Ricardo Amando Frazer focuses on the study of human psychology, both modern and ancient. Myth, magic and metamorphosis are embedded in his visual art. Culture is at the center of his studies. His Black and Indian ancestry play a greater part and more significant role in his consciousness, than his European ancestry (25 percent Scottish). He stated that “my European ancestors forced my Arawak ancestors into their current invisibility and enslaved my African ancestors in the vilest form of slavery known to Man - Chattel Slavery. Now, Black artists are stereotyped and kept at the periphery and margins of the art world.
So, I see myself as an outsider artist even though I do not identify with the “self-trained” label that some artists adopt. My inspiration comes from everywhere, including the 1980's New York Scene, the 1990's Chicago Scene, and the 2020's Atlanta Art Scene. I trained myself in formal western systems of visual art, and while formal art studies were limited, I eventually gravitated towards Impressionism, Cubism, Surrealism, Expressionism, and various African traditions that predate western Art Forms. Abstraction is rooted in ancient art traditions and holds greater attraction and emphasis in my own work than realism. My studies and practice in fine art curating included serving as the Director of the Dittmar Memorial Gallery at Northwestern University from 1992-1999.
Western artists strive to develop an identifiable style or seek to destroy the existing order to invent a new order. I focus on using art for the exploration of consciousness while my work agitates for social change. I have chosen to call the art I pursue Art as Ritual. Rituals are repeated sequences of activity that deepen our connection to higher self. Integrating Ritual and Intention brings art making into the realm of the gods through the act of co-creation. Rituals elevate our functioning and can propel us in the direction of our dreams.
Simply put, artmaking and ritual are inseparable. Rituals hold the power to manifest reality, and great art is in dialogue with the soul. Artmaking is inherently a ritual. To see more of my artwork, please visit the following site. Start by hovering over Artists, click on View 1+ Million artists, and search for Ricardo Frazer:
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