Tallahassee painter Tom Friedman's transformative use of geometrical shapes, bold lines, and vibrant colors defines his first solo exhibit, "Beyond Cubism," which opened at the Artport Gallery on July 12 and runs through Sept. 4.
Art responds
Throughout time, art has responded to and shaped culture simultaneously. We see this in realists like Gustave Courbet and Jean-François Millet, who leaned into the details of everyday life to push against the imaginative paintings of the Romantic era. Cubists of the early 1900s, whose work used geometrical forms and contrasting vantage points, pushed against the smoothness of Claude Monet’s quick brushstrokes.
As industry boomed at the turn of the 20th century and global relations headed steadily toward a World War, visual artists were there to respond
Although Cubism stems from this chaos, it is mirrored in the world; ironically, the form was also forged in a deep collaboration between iconic painters Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso. Perhaps this form's dedication to depicting the fractured multi-dimensional representation of a subject from many vantage points lured the Tallahassee Senior Center to gather and share their love of Cubism.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
It is here that local Tallahassee artist Tom Friedman developed his artwork. Like Picasso and Braque, Friedman thrived in the collaborative center, which he described as a “cooperative environment where we analyze each other’s work and make positive suggestions, no ego issues.”
Friedman’s creative expression began at a young age when he played brass instruments in bands to pay for college and graduate school. His ability to improvise bled into his art when, years later, he began to paint. Friedman views his process as one large artistic experiment.
Sometimes, it works, and you are proud to display it, and other times it doesn't, and you “toss it.” Primarily self-taught, Friedman learned by listening, absorbing, and then taking the risk to create something from scratch. He is grateful for the interspersed training he received throughout his life, including oil painting classes in Honolulu and local classes with painter Mark Fletcher.
Friedman’s respect for education is evident in his work as a professor at Florida State University and Florida A&M University. With a solid commitment to the community at his core, Friedman serves as the President of the Rotary Club of Tallahassee and is an active member of the Gadsden Art Center and Museum.
Composition, Tone & Color
Inspired by the works of Impressionist artist Paul Cezanne, whose approach Friedman credits to redefining the relationship between objects and their surroundings, Friedman turned his artistic experiments into daily practices. His goal has always been to create art that is original and a bit different than what one sees at most galleries.
His use of bold composition, strong tonal contrasts, and vibrant color, which he credits to discovering Pierre Bonnard's use of non-natural colors, has been praised and often characterizes his work. “There is, I hope, a complexity to my work which suits me as I am a believer that most of what occurs in life falls in the gray area,” Friedman said.
His abstract work requires the viewer to search for meaning through a delicate balance of tone, color, texture, composition, and shapes.
Although Friedman has dabbled in many mediums, he is most comfortable and confident amongst charcoal and pastels. Like watercolors and oils, pastels give the artist the flexibility and fluidity to blend colors and work over an area to manipulate the image without destroying what remains. But before establishing composition and tone and then adding color, he must first visualize what he intends to draw.
Sometimes, it is a full-fledged idea he has been mulling over for days, and other times, he starts by drawing several shapes and lines on a piece of paper until the picture appears. For example, his breakthrough work "Copenhagen at Stadsgraven" began as a geometric representation of a building on a canal, then grew into Friedman’s expression of how the building affected him emotionally.
“As I now do landscapes, portraits, and still lifes, I try not to be bound by reality but rather to have the picture reflect how each subject affects me, which I suppose is expressionistic,” Friedman said.
Beyond Cubism
Friedman prides himself on being an active member of the arts community in Tallahassee, with his involvement in organizations like the Council on Culture & Arts (COCA), the Artists’ League of the Big Bend, and the Gadsden Arts Artists’ Guild.
He has shown his artwork across venues throughout the North Florida-South Georgia region and at local art institutes like LeMoyne Arts, Goodwood Museum and Gardens, the Gadsden Arts Center & Museum, Jefferson Arts, and many others.
This summer, Friedman’s first solo exhibition of his career, "Beyond Cubism: Art is an Abstraction, Isn’t It?," will open at the Artport Gallery at the Tallahassee International Airport. Friedman aimed to use past art forms like cubism and surrealism, combined with commercial art, as a starting point for his own work.
“Hopefully, I can create new art that is original and not merely a pale reflection of work done by others in the past,” Friedman said. He welcomes viewers to witness his pieces from every perspective, to find aspects of each piece they can connect with, and to better understand its relationship to them and the world at large.
If you go
What: Beyond Cubism: Art is an Abstraction, Isn’t It?
When: July 12 - Sept. 4
Where: Artport Gallery 3300 Capital Circle SW
Cost: Free
Contact: 850-224-2500 x6 | info@tallahasseearts.com
Online: tallahasseearts.org
Dr. Christy Rodriguez de Conte is the feature writer for the Council on Culture & Arts (COCA). COCA is the capital area’s umbrella agency for arts and culture (www.tallahasseearts.org).
Most Popular
Comments / 0