Sam Friedman is an artist whose work we’ve always been appreciative of. In anticipation of his show at Kinfolk’s new space tonight (4/18), we dipped inside his studio to get a look at where he creates and talked a little bit of art with him.
So… when did you move into this studio?
I moved into my studio in June 2012.
Let’s say you meet a person and tell them you’re an artist. They ask you “what kind of art do you make?” You say…?
I make paintings.
When did you first consider yourself an artist? Do you remember making things as a kid?
I was always drawing and making things as a kid, and have considered myself an artist for as long I was old enough to have an identity.
Your dad helps you make canvases, right?
Yeah, he has been making a lot of my panels for over a decade now.
All of these paintings are very tropical, which is a really cool thing these days. How long have you been making paintings incorporating this trendy theme? How’d you decide on it?
Hahahaha. I try not to make them tropical, but I do paint beaches. All of mine are based off the northeast, so your not going to find a palm tree or anything. I started painting beaches in August of 2008 after watching a storm roll in to the Rockaways at sunset on my wife’s birthday. In the moment, the scene reminded me of the abstract paintings I was doing at the time, so I just took the same language and made a landscape painting the next week.
An eighteen year old high school drop out and his twenty-seven year old friend start trafficking marijuana across the border of Canada in order to make money and their lives are changed forever.
From a giant group show this evening featuring Downtown’s finest to Jaimie Warren’s performance at The Hole on Friday night, there are a bunch of great excuses to leave your couch this weekend.
Converse recently gave Buff Monster, Andrew Schoultz, Jersey Joe, and Bwana Spoons a classic blank canvas to work with, the iconic Chuck Taylor. The results of their creativity are now on street level display in the latest custom Converse Graphic Editions series. Full of familiar elements from each of the artist’s work, the shoes retail at $80 and can be customized for your own personal collaboration.
A former TV News anchor reflects on his fall from life with exotic holidays to bankruptcy and subsequent homelessness, living on the seafront in Brighton, UK.
Co-produced and directed by Conor O’Grady and Daniele Baron
In defiance of my fiancee’s requests to do otherwise, I will embrace my inner glutton in the supermarket aisle, one product at a time. An ongoing series until I get shut down.
Poppin’ Pebbles ($5.29)
I came close to getting shut down last week after just one venture into this fine idea. Upon hearing of my delicious intentions, the lady of the house promptly ordered me a week’s worth of vegan and macrobiotic lunches and said “you’re screwed, because I’m not traveling for weeks.” Since I’m not about waste, I realized that the only meals I could control during this encampment would be breakfast and snacks. So it was with this in mind that I entered an aisle of the supermarket that has been coveted since my first steps as a human being. The cereal aisle. So many colors, so many flavors, so many cartoon characters trying to lure me into a sugar-filled journey to the bottom of a bowl. Familiarity led me towards the Pebbles section and after a brief scan I focused in on Poppin’ Pebbles, a new entry into the Pebbles cereal family. There on the cover were Bam-Bam and Pebbles having a hell of time, mesmerized by the fizzing balls on their tongues. I immediately wanted that childhood sense of wonder and excitement, and knew that these Pop Rocks Pebbles were going to give me just that. I was sold. Pegged as a do good dad by the checkout girl, I hurriedly scampered outside into the early afternoon and back to the safety of my apartment. And to the kitchen I ran. After pulling a bowl down from the cupboard, I tore open the box top, and emptied the bright flaky contents into the dish. A very sweet and welcoming scent filled the air, a smell exclusive to freshly-opened cereal, candy, and certain types of pot. With growing anticipation for my sneaky treat, I turned towards the refrigerator, opened it, and was given the biggest ‘Fuck You’ of the day. Almond milk. In my rush to feed, I forgot the lord’s milk, Vitamin D. How is one supposed to get 100% gluttonous with a healthy dairy alternative? Without even trying, my dear sweet woman had struck again. Hanging my head, I reasoned to myself that milk was simply just a vessel for the cereal, and poured the flavorless nut water in. Now you’ve probably been waiting this entire time to read how the cereal tasted? Well, that first spoonful was an electric flavor explosion. Without the competition of milk on my palette, the taste was just pure overwhelming berry pebbles. Did the cereal “pop”? Not like the buttons on my pants after two consecutive bowls. Was the bowl finished in under two minutes? Definitely. Would I eat it again? I still have the rest of the box to finish. So, yes. With that I leave you until next time, and remember, eat for fun every once in a while.
