Fine Art
DEBRA FRIEDKIN:
Sculptor & Mixed Media Artist
Pandora's Box
Mixed Media Collage © Debra Friedkin |
Road to Heaven
Mixed Media Collage © Debra Friedkin |
Borrowed Time
Mixed Media Sculpture & Metal Assemblage © Debra Friedkin |
Trojan Horse
Mixed Media Sculpture & Metal Assemblage © Debra Friedkin |
Debra discusses her work and her use of a wide range of mediums.
You use a variety of mediums and materials. Any favorites or favorite combinations?
I love using metal parts and objects, the rustier the better. I also love using parts of plastic toys, usually science fiction figures. These combinations are fun to create and fun to look at! I scour flea markets, garage sales and junk shops, and people often donate items to me. It could be anywhere from Times Square to Dead Horse Bay in Brooklyn (a beach built over a landfill) where inspiration hits. My collage work uses found paper clippings, which I draw and paint over to create a story.
You use a variety of mediums and materials. Any favorites or favorite combinations?
I love using metal parts and objects, the rustier the better. I also love using parts of plastic toys, usually science fiction figures. These combinations are fun to create and fun to look at! I scour flea markets, garage sales and junk shops, and people often donate items to me. It could be anywhere from Times Square to Dead Horse Bay in Brooklyn (a beach built over a landfill) where inspiration hits. My collage work uses found paper clippings, which I draw and paint over to create a story.
The Early Bird Catches the Heartworms
Mixed Media Sculpture & Metal Assemblage © Debra Friedkin |
Doberman Dog Coffee Urn
Metal Assemblage © Debra Friedkin |
Medical Models
Mixed Media Sculpture & Metal Assemblage © Debra Friedkin |
Your work is out-of-the-box. Your use of body parts and odd juxtapositions invites the viewer to pause...examine...and reflect. What inspires you to create these unusual pieces?
My experience as a nurse for 25 years in New York City hospitals has fed my imagination and led me to sculpt body parts and put them in dioramas. A love of science fiction since childhood has greatly influenced my work. I use metal and plastic found objects to create whimsical and darkly humorous works of art. But it is important to me to maintain a sense of innocence so I can look at each piece with fresh eyes. I’m working on various series, ranging from a “Kitsch-en ware Dog Series” to “Reimagined Toys from the Attic.” |
Testament
Mixed Media Sculpture & Metal Assemblage © Debra Friedkin |
Revolution
Mixed Media Collage © Debra Friedkin What do you hope the viewer takes away?
My work is narrative but always leaves room for the viewer to continue the story. I hope it sparks the viewers to regain their own sense of innocence. Most of all I hope to provoke a reaction and stimulate a dialog. |
The Hobo Dreams Worlds
Mixed Media Collage © Debra Friedkin |
Debra Friedkin studied at The Art Students League of New York and Westchester Art Workshop. She mentored privately with Lester Zakarin, an illustrator for Stan Lee Marvel Comics. Her narrative mixed media collages, sculptures and metal assemblages are based on concepts of recycling and repurposing, deconstruction and reinvention.
Debra is a juried member of the Salmagundi Art Club in New York City, where she serves on the Jury of Awards and the Admissions Committee. Other professional affiliations include National Association of Women Artists, Audubon Artists, and Williamsburg Art and Historical Center. An award-winning artist, Debra has widely exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the tri-state area.
Her work is held in private collections; and a series of her sculptures are included in the permanent collection at the Williamsburg Art and Historical Center in Brooklyn, NY.
Debra is a juried member of the Salmagundi Art Club in New York City, where she serves on the Jury of Awards and the Admissions Committee. Other professional affiliations include National Association of Women Artists, Audubon Artists, and Williamsburg Art and Historical Center. An award-winning artist, Debra has widely exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the tri-state area.
Her work is held in private collections; and a series of her sculptures are included in the permanent collection at the Williamsburg Art and Historical Center in Brooklyn, NY.
Ebi Sushi
Mixed Media Sculpture © Debra Friedkin |
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UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS:
View Out my Window Exhibition Salmagundi Club New York City SJAC 2020 Tenri Cultural Institute of New York (Check site for updates due to pandemic.) Debra Friedkin Sculptures Greenburgh Public Library Tarrytown Road Elmsford, NY |
