"What goes up? I've been reflecting on the death of David Hockney, who I first discovered as an art student at KCAI. At the time, the Nelson Museum across the street had an exhibition of his work, which I went back to again and again. I was hooked. Here was realism with a twist. Ever since, I have been influenced by his sense of play and experimentation. One of his quotes that stuck is this “Paint what you love.” I love painting these chairs which I first found in the Metropolitan Museum catalog. They came in a kit that you snap together, and the possibility of still life scenarios is endless. One of my favorite ways of painting them is floating in the air against a dark background. It creates a sense of mystery that pulls the viewer in. The little silver egg with chicken feet is such a great foil, and it seems to be actively engaged in the narrative. Technically this painting was a real challenge with all the different vanishing points, but as Hockney would say. Painting is not easy." - Fraser