Curatorial notes
Scott Fraser painted "Below the Moon" using oil on panel. The somber palette— dominated by blacks, whites, and blues— creates a contemplative mood. The composition is split into distinct zones: a dark, abstract background, a central hand holding a framed image, and the surreal glimpse of a night scene above. Formally, the painting explores the interplay between layers of representation. The hand, rendered with meticulous realism, presents a smaller framed image reminiscent of Georgia O’Keefe, creating a painting within a painting. This device questions the nature of representation and perception: what is real, and what is merely an image? The geometric shapes of the background contrast sharply with the organic form of the hand, heightening the sense of surreal juxtaposition. The image itself destabilizes fixed categories of reality, inviting endless interpretation and re-interpretation.