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May Issue 2007
Fraser Fox Fine Art in Charleston, SC, Features Benefit Exhibit by West Fraser
Fraser Fox Fine Art
in historic downtown Charleston, SC, is presenting an exhibition
of paintings by artist, West Fraser, entitled Support American
Fisherman, on view from May 4 - 31, 2007. This heralds the
beginning of a series of exhibitions by West Fraser displaying
works that capture the images of his beloved Southern coast and
its disappearing fishing industry.
For years, fishermen have harvested from our coastal waters. Many shrimpers today believe that in three years the local Charleston shrimping industry will be gone. It was only a few years ago that 85 boats would run out from Shem Creek in Mt. Pleasant, SC. Today a mere three are left. Fraser has been visiting with fishermen up and down the east coast - they all have the same story - golf course run off pollutes the waters; developers are buying up the docks; Americans are buying cheap foreign crustaceans.
A few years ago Fraser made a painting of Magwood Seafood in Mount Pleasant where there was a sign out front saying "Support American Fishermen." This became the title of the painting and began his focused interest and concern for the plight of our waters and the abundant food supply they had been. As these thoughts were stewing, when in Sweden in 2005, Fraser discovered the Finnish painter Albert Edelfelt, who had painted the cultural heritage of Finland as a plein air painter. Upon visiting Madrid recently to see the Sargent/Sorolla show, Fraser was struck by how Joaquìn Sorolla had documented life around him - again a genre painter who painted on location thereby observing and committing to canvas the mark of his times.
Fraser's new works resulting from these influences are records of his cultural surroundings. These are an expansion of what he has always painted but they are more about the human aspect of the subject matter versus the landscape.
In the spirit of pushing his work to new levels - instead of the expected - Fraser embarked on this series with a fresh enthusiasm and commitment to paint not just shrimp boats but about the people and the daily life of the fishermen, oysters to be shucked, the inside of fish house where softshell crabs are shedding and being sorted, the off-loading of swordfish from a longliner, the lobster fisherman, and the seafood business being passed on to younger generations.
Fraser is tackling a subject matter that he feels is important. The need to maintain the land and rivers is paramount. The purpose of this show (and those to follow) is to bring awareness to the plight of the American fisherman. Prices for seafood are down due to imported shrimp/fish. They struggle for location to dock boats and for ice loading.
Fraser states, "If we do not care about sustainable seafood then we are allowing our environment to fall into degradation. As consumers, we must play our part so the fishermen can play theirs. Our part starts at home. I wish to raise the awareness that if we want seafood, we have to support the local fishermen and pay a bit more for the local quality seafood and become vigilantly aware of our environment."
Maintaining a healthy seafood industry will mean a healthy environment therefore healthy humans and well-being for generations to come. Fraser chose seafood as his platform to do his part in bringing awareness to an immediate critical issue.
Painters Anders Zorn and John Singer Sargent along with the above mentioned were some of the greatest artists produced up to their time of the close of the 19th century and beginning of 20th in Fraser's thinking. They worked through the beginning industrialization. Fraser is feeling and witnessing the effects of globalization - the results of industrialization.
This show is the introduction of the ongoing series of annual art exhibitions that will raise awareness of the need for support of sustainable food sources, predominately local, but with a global awareness. Even globalization starts at home. Support American Fishermen and the local shrimpers!
Donations from the sales of these paintings will be made to organizations working to maintain healthy coastal waters.
Fraser and his partner, Helena Fox have created a gallery welcoming to all and featuring representational art, trompe l'oeil, sculpture and 22K gold handcrafted jewelry.
For further information check our SC Commercial
Gallery listings, call the gallery at 843/723-0073 or visit (www.fraserfoxfineart.com).
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