First published: Winter 2024/2025
London factory worker Nick Fraser suffered debilitating arthritis, but his work buzzes with movement and creative energy
“A working-class factory worker from the East End of London, a singer of gospel, and creator of soulful, spiritual paintings that emerged from a body consumed by chronic pain.“ This is the paradoxical, prolific visionary artist, Nick Fraser, as described by his long-time friend, advocate and occasional muse, Mark O’Shaughnessy. Fraser was born in 1946, in Stratford in East London. His mother was a housewife who privately wrote poetry, while his father did bare-knuckle fighting on Blackheath Common to supplement the family’s weekly income from his fruit-and-veg market stall. In his teens, Fraser could be found at Ronnie Scott’s – the famous jazz club in Soho – playing the trombone, and later took part in traditional carol and gospel singing. He worked at the Tate and Lyle sugar refinery factory in the East End for 32 years – only ever taking seven days off, despite suffering from rheumatoid arthritis which became crippling by the time he had reached his late forties. For many years, he found solace from his physical pain in the creation of his cosmic, dreamlike artwork.
Blue Tribes Duo, 1990; courtesy: Mark O'Shaughnessy
By KATE DAVEY
This is an article extract; read the full article in Raw Vision 121.
