Fraser Brown
Fraser J Brown buries complex information to symbolize authentic emotions stifled under stoic exteriors. Brown explores the turmoil he faces being attracted to the perfect male fallacy depicted in Western culture and popular media. Using paint and photography to negotiate turbulent fields of thought, Brown deconstructs male representations from pop culture, antiquity, and the Renaissance to highlight how humans have always been infatuated with quixotic figures; by disrupting frames of reference, it becomes an arduous task to discern what period each figure belongs to. In abandoning traditional skin representation and isolating muscle groups Brown has exposed artifices including elongated spinal columns, manipulated musculature, and altered proportions we perceive as truthful representations.
Brown draws attention to discourses of toxic masculinity in Western society, a social construct the majority of males do not embody nor should be expected to. These expectations have lead to an epidemic of poor mental health for men. In particular, the pressure to meet such constructed ideologies is rampant in the 2SLGBTQAI+ community where shaming is constant on digital platforms such as Grindr. Body shaming runs rampant, in addition to "masc only" or "straight acting" which are used in perpetuity to degrade men that express themselves authentically but do not fit these norms. Feminine characteristics are deemed undesirable which is a problematic notion of a patriarchal societal construction itself that permeates the queer community. At times, Brown continues to run rampant with his emotions and lets them explore on the canvas to create playful representations of his emotions - often with musical incorporeal influences from icons like Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, and Beyonce that leave a permanent mark on the canvas.
Brown received his Honours Bachelor of Arts with first-class standing from the Marilyn I Walker School of Fine & Performing Arts at Brock University, and received the distinguished graduating student award for the visual arts program.
