“Ancestors”
15 x 27.5 inches mixed media — framed

Frank Frazier began his work as a fine artist early, at the age of seven. He was creating paintings in his familys Harlem, New York City home. A husband and father of five, he recalls growing up, we were not poor, but my family was a little different. At the age of 15, his family moved to downtown New York City, which precipitated his getting into a lot of trouble as a youngster. A move to Queens, New York, brought with it a stint at a boys institution in upstate New York, but it also marked the point where Frazier turned his life around. While at the school, he was responsible for creating art for the different bunks. Teachers noticed his talent and later as a Sergeant in the Army during Vietnam, officers gave him the responsibility of painting art and shirts for the platoons. Fraziers designs included a mixture of different scenes which he completed for free; he and his fellow soldiers werent thinking about money when they did their work. Amazingly, after his stint in the service, I recall my family throwing lots of my art away. Ironically, today it is the love and support of his immediate and great extended family that inspires him.