Date/Time
Date(s) - January 17, 2024 - April 7, 2024
10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Charley Friedman: Soundtracks for the Present Future
The Griffin Foundation Gallery, January 17 – April 7, 2024
Originated by Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts and curated by Rachel Adams, Chief Curator and Director of Programs
Images: Charley Friedman: Soundtracks for the Present Future (detail and installation views), 2021. Courtesy Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Omaha, NE. Photograph: Colin Conces.
Charley Friedman: Soundtracks for the Present Future is an immersive, auditory installation that combines nearly 60 second-hand guitars, mandolins, and basses to create a singular instrument. Suspended from the ceiling in a constellation, the instruments form a labyrinth of sounds and vibrations that perpetually shifts as viewers navigate the work. Through computer software, the instruments “play” various compositions ranging from classical European music to new or recent compositions modified for this installation. By exploring the diverse styles, genres, and techniques of the medium, Charley Friedman calls forth the imprint music can make.
Music has the power to stimulate a spectrum of emotions and memories, which, in turn, can build human connection and empathy, and, at times, locate common ground. This work aims to both dissect and affirm one’s relationship to music as a catalyst and as an art form. Together, the instruments highlight the power and harmony of a collective voice, while never deafening the unique character of the lone guitar.
The installation loops through original pre-programmed compositions, creating an ever-changing soundscape with no concrete beginning or end. As the participant moves through the installation, certain notes take prominence based on their proximity to each instrument. This allows for a completely individualized and self-directed experience with the compositions, giving each individual the ability to affect the experience they have. No interaction is ever completely repeatable.
About the artist
Charley Friedman is a Pollock-Krasner grant recipient, two-time Rema Hort nominee, and Smack Mellon “Hot Picks” artist. Friedman has exhibited and performed extensively at galleries and institutions internationally including MoMA PS1, The Queens Museum, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, OMI International Art Center, The Fabric Workshop, Volta NYC, Pulse Miami, Barbara Mathes Gallery, Paul W. Zuccaire Gallery at Stony Brook University, VOLTA NYC, Joslyn Art Museum, Sheldon Museum of American Art, Museum of Nebraska Art and Nina Johnson Gallery. Mr. Friedman’s work is in the collections of Walker Art Center, The Brooklyn Museum, The New York Public Library, Stanford University, Sheldon Museum of Art, Duncan Collection. Selected publications include The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Miami Herald. He received his Masters of Fine Arts from The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston/Tufts University in 1996 and attended Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in 1995 and received a BFA from Macalester College in St. Paul, MN. Residencies include Fountainhead, Norton Island Residency, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, MacDowell, and PV Arts. Charley lives and works in Lincoln, Nebraska, where he co-founded and co-curates Fiendish Plots. charleyfriedman.com
Installation Images
Support for Charley Friedman: Soundtracks for the Present Future
Charley Friedman: Soundtracks for the Present Future was originated by Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts and curated by Rachel Adams, Chief Curator and Director of Programs.
This exhibition and related programming at Gregory Allicar Museum of Art are supported by the FUNd Endowment at CSU, and by a grant from Colorado Creative Industries. CCI and its activities are made possible through an annual appropriation from the Colorado General Assembly and federal funds from the National Endowment for the arts.
