Alistair Frost

The semiotics of contemporary life are a favorite subject for painter Alistair Frost, whose canvases often feature recognizable objects from our everyday experience, from cocktail glasses and computer monitors to zebra-print swimsuits and drawstring sweatpants. Painted in broad strokes and a lightly washed, subdued palette, Frost's artworks possess a subtle playfulness and a decidedly optimistic aura that sets viewers at ease even as they grasp at the intent behind the images.

Frost's more abstract artworks—which tend toward large graphic statements enlivened by sparse applications of color—lack none of the wit of their representational counterparts. The artist's canvases distill painting to its essence, allowing nonessential elements to fall by the wayside, and leaving plenty of room for the viewer's personal associations to take rein.