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Appearing to be softly draped over a rope, the fold of Fraser's hanging quilt fool the eye. Tiny indentations mimic quilting stitches, but at more than 80 pounds this carved solid wood sculpture is anything but wrap-around cuddly.
"I make trompe l'oeil wood sculptures of items made of fabric or leather. My subject matter is drawn from things that we tend to save or cherish even after they are no longer useful--items we might want to keep simply for the memories they hold. Like all trompe l'oeil artists, I'm trying to challenge the viewer, but I want to take it beyond the simple mastery of technique. In my quilt works, I'm attempting to combine good design and color use with an interesting but unexpected object. I want the viewer to initially feel that it's a bit 'out of place.' I want them to think, "Well that's interesting, but why is it there?" When they discover it's wood, they have to reevaluate."Label
Biography from Fraser Smith's Website:
I got started on this work in an art class at Dartmouth College. It was there that I took several classes with Prof. Peter Robbie. In the fall term of 1979 he had his students choose an object that normally wouldn't be made of wood, and... then had us try to carve it out of wood as "realistically" as possible. I found an old leather bag, and a tuxedo, stuffed the tux most of the way into the bag, and viola, I had my piece.
After college, I worked at an architecture firm in San Francisco for a year, and determined that I did not want to be an architect. In 1982, I went to Florida, and have been here since.
WHY?
My subject matter is drawn from things that we tend to save, or even cherish long after they are no longer useful; an old jacket that may not fit anymore, but we still keep it in the back of the closet, quilts, farmer’s hats, and other items we might want to keep simply for the memories they hold.
I think the best art is something you didn’t expect to see, or hear, or taste, or smell. The best stories, are the ones you haven’t heard before. With my work I use context to give a sense that something is slightly amiss. To some extent, an interesting element of the work itself is where it’s hung. The viewer will usually think, “That’s an interesting jacket... but why is it hanging on the dining room wall?” In some respects, it's like a magic trick.
I don't use models for my works, except to get the major features. I invent all of the details.
In my quilts, I use contrasting colors, and shading to try to create some sort of visual energy. It sometimes isn’t used throughout an entire piece, and in some cases, where I’m looking for a subdued tone, barely at all.