We heard from Charley Friedman on September 30, 2022 at Lincoln South Rotary Club. His topic was "Art and Place and how they have influenced each other".
Charley did not just want to display some of his work, but talk with us about the relationship of art and where we are and have been. His art is in various forms including photography, video, sculptures and performance. He stated that he likes working with humor, not because it is funny, but because he feels it is the best way to express self.
Place means a lot to Charley and he demonstrated that through his presentation. He spent a lot of time in New York which he described as the center of all culture. So much of New York is underground in the subways and is not about the outside. He also spent a lot of time in the beautiful plains of Nebraska. Between the Capital building in Lincoln and the tubes of New York, he sees many symbols.
He shared photos that he took of his father and mother. He shared that photography - the camera - is a way to feel connected with the subject.
He spent some time in Maine where he took a one hour video of his face and expressions. He wanted to create a life piece so decided to do the same type of video every 10 years. Not only would it create a document of our emotions and what they meant to us, but it would also chronicle how he has changed and what he presents to the outside world. He also spent time in Bogota Columbia and now back in Lincoln where he and his wife Nancy run the Fiendish Plots gallery.
Charley shared photos of his work. As he talked about New York he shared that he felt that not much of it was pretty - the urban life - but it was exciting. He took his performance art to the street, setting up a table and selling items. It was not about making money but it was an interesting study in what gives something value.
Charley has created art using latch hook, metal, performance, photography, music, water and more. The range of his work can best be seen in pictures. There are a few here but you are encouraged to visit his website and also read his statement on his website https://www.charleyfriedman.com/.
BIO:
Friedman’s work is concerned with the residue of humanity—from God to garbage and how American cultural identity is constructed around signifiers with no inherent significance beyond what is ascribed to them.
Through sculpture, performance, photography, drawing, and video, he tackles how we internalize and filter the world through magical thinking, institutionalized religion, and consumer culture-primarily through the lens of humor.
Friedman has exhibited at numerous institutions including Crystal Bridges Museum of American, PS1/MoMA, Everson Museum of Art, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts. A Pollock-Krasner recipient, he received his MFA from The School of the Museum of Fine Arts. Residencies include Skowhegan, MacDowell Colony, Fountainhead and Bemis Center. Publications include: New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Miami Herald. Collections include: Walker Art Center, Brooklyn Museum.
Friedman runs, Fiendish Plots, in Lincoln NE, with his wife, artist Nancy Friedemann-Sanchez.
PHOTO: Nancy Friedeman-Sanchez,Charley Friedman