Fall Out, New Work by Jean Alexander Frater
Converse University
In Fall Out, Jean Alexander Frater’s paintings explore a dynamic relationship between form, structure, and gravity. This exhibition in the Milliken Art Gallery beginning January 8, 2026 will feature new work by the Chicago based artist. Her work is made by painting on canvas, then tearing the painted forms into strips and layering them onto a rectangular frame, reducing the scale by a third. This process allows her to create appendages or bumps that extend the two-dimensional painted forms into sculptural bodies. Fall Out</em challenges notions of containment and perception, as the painted forms extend into the surrounding space, creating a vibrant interplay between structure and the organic movement of the forms. These pieces resonate with the tension of what is held and what is let go, inviting contemplation of their dynamic presence.
Jean Alexander Frater experiments with the materials inherent to painting and then integrates other histories, traditions and language into this form. Alexander Frater was a 2017-2018 Chicago Artists Bolt resident, received an MFA from The School of Art The Institute of Chicago, and a BA in philosophy, from the University of Dayton, Ohio. Her work has been exhibited internationally.
About 20 years ago, I began painting directly on un-stretched raw canvas. I think this directness with the canvas, though still acting as the support to the paint, made me approach everything differently. The canvasses’ inherent materiality could not be ignored. I began experimenting in different ways of how one makes a painting. I wanted to highlight the support, and prioritizing the cotton fabric became my focus. I started folding and manipulating the canvas in various ways. This experimentation resulted in an excess of painted canvas. Both out of frustration, and out of limited resources, I started tearing up my paintings. Weaving the colorful strips was the next move. I liked the idea that the paintings held gestures of both destruction and care.
gallery director kathryn boucher introducing jean alexander frater
all available work by jean alexander frater can be viewed on our website with sizing + pricing on the artist page. please click on jean’s name to view her paintings. contact the gallery if you have any further questions.