Point Work lV (2022)

MASTERWORKS — Self Portrait Study Series

Inspired by both the pointillist innovations of Georges Seurat and the enlarged dot structures popularized by Roy Lichtenstein, Point Work IV continues Brent Ray Fraser’s exploration of perception, repetition, and contemporary mark making through his ongoing Self Portrait Study Series.

Created through the careful accumulation of thousands of individual impressions, the work transforms a classical pointillist method into a uniquely physical painting process. Rather than relying on traditional brushes, Fraser constructed the image through direct bodily mark making, building the composition point by point until the portrait gradually emerged from the surface. As with the works of Seurat and Lichtenstein, the image is completed by the viewer’s eye, with adjacent colors visually blending to create luminosity, depth, and form.

The portrait itself is based on a photograph of Fraser posed nude within the lower level of The Silo Studio, his long-time live/work space in Langley, British Columbia. The original photograph was created by the late Roger B. Williams, a talented photographer, former Vogue contributor, and one of Fraser’s earliest and most important creative collaborators. What began as a photographic project evolved into a close friendship, with Williams documenting Fraser’s life and artistic development for nearly a decade. Together they created an extensive body of work through weekly photo shoots, interviews, short films, painting projects, and experimental video productions, building a remarkable archive that captured a formative period in the artist’s career.

Rich oranges, blues, whites, and earth tones interact across the canvas through thousands of carefully placed marks, creating a vibrant optical rhythm that shifts with viewing distance. The enlarged dot structure references both historical pointillism and Pop Art while remaining unmistakably Fraser’s own.

Part self portrait, part art historical homage, and part tribute to the creative partnership and friendship between Fraser and Williams, Point Work IV stands as a meditation on memory, artistic collaboration, documentation, and the enduring impact one artist can have upon another.

Point Work lV was featured in NUDUS ERECTUS, Brent Ray Fraser's first solo New York exhibition, presented at the SoHo Project Space gallery in Manhattan. The exhibition was hosted by renowned collector Charles W. Leslie, whose lifelong dedication to preserving and championing queer art helped establish him as one of the most influential figures in LGBTQ+ art collecting. A longtime supporter and collector of Fraser's original works, Leslie provided an important platform for introducing Fraser's unique body painting practice to New York audiences.

Acrylic on canvas.

Size: 48 x 72 in

(Frame not included)