'Emergence' at 21c blurs line in visual arts
"Emergence," the latest work by Louisville photographer and graphic designer Julius Friedman, is now showing in 21c Museum Hotel.
Located in the Atrium Hallway Gallery, the show consists of Friedman's first foray into figurative photography. The nude images — sepia-toned and black-and-white digital prints on raw aluminum — evoke a non-representational interpretation due to the layering of calligraphy, symbols and abstract designs. By blurring the line between representational and non-representational art, "the image of the figure is so married into the other layers that it almost seems to emerge or materialize from them, creating sometimes, mysterious or ghostlike imagery," Friedman wrote in his artist's statement. The shiny nature of the aluminum further adds to the ethereal feel of the photos.
Friedman's work is on permanent exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., Friedman had a solo show at the National Museum of Poster Art in Warsaw, Poland. He's best known for his iconic posters: a ballerina effortlessly balancing on an egg (for the Louisville Ballet), the sherbet-filled French horn (for the Louisville Orchestra), the instrument-studded scene (for the Lonesome Pine Special) and many more. His collection of posters titled "Unbelievable Color" are — well, unbelievable! Friedman's eye-catching images are a mainstay of advertising in Louisville and beyond.
Friedman's 2008 book "Images and Ideas: Julius Friedman" is on sale at 21c Museum Shop or online.
Posted by Ivonne Rovira
