“What Dan brings to his work is an inspired vision, a conceptual approach toward ordering the diversity of visual material that one experiences.”
– Jeffrey Deitch, Hip-Hop Modernism
Dan Friedman ‘The Wall’
Dan Friedman’s diversity of visual material is evident in Dan Friedman: Radical Modernist, on view October 1 – December 3 in the Frederick Layton Gallery, with an Opening Reception and Talk by exhibit designer Christopher Pullman Friday, September 30, 6 p.m.
Friedman, a design pioneer working across various media, sought to create, delight and engage with his designs, furniture and more. His legendary work is featured in this comprehensive exhibit, making its Midwest debut at MIAD.
Viewers experience his unique vision, and contributions to graphic design and the broader realm of the visual arts. Highlighted in the exhibit are Friedman’s groundbreaking typography, eccentric furniture and playfully-subversive 3D objects, which were integral to both American street culture and global experimental design.
USA Table
Though an influential figure of the New York, Paris and Milan art scenes, his work has rarely been exhibited since his untimely death in 1995. As a design pioneer, Friedman explored conceptual limits across the media in which he worked.
He helped redefine graphic design as an art form in its own right, and his influence is seen today across the pop culture landscape. For these reasons and more, the American Institute of Graphic Arts posthumously awarded him an AIGA Medal in 2015.
Dan Friedman: Radical Modernist merges art, design and craft, and is curated by Steven Skov Holt and Mara Holt Skov, with the assistance of Christopher Pullman and the support of Ken Friedman.
Gallery hours are Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Learn more about Friedman’s life and his 2015 AIGA Medal here.
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Image 1: Portrait of Dan Friedman photographed in front of The Wall, an assemblage
Image 2: Dan Friedman, USA Table, 1986, painted medium-density fiberboard and metal, 41 x 145 x 89 cm
