Denver CO Evansville Museum of Art and Science, Evansville IN Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco CA Flint Institute of Arts, Flint MI Foothills Art Center, Golden CO Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City MO

Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Art, Denver CO Longmont Museum and Cultural Center, Longmont CO Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Mint Museum, Charlotte NC Museum of New Mexico, Santa Fe NM New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain CT Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa OK Reading Public Museum, Reading PA San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego CA San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose CA Springfield Museum of Art, Springfield OH University of Wyoming Art Museum, Laramie WY Whitney Western Art Museum, Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody WY

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