Featured Artist Mark Friedman

Multi-faceted artist and technophile Mark Friedman is always looking to synthesize and integrate.  “I want to use technology to create art that you couldn’t make otherwise.”  Consistent with this enthusiasm, Friedman is both a photographer and a digital artist, using several types of specialized software to “paint” digital originals. 

“One of the greatest things about digital work is how much exploration and experimentation you can do, because it’s so easy to undo things that don’t work out.”

Friedman got interested in art at the age of fifteen, when his mother “dragged” him to a Van Gogh exhibit and the work “blew him away.”  He began working with images through photography as well as expressing himself through poetry and music.  It was the poetry that led to his interest in digital art.  “I was designing the back cover of a book of my poems and got carried away.”

Since then he has concentrated on his visual art, particularly striving to mimic impressionist brushstrokes and texture with digital tools.  In addition he has recently been experimenting with the creation of an art genre he calls “digital poetry,” in which he adds animation and sound to his poetry in a digital medium, such as iTunes.  For more on Mark’s work you can check out his website at www.mdfriedman.com.

The featured piece, “Swimming,” won first place in the Lafayette Community Art Show in 2011.  “I had been to Key West that year on tour with my band and was blown away by the underwater world.  The colors haunted me until I did this piece.”

When displaying his work Friedman often forgoes the frame in favor of an unframed stretched canvas.  He has also mounted paper prints on backboard beveled so that, when hung, the piece appears to float off the wall. 

We’ve framed “Swimming” in a traditional manner.  Affordably printed on paper and dry mounted for durability, the piece is accented by three mats and a shimmery charcoal-colored moulding from our solid-wood Motif collection.  The frame’s soft metallic finish speaks to the reflective qualities of the image’s colors and its simple lines pair well with the abstract, contemporary twist on sea-life.  The bottom mat is a warm white (CS9509), creating the necessary break between the image and the dark brown (CS9836) of the accent mat which comes next.  The top most dominant mat is a neutral peach (CS9517), several shades lighter than the brown mat to stay in keeping with the mellow vibe of Friedman’s image. 

Product Details:

Swimming (30 x 19 3/8”)   $50.00

Motif frame in Slate Black 26404 (35 ¾” x 25 1/8”) $85.66 

Bottom mat in Half & Half CS9509 (35 ¾” x 25 1/8”), borders 3”    $17.30

Middle mat in Spice CS9836 (35 ¾” x 25 1/8”) borders 2 ¾”           $17.30

Top mat in Peach Fuzz CS9517 ((35 ¾” x 25 1/8”) borders 2 ¼”      $8.88

Paper-Hot Press Bright DPHPB (30 x 19 3/8”)                                 $47.35

Non-Glare Acrylic AANG (35 ¾” x 25 1/8”)                                       $46.34

Mounting Board-Artcare Restore MTBAR (35 ¾” x 25 1/8”)             $17.28

DryMounting Service (35 ¾” x 25 1/8”)                                               $9.21

TOTAL: 299.31