Cocooned 2018

Rose Freymuth-Frazier's “Cocooned” employs the traditional medium of oil paint to explore contemporary social themes. Freymuth-Frazier uses layering and blending techniques characteristic of oil painting. But rather than attempting illusionism, she emphasizes the materiality of the paint. In doing so, the portrait almost dissolves into abstraction. Look closely, and you’ll notice the paint is applied in visible strokes that build up the textures of the figure and the floral background. The “cocoon” surrounding the sitter isolates him from the viewer. Here, the paint is not just a medium, but also a metaphor for the barriers we construct in our daily lives. The act of painting becomes a way of revealing the complex relationship between the individual and their social environment. So, think about “Cocooned” not just as a painting but as a meticulously crafted object. It invites us to reconsider the boundaries between the fine arts and the crafts, and to recognize the value of handcraft in an increasingly industrialized world.