Throughout his career, Tom Friedman has been creating meticulously rendered drawings and whimsical sculptures that inhabit the boundary between reality and illusion. Inspired by elements from his surroundings and from the world at large, Friedman demonstrates a remarkable level of observation, careful attention to detail, and extraordinary handling of materials. His work continually asks us to consider what we see—and our experience of perception is informed by looking closely. 

In Packing Peanuts Figure, the artist uses the common Styrofoam packing material to construct a 21st-century homage to the body—one of the most enduring artistic subjects. The figure’s supine pose with arms and legs locked stiffly at its side is reminiscent of a bound mummy preserved for eternity. The handful of packing peanuts scattered on the floor beneath the sculpture, however, suggests that this form is slowly disintegrating, belying the initial impression that it is rigid and unchanging. The figure’s weight is confounded by its position floating at eye level; the sculpture seems to levitate, emphasizing the lightness of its materials. These and other contradictions are at the heart of Friedman’s conceptually rigorous and intricately crafted works.