Principle Gallery | 3/27-4/20 | Alexandria, VA

Presence

Christine Lashley showcases scenes of Europe and the Lowcountry

By John O'Hern

Clint Mansel, director of Principle Gallery in Alexandria, Virginia, comments that the work of artist Colin Fraser “rewards the viewer for taking time to explore. These paintings aren’t about spectacle or trend; they’re about precision, restraint and an almost obsessive commitment to light.” An exhibition of Fraser’s recent egg tempera paintings titled In the Momentopens March 27 and continues through April 20.

The Point, egg tempera on panel, 39½ x 48 in.

In egg tempera, dry pigment is mixed with egg yolk and water and is fast drying, creating a luminous surface. The luminosity of the medium and Fraser’s skill fill his paintings with light that appears to emanate from within. Objects reappear in his paintings originally with the comfort of familiarity. Fraser explains, “These days I don’t so much paint the objects themselves, but more the energy they purvey. My focus is not on realism as such but more on the feel or exploration of the elements in my work and their combined mood and energy they emit.

Hillside, egg tempera on panel, 43 x 47 in.

“Another important theme in my work is presence,” he continues. “I rarely paint pictures of places without the idea of a recent presence. The use of chairs in particular not only denotes a recent presence but also allows the viewer themselves to feel part of the picture. Windows and chairs personalize landscapes and views. My belief is that the places and objects in my work have to have an emotional link to me if I am to give the work a depth that is beyond space or time. Getting older makes you more philosophical!”

Carmine, egg tempera on panel, 15¾ x 29½ in.

Hortensia, egg tempera on panel, 31½ x 23¼ in.

Painting for over 40 years also brings comfort and ease with a difficult medium. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Fraser went to school in Brighton, England, and taught in nearby Worthing before moving to Sweden in 1981. He had mastered watercolor, oil and acrylic painting before teaching himself, over a decade, to paint with egg tempera.

Backlit, egg tempera on panel, 42½ x 39½ in.

Light is palpable in his painting Backlit. It fills the sky, reflects blindingly off the water and then enters through the windows to reflect off the hard metal ewer and the soft petals of a flower blossom while it emphasizes the translucency of a cotton shirt. A moment in time that suggests previous moments that live in memory and that will occur again.

The ewer, chair and shirt reappear in Knot, the daisies and apple awaiting their being picked up again and put to use.

The Swedish mystical painter Hilma af Klint wrote, “Those granted the gift of seeing more deeply can see beyond form, and concentrate on the wondrous aspect hiding behind every form, which is called life.”