Adam Friedman Exhibits Psychedelic New Paintings in “Into the Aether”

Portland based artist Adam Friedman (covered here) has an ongoing fascination with our universe which he explores in his psychedelic works. His art expands on broad themes centered on time and space and other natural phenomenon. Friedman goes “Into the Aether” with his latest solo exhibition, now on view at Mirus Gallery in San Francisco. His show presents a new series of acrylic and acrylic aerosol pieces on canvas, 3D paintings, and a new mural inside the gallery. “I relish in the mysteries of nature, and I’m curious what happens when we view the cosmos through a lens that breaks the rules of our understanding,” he shares.

“A Disembodied Universe” by Adam Friedman, Acrylic and acrylic aerosol on canvas over panel, 2015

Paintings like “A Disembodied Universe” portray these mysteries of science and physics in surreal visions with strong design elements. This piece presents a meteor-like formation split into abstract pieces that seem to expand, recalling the Big Bang. It is also representative of Friedman’s interest in geology. For example, large rock formations look like single masses to the naked eye, but are composed of tiny particles of minerals just as they are here. Other works take inspiration from multiverse theories and modes of perception and seem to break out into the third dimension, as in his 3D paintings that stick out of the wall. These ideas are combined with the artist’s own thirst for understanding. Friedman is a believer that there are things out there in the great beyond that we may never understand. The curiosities portrayed in his landscapes reflect on his own natural curiosity. He adds, “I strive to present a moment that defies human intervention in the universal landscape, and pays homage to the potential in the inexplicable.”