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work in progress 08.17.08

After taking a break for most of the summer, I began painting again this weekend. A couple of weeks ago I pulled out a canvas that I began back in June 07 that I had turned to the wall and hadn't looked at for a while. I've been looking at it now on a daily basis and finally on Saturday I started to work on it again, drawing back into it and reestablishing the forms and divisions of space. This morning I mixed up some egg tempera and...





08.16.08





08.17.08

The Great American Service Program for the 21st Century - A Message to Barak Obama

Dear Senator Obama,
About a month ago in the NY Times there were two articles next to each other. The first discussed a shortage of workers for the apple and fruit orchards in upstate New York, brought on by the anti-immigrant movement. The second article related the difficulties that college students and recent graduates are having finding summer work. It occurred to me that a very common sense approach to both of these issues would be to develop a program for college students to work at these small family farms picking fruits and vegetables. They would be paid and also receive some form of college credit for their service. With parental permission, this program could also be extended to high school age students by setting up camp like situations that would involve supervision, education programs (including science, business, economics, and history), work picking fruit (as opposed to the usual sports activities of most camps that many young people are not interested in to begin with).

I think such a program offers a number of positive benefits. First and foremost, vital needs for labor and employment will be met. Second, rather than simply work, the students and young people will learn vital lessons about where our food comes from. This helps foster a deeper sense of shared community, service and interdependence. The will begin to appreciate farming as a vital, rewarding, and fulfilling livelihood and greater form of service to their communities and nation. The will learn teamwork and group building skills. They will learn and begin to appreciate the values and history of the American family farm in an era multinational agribusinesses, that will soon see global food shortages. The will learn vital lessons in science and biology, business and economics.

I believe the benefits of such a program cannot be overstated and could be clearly and easily articulated to the public. It is a non-partisan issue that appeals to people across the whole political spectrum. It is a national issue that avoids the narrow pitfalls of local "pork-barrel" spending. All it needs is a leader like yourself to stand-up and advocate for such a program and probably a very modest initial federal investment/tax incentives to help get it off the ground and running, as it would ultimately be self-sustaining given that there is a product to be sold. It is my hope that you will consider this issue and lead it to become the first great American service program of the 21st century.

Work in progress (portraits) -4/8

These are two versions I have been working on, playing with color and value. See the preliminary graphite studies below.

show and tell

after cecille / prismacolor / 5" x 6"
© 2007 gordon fraser. all rights reserved. www.gordonfraserfinearts.com



I posted the above drawing to a drawing forum on artreview.com and received a number of replies from the impassioned defense, to the legitimate questioning, to the ridiculous dismissal/panning by the court jester. I then posted the following reply. [see the whole conversation here...]


Byron, Alaleh and Jonathan all raise some interesting questions, establishment vs. anti-establishment, abstraction vs. realism, illustration, decoration, basically the stuff we as artists (an the non-artists critics) have been tangling with for the last 150 years! I started to jot down some notes and realized I have a lot to say about all of them. At this point I will have to sidebar those discussions to a different forum so as not to take away from the art being shown here. That being said, given that this is "Show and Tell" I will offer a few comments. For the purpose of the discussion I will try to separate formal questions from questions of content, but in reality in the process of drawing, the concerns interpenetrate and cannot be separate. First, in terms of content, this painting is about desire, pretty straight forward establishment content going back hundreds/thousands of years, so to byron's point I do not view this piece as anti-establishment. It is a question/conversation/meditation I have been engaged with for about six months and it offers one viewpoint among many. The brief history is that this project began as 5 minute poses in the studio with a clothed model, who happens to be a dancer, over a two week period back in october. The initial studio sketches were executed in watercolour and I have carried on this work in oil, watercolour, collage, and prismacolor pencils, using both the sketches and memory of some poses as inspiration. This is one example.

Now to the more formal issues:
1) Mark making - I have used gestural marks and scribbles to convey the energy and excitement of desire, which often can feel uncontrollable and overwhelming when it is being experience.

2) colour - the dominant colour of the piece is red, chosen first off because the model has red hair and there was red fabric hanging on the wall behind where the model was posing. I then pushed and changed the hue, layering different reds (which unfortunately can't be seen so well on the computer screen) in order to develop a sense of the warmth, heat, and excitement of desire. The red moves very quickly toward the viewer and allows me to pull the background right to the surface, compressing the space of whole composition. Secondarily, the two blue planes sandwich and squeeze the red plane, creating a dynamic tension and opening up the space of the composition.

3) composition - the compositional structure is very simple, built on a tilted plane, stolen from the italian masters such as Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese, etc., to provide a dynamic structure to both house and convey energy and excitement. It helps create the movement and space in the drawing.

work in progress - 3/21

Here are some crappy cell phone pictures of some collages I've been playing around with in the studio.

introversions closing get down!!!

Join us next Friday March 21st for some great music and of course my paintings!!!
For location and directions see map

Work in Progress

Working on something a bit different...these are graphite studies for a large watercolour portrait.

Saatchi Showdown - Latest Head to Head | the blind swimmer

Check out the latest Saatchi Showdown head to head, but be forewarned...Mores Rabenstern's paper collage "Searching for New Ways" certainly looks like a search and an unfruitful one at that, as he seems to have stumbled upon creating a fashion ad circa a few years ago and if there is a concept in there i'm at a loss...and Erik Weiser's piece looks like a sorry excuse for a Dubuffet. Sorry guys, no offense to the artists who no doubt work hard, but this is bad student work. Hopefully these two artists are students with a drive to grow and develop further as artists. But at this point I have to ask, where is the craft and where is the concept? From a visual analysis, both compositions are built on circles situated dead center on the surface and bisect with strong verticals. This creates static compositions that lock the eyes in place in the center. Despite the busy surface design in both pieces, neither one creates a sense of movement or tension, thus failing to create any visual interest. In terms of color, both artists are working with gray palettes that fail to capture the mystery, emotional subtlety, and nuance of gray. Instead the grays used here hit the viewer as dead on arrival, which, if its any consolation is the same effect as the use of gray by art market hero Jasper Johns, as currently seen at the Met.

Unfortunately, I have to imagine that these two artists made it here to the head to head, because they have the biggest email lists. And of course, in this forum that is how it works. (In the nature of full disclosure...I have participated in three Saatchi Showdowns and have gotten creamed, the first one I sent out to my list and had a large response, but still scored below a 6 out of 10, the other two I didn't send to my list and did not see that many people view and voting for my pieces and average was below 5.) I don't expect the best artwork to emerge from this kind of forum, but I have to imagine that there are a lot of emerging artists producing serious painting, sculpture, installation, etc., that show both strong craft skills and conceptual frameworks, that have their work posted on Saatchi. One would hope that those voting could be a little more discriminating.[...more]

View Saatchi Showdown

Read more at the blindswimmer.com

JC Fridays - March 7, 2008

Art House Productions presents

HUDSON COUNTY ART SLAM!!

A powerful exhibition of over 20 contemporary artists with
live music, visual inspiration & interactive creativity.

FRIDAY, MARCH 7TH, 2008 * 7:30PM-12AM * FREE!
A JC Fridays Event

Art House Productions
at Hamilton Square
1 McWilliams Place, Roof
Jersey City, NJ
(SE Corner of Hamilton Park near Erie/8th)
Barrier-free

Additional viewing hours:
Saturday, March 8th * 2-6pm

Join us for a SLAM! of astronomic proportions
Hosted by Roland Ramos

MUSIC BY:
Terrence McManus (8:00- 9:00)
Dave Calamoneri (9:15 - 9:45)
Sailors in Rags (10:00 - 10:45)
Lloyd United (11:00 - 11:30)
Bioluminessence (11:30 - 12:00)

VISUAL ARTISTS: Gordon Fraser, Sauman Choy, NuKeM, Christine Goodman,
Felix Gosse, John Ruddy, Chris Kappmier, Ali Brief, David Ribyat, Robert
David, hyphen-One, Roxana Marroquin, Wase, Leo Genese, Gene Wisniewski, David
Calamoneri, Amy Bauer, Ramon Arcadio, Camilo Godoy, Henry
"quester" Hechavarria, "Saint" Marcelo Dos Santos, K. Shelton, Vanessa
Corranza, Laura Stagnaro Martinez, Rodolfo Diaz, Scet, Cristina Villaflor,

Support provided by LaOla.org

***ALL ARTWORK FOR SALE***
***Cutting edge artwork at unoppressive prices***

We now accept all major credit cards

For more information, please contact
info@arthouseproductions.org or call (201) 915-9911

www.arthouseproductions.org

for more information visit www.jcfridays.com

The Terrible Toll of Art Anxiety

In today's New York Times there is an interesting article entitled, The Terrible Toll of Art Anxiety. It specifically discusses the experience of collector looking for art to purchase but who are overwhelmed by not understanding the content of the work they see in galleries. There has been a growing gap between artists and those who collect and appreciate art. It is the same gap that exists between specialists and lay people in any discipline. This of course is not a new idea and people have been arguing about it for over a hundred years now. Fifty years ago it was the anxiety of the artist that was the major concern and their was much discussion of the anxiety of art or to use the critic Harold Rosenberg’s term in referring to art objects, “The Anxious Object.”

While this is a multifaceted issue with no one cause or solution, there are two issues I think would be good places for beginning a discussion. First, has to do with the artists, I specifically have in mind painters but this may apply to other disciplines as well, the problem here is when the theory comes first and the visual second. The other issue is the need to recognize that painting requires time. It is not like advertising that needs to reveal its message in 5 or 10 seconds. I think both of this issues open up great topics for discussion. [...more]

The Blind Swimmer – A new blog for painting and abstraction

I've recently started a new blog devoted to painting and abstraction that I will be updating on a daily basis, so please join in the conversation there as well!!!

theblindswimmer.com

Notes on Drawing

Drawing for a visual artist is like practicing scales or arpeggios for a musician. It's how I grow as an artist. Where I develop ideas, resolve compositional problems. It helps me clear my mind and focus before I start painting. It's a playground. I can use graphite, I can use charcoal, scissors, ink, brush, a twig.

In my drawing play is an important element and having lots of inexpensive sketchbooks and paper around allows me to feel free to do lots of them and not worry about wasting materials or cost. When I am at work and away from the studio I swipe post-it note pads and fill them up with tiny little doodles. Often times I can resolve compositional problems between typesetting or while I'm on the phone that I am struggling with in the studio. Or begin the nascent process of developing new compositions. [...more]

theblindswimmer.com

Despite Gentrification and Recession, Arts Continue To Thrive in Downtown Jersey City

Jersey City, NJ – It’s been three years now since artists were driven from the Downtown Powerhouse Arts District, following a long and bitter dispute with billionaire developer Lloyd Goldman, leading many artists to abandon Jersey City in search of affordable housing and studio space elsewhere. Those that have stayed have witnessed an extended campaign of harassment and intimidation. 58 Gallery, one of the few remaining exhibition and performance spaces has felt the full force of this campaign, leading founder Orlando Reyes to significantly scale back the gallery’s schedule of exhibitions and performances. In addition, the recent settlement between Jersey City Mayor Jeremiah Healy’s Administration and Goldman paves the way for the demolition of the iconic 111 First St. building with its artist studios, galleries and exhibition spaces, to be replaced with two non-descript luxury high-rise apartment and condominium buildings. All these developments seem to portend an abandonment of the arts in downtown Jersey City. But don’t tell that to the hundred plus people who made their way to the Grassroots Arts Facility this past Saturday for the opening of Introversions, an exhibition of paintings by local Jersey City artist Gordon Fraser.

Introversions, an exhibition of 10 major new egg tempera and oil paintings and 20 watercolors is representative of Fraser’s recent work, and explores the fusion of eastern and western “old master” techniques with his post-Expressionist vision. For the last several years, Gordon has been experimenting with different recipes and formulas to develop a painting medium that captures and conveys a glowing sense of luminosity. Judging from the response of those in attendance at the opening, Gordon has hit the mark. The colors and the paintings glow on the wall, from the large canvases to the small watercolors, and collectors were keen to support this exciting and sublime work.

Introversions runs through Friday March 21, 2008 at the Grassroots Arts Facility, 143 Christopher Columbus Drive, in downtown Jersey City, one block west of the Grove Street Path Station. The gallery is open Thursday, Friday, and Saturdays from 3pm – 8pm. Established in 2007, the Grassroots Arts Facility seeks to be the “new cultural hub in Jersey City.” Incorporating approximately 10,000 square feet on four floors, the Grassroots Arts Facility is home to the Lex Leonard Gallery, Toy Eaters Studio and the Grassroots Boutique and Gallery. For more information on the Grassroots Arts Facility, contact Colin Comstock, 610 209-5059, learsenalav@gmail.com or Gordon Fraser, gordon@gordonfraserfinearts.com.

Grassroots Arts Facility
143 Christopher Columbus Drive
Jersey City, NJ 07302
(corner of Christopher Columbus and Barrow)

Opening reception: Saturday, February 9, 2008, 7-10 pm
Gallery hours: Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 3-8 pm

Thank You for the great night @ Grassroots Arts Facility!

Thank all you very much for coming to the opening on Saturday night. For those not in Jersey City, I greatly appreciate your making the trek over to Jersey City it helped make for a wonderful evening. I know for some, the trip under the river the is a bit daunting, as you need your passport, birth certificate, three other forms of identification, and some green to pass through the NJ Customs. However, we a had a great turnout and all the support was very rewarding and such a pleasure. And an extra special thanks for everyone who made the evening a resounding success!

If you were unable to make it to the opening this past Saturday, the show will be up until March 21st. The gallery is open Th, F, Sat 3 - 8pm, I'll probably be there on Saturdays. We plan to have an event on March 7th as part of the Jersey City Fridays. For those who may not know JC Fridays is the first Friday of each month and many of the venues schedule special events and performances. I will have additional work in two group shows with openings that night. I'll have a few pieces at Skinner's Loft, a great new restaurant a block from where my show is now, and the other other will be at the Art House Productions space. So, you can make an evening of art and good food in Jersey City on March 7th and not only enjoy my show at Grassroots Arts Facility, but lot's of other artists work as well!

introversions - installation

introversions: an exhibition of paintings by gordon fraser from LE ARSENAL AV on Vimeo.

introversions - a solo exhibition opening february 9, 2008

introversions
an exhibition of paintings
by gordon fraser

9 february – 21 march 2008
opening reception
saturday 9 february 7 – 10 pm

grassroots arts facility
143 christopher columbus, third floor
gallery hours 3 – 8 pm th, f, s
www.gordonfraserfinearts.com

about the show:

Internal observations. Initial interpretations. Looking to memories, emotions, and imaginings as inspiration, the paintings are introspections. Arising and emerging simply and unpredictably – sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly – with clumsiness and grace, tentatively and with force. Observing the inner relationships – the interrelationships of shape, form, color, structure, gesture, and the resulting perceptions of space. Beginning with a question: What would that look like? What if?

A presence, an evocation, an inspiration. Will you stand and look? Introspect? Paintings ask us to be present and observe. Present with them and with ourselves, if only for a moment, in the way that we are present with our partners, a mountain vista, or our own thoughts and our own breath. They are the beginnings of creating and exploring some of the limitless possibilities of inspiration. They are introversions.


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The Life of a Painting

The new year is here and I have been thinking for a long time to post more frequently and to begin to both articulate my own thoughts on painting and art and to open up a forum for discussion.

As always I am almost constantly reading and recently picked up The Writings of Robert Motherwell (The Writings of Rober Motherwell @ amazon.com) off of my bookshelf. I've tried several times to read selections from it but have never been drawn in. This time however it seems that almost every piece I read I get a couple of awesome nuggets.

The following is from an essay titled "Preliminary Notice to Apollinaire's The Cubist Painters."

"Some speak as if all cubism had been a mode of showing an object from four sides. Apollinaire saw more deeply: 'The canvas should present that essential unity which alone can elicit ecstacy.' He understood that the unity of a work depends on its internal relations, and consequently why the cubists were led to deny the claims of representation in favor of structure."

What painting in the 20th century has shown us is that the life of a painting is in its surface and its structure not its content, be that representational or non-representational. If the surface-structure of a painting is weak the painting feels dead to the viewer. In other words, the relationship with the viewer culminates in disappointment or worse indifference.

Gordon Fraser
14 January 2007

©2008 Gordon Fraser.
All Rights Reserved.
www.gordonfraserfinearts.com