Fifteen Chocolates 2018

Curator: Here we have Scott Fraser’s “Fifteen Chocolates,” a 2018 oil painting. It presents us with what appears to be an artful arrangement of, well, fifteen chocolates. Editor: It strikes me as incredibly serene. The lighting, the precise arrangement…it's almost meditative in its stillness. Each piece is rendered with such meticulous care; you can almost feel the texture of the chocolate. Curator: Fraser’s known for these meticulously rendered still lifes. I find his work intriguing within the broader context of contemporary realism and its market appeal. Food as subject matter has a very specific and coded role to play, both in art history and current social trends around consumption. Editor: Absolutely, but I'm drawn to the sheer artistry, the hand skills at play. Think about the labor involved, replicating these intricate details. There’s a push and pull there – high art imitating the manufactured and commodified. Curator: Precisely. The ‘everyday’ elevated through skill… it prompts us to examine our relationship with these luxury goods, and also to consider what role these works play within systems of prestige and taste-making. It can be seen as commentary on consumer culture. Editor: Or, perhaps, it's about the pleasure we find in everyday objects, elevated by craft. This rendering moves those chocolates from mundane items into the realm of desire, even longing. Look at the sheen, the perfectly formed shapes. We're buying into that idealized image. Curator: Indeed, and is the gallery space complicit? Does exhibiting this simply further reinforce those cultural values surrounding wealth and material possessions? It makes you wonder about the dynamics of artistic legitimization. Editor: I wonder if that is intentional. Either way, these small, precious forms hold something beyond the consumeristic— a value of handmade labour and attention to materials, a slowing down of perception in an age of mass production. Curator: A slowing down perhaps is just what Fraser hoped for in presenting this modern take on still life. I'm glad to have considered both the image's social contexts and also the art and craft that are the source of its creation. Editor: Absolutely. Considering Fraser’s craft alongside the socio-political commentary invites you to return for another look. And maybe prompts a trip to the confectioner.