(b. 1957, Evanston, Illinois) is one of America’s leading still life painters. He is celebrated for his extraordinary technical precision, humorous subject matter, and strongly balanced compositions. His process is labor intensive, and he is dedicated to the integrity of observational painting, meaning his works take months to complete. Inspired by art history, Fraser mixes a classical approach to painting with contemporary subject matter and innovative compositions. He incorporates historical vanitas symbols and juxtaposes them with whimsical found objects like flying goldfish, matchboxes, and popcorn. Fraser establishes a key interplay between classic and modern art, the progression or realism, and the distinct vernacular of still life painting. His newest works acknowledge the changing dynamics of the art world in the era of face-swap apps and virtual reality, showing Fraser’s evolution as an artist in contemporary times.
His work hangs in museums throughout the country, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; The Denver Art Museum; The Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa; The Arnot Art Museum, Elmira, New York; Kansas City Art Institute; and the Evansville Museum of Arts and Sciences, Indiana. His work has been reviewed in publications throughout the United States, including the San Francisco Chronicle, ARTnews, and the Denver Post, among others.
