Surf and Turf 

Scott Fraser's "Surf and Turf" is a carefully composed still life painting using oil on canvas. The smooth surfaces and meticulous brushwork are part of a long tradition of realist painting. But instead of fruit or flowers, Fraser has chosen humble, mass-produced objects as his subject: a child's alphabet block, a tin bowl, and two wooden toys, which are worn from use and their surfaces scuffed. The artist's technique elevates these objects, giving them a presence they wouldn't otherwise have. He is asking us to look closely at the material world that surrounds us. There is a lot of labor involved in achieving this level of illusion. By choosing to depict manufactured items, the artist subtly comments on our relationship with the things we consume. It makes you think about how we value craft skills, both in art and in the wider world of design and manufacturing.