Ed Fraga, Self Portrait

October 23, 2018

Ed FragaSelf Portrait, 1972. Watercolor. 

Through his art, Ed Fraga reflects on his position in the world. This 1972 watercolor portrait of Fraga reveals him in a red and green collared shirt sitting in a wicker chair- a piece of furniture that was as fashionable in the 1970s as his mustache. He is posed either for the viewer or for himself. What is the process like to reflect on your own subject position? The Wayne State University art collection is home to many of Fraga’s self-portraits, as well as a few other of his figure paintings. But as his own most painted subject, he conjures self-reflection and allows himself to bring awareness to his position in space. Many of his portraits capture a personal expression of his subjects. This is a quality that also welcomes a consideration of the candid nature of being- a way of thinking that paved the way for Fraga’s interest in subjectivity, a major theme found in his later works.

Fraga received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Wayne State in 1980. He has continued to paint since and has received numerous awards such as the Kresge Artist Fellowship in 2009, and the Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Fellowship in 2011. Fraga has participated in a number of group shows, including at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, and the Elaine L. Jacob Gallery. He has also exhibited independently at the Cranbrook Art Museum, the Flint Institute of Art, as well as in New York and in Esslingen, Germany.

Written by Danielle Cervera Bidigare

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