Stimulus 2009

Rose Freymuth-Frazier made "Stimulus" with oil paint, and it seems to me to be rooted in the act of seeing and meticulous reproduction. The painting has this incredible, almost photographic realism. Look at how Freymuth-Frazier renders the light catching the woman's skin, or the details in her hair. It's almost like she’s daring us to question its reality. But it is not just about technical skill. There is also the artist's hand, her sensitivity to form and light. And there’s something about the gaze of the figure, both detached and confrontational, that stops me in my tracks. It reminds me of John Currin. Like Currin, Freymuth-Frazier seems interested in testing the boundaries of taste and acceptability, inviting us to confront uncomfortable truths. It's this tension between beauty and unease, skill and subject matter, that makes "Stimulus" so compelling.