Tom Friedman returns to New York

American artist Tom Friedman hasn’t exhibited in New York since 2005 but now he's back in town, much to the excitement of the city’s art community, with an exhibition of new work. Friedman’s work is often modest in scale but always painstakingly (some have said ‘obsessively’) crafted. Until 1989 (while still studying at the University of Illinois in Chicago) he was focussed on large, charcoal based drawings. Then, in a moment of frustration, he shut himelf in his room and painted everything white.

"At this point I sort of dropped the idea of making art; it was more about discovering a beginning" Friedman has commented. The stark museum-like space allowed him to create an environment where he could focus solely on the relationship between himself and the art.

"Everyday I would bring an object from my apartment and place it in the space" - and then began the creation of works obsessively crafted using objects from everyday life. His Untitled 1995 starburst construction was made from some 30,000 toothpicks and evokes the meticulous attention to detail of the hobbyist.

Tom Friedman, Untitled (toothpicks) (1995)

Born in St. Louis, Massachusetts in 1965, Friedman has had numerous solo shows over his career including ones at the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago and the South London Gallery.

Tom Friedman, Untitled (lily pads) (2012), Collage, 41 3/4 x 71 inches (106 x 180 cm)

He works on a range of scales from miniscule - one of his most intricate creations was a self-portrait carved from an aspirin - to larger sized sculptures. He often uses household materials such as Styrofoam, masking tape, pencil, toilet paper, spaghetti and bubble gum, all meticulously hand crafted into artworks that both confuse and intrigue.

Tom Friedman, Untitled (peeing figure) (2012), Stainless steel, Edition of 3 plus 2 artist’s proofs, Man: 96 x 30 x 27 inches (243.8 x 76.2 x 68.6 cm), Urine stream: 56 x 10 x 1/2 inches (142.2 x 25.4 x 1.3 cm)

Works included in his newest show Tom Friedman: New Works at the Luhring Augustine gallery in New York (February 11 until March 17) include a new self-portrait, abstract wall works (such as the psychedelic ‘Untitled (lily pads)’, and a new large-scale stainless steel sculpture.

Tom Friedman, Untitled (sun) (2012), Wood, paint, Styrofoam, 32 x 32 x 32 inches (81.3 x 81.3 x 81.3 cm)

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