Glen E. Friedman
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Glen Ellis Friedman (born March 3, 1962) is an American photographer and artist. He became known for his activities within rebellious skateboarding and music cultures. Photographing artists
Fugazi Fugazi (; ) is an American post-hardcore band that formed in Washington, D.C., in 1986. The band consists of guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally, and drummer Brendan Canty. They are noted for their style-tr ...
, Black Flag,
Dead Kennedys Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band that formed in San Francisco, California, in 1978. The band was one of the defining punk rock, punk bands during its initial eight-year run. Dead Kennedys' lyrics were usually political in nature, sa ...
,
Circle Jerks Circle Jerks (stylized as Ciʀcle JƎʀᴋs) are an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1979 in Los Angeles, California. The group was founded by former Black Flag vocalist Keith Morris and Redd Kross guitarist Greg Hetson. To date, Circle ...
,
Minor Threat Minor Threat was an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1980 in Washington, D.C. by vocalist Ian MacKaye and drummer Jeff Nelson. MacKaye and Nelson had played in several other bands together, and recruited bassist Brian Baker and guitaris ...
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Misfits Misfits or The Misfits may refer to: Film and television * ''The Misfits'' (1961 film), a film starring Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, and Montgomery Clift * ''The Misfits'' (2011 film), a Mexican film * ''The Misfits'' (2021 film), an American ...
, Bad Brains,
Beastie Boys Beastie Boys were an American rap rock group from New York City, formed in 1978. The group was composed of Mike D, Michael "Mike D" Diamond (vocals, drums), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (voca ...
,
Suicidal Tendencies Suicidal Tendencies is an American crossover thrash band formed in 1980 in Venice in Los Angeles, California by vocalist Mike Muir. Muir is the only remaining original member of the band. Along with D.R.I., Corrosion of Conformity, and Stormtr ...
,
Slayer Slayer was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California. The band was formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style ...
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Run-DMC Run-DMC (also spelled Run-D.M.C.) was an American hip hop group from Hollis, Queens, New York City, founded in 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell. Run-DMC is regarded as one of the most influential acts in the history of ...
,
KRS-One Lawrence "Kris" Parker (born August 20, 1965), better known by his stage names KRS-One (; an abbreviation of "Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone") and Teacha, is an American rapper from New York City. He rose to prominence as part of ...
, and
Public Enemy "Public enemy" is a term which was first widely used in the United States in the 1930s to describe individuals whose activities were seen as criminal and extremely damaging to society, though the phrase had been used for centuries to describe p ...
, as well as classic skateboarding originators
Tony Alva Tony Alva (born September 2, 1957) is an American skateboarder, entrepreneur, and musician. He was a pioneer of vertical skateboarding and one of the original members of the Zephyr Competition Skateboarding Team, also known as the Z-Boys. The ...
,
Jay Adams Jay J. Adams (February 3, 1961 – August 15, 2014) was an American skateboarder who, as a teen, was the youngest member of the Zephyr Competition Skateboarding Team (Z-Boys). His spontaneous freestyle skateboarding style, inspired by ocean surf ...
,
Alan Gelfand Alan "Ollie" Gelfand (born 1963 in New York City) is an American skateboarder and the inventor of the ollie, a skateboarding trick. Life and career Gelfand moved from New York City to Hollywood, Florida with his family in 1972. He started skateb ...
,
Duane Peters Duane Thomas Peters (born June 12, 1961) is a punk rock singer/songwriter and professional skateboarder. Active since 1975, he is probably best known as the singer in the California punk rock band U.S. Bombs, which formed in 1993. Biography ...
, and
Stacy Peralta Stacy Douglas Peralta (born October 15, 1957) is an American film director and entrepreneur. He was previously a professional skateboarder and surfer with the Zephyr Competition Team, also known as the Z-Boys, from Venice, California. Early li ...
, among others. Friedman's photography has been published in eight of his books as well as in other publications, including record covers, and has been exhibited in art galleries and museums. His work is held in various photography collections including the
Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
in New York City.


Early life

As a pre-teen Friedman rode skateboards in the embanked schoolyards of
West Los Angeles West Los Angeles is an area within the city of Los Angeles, California. The residential and commercial neighborhood is divided by the Interstate 405 freeway, and each side is sometimes treated as a distinct neighborhood, mapped differently by di ...
along with others who would revolutionize the activity. In late 1976, while he was still in junior high school, Friedman corralled some of his friends, who were beginning to be featured in magazines, into riding in an empty swimming pool so he could make pictures. He showed the results to a freelance ''
SkateBoarder Skateboarding is an action sport originating in the United States that involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry job, and a method of transportation. S ...
'' writer, who put Friedman in touch with the editor. ''SkateBoarder'' published photographs by Friedman as a full-page subscription advertisement. He soon after became their youngest staff member.


Career

Several years later Friedman began to photograph at
punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
shows. Black Flag received some of their first media documentation through Friedman's work.''Fuck You Heroes''
Introduction by C.R. Stecyk III
In 1981, he photographed his first record album cover, '' Adolescents'' by Adolescents. As well as many other punk record covers including Minor Threat's ''
Salad Days "Salad days" is a Shakespearean idiom referring to a period of carefree innocence, idealism, and pleasure associated with youth. The modern use, chiefly in the United States, describes a heyday, when a person is/was at the peak of their abilitie ...
'' EP. Friedman's self-published
punk zine A punk zine (or punkzine) is a zine related to the punk subculture and hardcore punk music genre. Often primitively or casually produced, they feature punk literature, such as social commentary, punk poetry, news, gossip, music reviews and art ...
, ''My Rules: Photozine'' (1982), sold 10,000 copies and was the largest selling zine of the era. Friedman managed punk band
Suicidal Tendencies Suicidal Tendencies is an American crossover thrash band formed in 1980 in Venice in Los Angeles, California by vocalist Mike Muir. Muir is the only remaining original member of the band. Along with D.R.I., Corrosion of Conformity, and Stormtr ...
and in 1983 produced their eponymous debut album. In 1985, Friedman was introduced to
Rick Rubin Frederick Jay Rubin (; born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer. He is the co-founder (alongside Russell Simmons) of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records. Rubin helped popula ...
and
Russell Simmons Russell Wendell Simmons (born October 4, 1957) is an American entrepreneur, writer and record executive. He co-founded the hip-hop label Def Jam Recordings, and created the clothing fashion lines Phat Farm, Argyleculture, and Tantris. Simmons' ...
, after creating some memorable
Beastie Boys Beastie Boys were an American rap rock group from New York City, formed in 1978. The group was composed of Mike D, Michael "Mike D" Diamond (vocals, drums), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (voca ...
photos, before they were widely known. Friedman began working with them and their newly formed
Def Jam Records Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The ...
, promoting
Beastie Boys Beastie Boys were an American rap rock group from New York City, formed in 1978. The group was composed of Mike D, Michael "Mike D" Diamond (vocals, drums), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (voca ...
,
LL Cool J James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, along ...
,
Public Enemy "Public enemy" is a term which was first widely used in the United States in the 1930s to describe individuals whose activities were seen as criminal and extremely damaging to society, though the phrase had been used for centuries to describe p ...
, Ice-T and
Run-DMC Run-DMC (also spelled Run-D.M.C.) was an American hip hop group from Hollis, Queens, New York City, founded in 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell. Run-DMC is regarded as one of the most influential acts in the history of ...
. He also photographed many of their album covers and publicity materials, including the covers of Public Enemy's ''
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back ''It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back'' is the second studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released on June 28, 1988, by Def Jam Recordings and Columbia Records. It was recorded from 1987 to 1988 in sessions at Chung Kin ...
'', and Beastie Boys' '' Check Your Head''. Many of his photographs have become recognized as the subjects' definitive portraits. In 1987 he relocated back to New York. Friedman has collaborated with artist
Shepard Fairey Frank Shepard Fairey (born February 15, 1970) is an American contemporary artist, activist and founder of OBEY Clothing who emerged from the skateboarding scene. In 1989 he designed the " Andre the Giant Has a Posse" (...OBEY...) sticker cam ...
, many times, including limited edition prints based on Friedman's photographs. In 2004, Friedman created the "Liberty Street Protest" at
Ground Zero In relation to nuclear explosions and other large bombs, ground zero (also called surface zero) is the point on the Earth's surface closest to a detonation. In the case of an explosion above the ground, ''ground zero'' is the point on the ground ...
in New York City. Its provocative anti-war sentiment received attention internationally. It was "re-visited" in 2010 in support of Freedom of Religion, and the placement of a mosque a few blocks away from Ground Zero in New York City. In 2012, Friedman was inducted as an "Icon" into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame.


Personal life

Friedman is a progressive political
activist Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...
, shuns intoxicants (
straight edge Straight edge (sometimes abbreviated sXe or signified by XXX or X) is a subculture of hardcore punk whose adherents refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs, in reaction to the excesses of punk subculture. For some, thi ...
), and follows a
vegan Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. Di ...
diet. He lives in New York City.


Publications by Friedman

*Glen E. Friedman. ''My Rules: Photozine'' (self-published, 1982). *Glen E. Friedman, with an introduction by C.R. Stecyk III. ''Fuck You Heroes: Glen E. Friedman photographs 1976–1991'' (self-published / Burning Flags Press, 1994). . A collection of his better-known photographs of skateboarding, punk, and hip hop subcultures spanning 1976 to 1991. *Glen E. Friedman with commentary by C.R. Stecyk III and an afterword by Sam Sifton. ''Fuck You Too: The Extras + More Scrapbook'' (ConSafos Press, 1996). Second edition 2005. . *''The Idealist'' **Glen E. Friedman. ''The Idealist: Glen E. Friedman – In My Eyes – 20 Years'' (ConSafos Press, 1998). . **Glen E. Friedman. ''The Idealist: Glen E. Friedman – In My Eyes – 25 Years (1976–2001)'' (self-published / Burning Flags Press, 2003). . *C.R. Stecyk III and Glen E. Friedman. ''Dogtown: The Legend of the Z-Boys'' (self-published / Burning Flags Press, 2000). . *Glen E. Friedman with a preface by Peter Lamborn Wilson. ''Recognize'' (self-published / Burning Flags Press, 2005). . *Glen E. Friedman. ''Keep Your Eyes Open: The Fugazi Photographs of Glen E. Friedman'' (self-published / Burning Flags Press, 2007). . *Glen E. Friedman. ''My Rules'' (
Rizzoli Rizzoli is an Italian surname. People *Achilles Rizzoli (1896–1981), an American artist *Angelo Rizzoli (1889–1970), an Italian publisher ** RCS MediaGroup, formerly "A. Rizzoli & C." and "Rizzoli Editore", a publishing company founded by Angel ...
, 2014). . A different publication than the 1982 publication of the same name. *C.R. Stecyk III and Glen E. Friedman. ''Dogtown: The Legend of the Z-Boys - Expanded edition'' (Akashic Books / Burning Flags Press, 2019). . *Glen E. Friedman with an introduction by Ivan F. Svenonius. ''Keep Your Eyes Open: The Fugazi Photographs of Glen E. Friedman'' (Akashic Books / Burning Flags Press, 2019). Expanded second edition .` *Glen E. Friedman with an introduction by Chris Rock. ''Together Forever: The Run-DMC and Beastie Boys Photographs of Glen E. Friedman.'' (
Rizzoli Rizzoli is an Italian surname. People *Achilles Rizzoli (1896–1981), an American artist *Angelo Rizzoli (1889–1970), an Italian publisher ** RCS MediaGroup, formerly "A. Rizzoli & C." and "Rizzoli Editore", a publishing company founded by Angel ...
, 2019).


Films with contributions by Friedman

*''
Dogtown and Z-Boys ''Dogtown and Z-Boys'' is a 2001 documentary film produced by Agi Orsi and directed by Stacy Peralta. The documentary explores the pioneering of the Zephyr skateboard team in the 1970s (of which Peralta was a member) and the evolving sport of ...
'' (2001). Co-producer and creative consultant *'' No No: A Dockumentary'' (2014). Associate producer and creative consultant. *''Saving Banksy'' (2017). Himself. *''
Obey Giant Andre the Giant Has a Posse is a street art campaign based on a design by Shepard Fairey created in 1989 while Shepard attended the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island. Distributed by the :wikt:skater, skater community and ...
'' (2017). Himself.


Major solo exhibitions

*''Fuck You All,''
Institute of Contemporary Arts The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) is an artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. Located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps and Admiralty Arch, the ICA c ...
, London, 1997; Sydney, 1998; Tokyo, 1998; Rome, 1998; Florence, 1998; Milan, 1998; Berlin, 1999; Stockholm, 1999; Chicago, 1999; Washington, D.C., 2000; Philadelphia, 2000; Stockholm, 2000; Los Angeles, 2002; Antwerp, Belgium, 2007; Krakow, Poland, 2009; Dublin, 2010; San Francisco, 2010; Canary Islands, Spain, 2014. *''The Idealist,'' Los Angeles, 2004 *''Idealist Propaganda,'' Subliminal Projects, Los Angeles, 2008 Retrospective exhibition. *''My Rules,'' ATP Gallery at 14 Henrietta St, London, November 21, 2014 – January 18, 2015.


Collections

Friedman's work is held in the following public collections: *
Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
, New York, New York. *
Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive The Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA, formerly abbreviated as BAM/PFA) are a combined art museum, repertory movie theater, and archive associated with the University of California, Berkeley. Lawrence Rinder was Director from ...
, Berkeley, California. *
Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...
, Photographic History Collection, National Museum of American History. Washington D.C. *
Museum of Fine Arts Houston The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), is an art museum located in the Houston Museum District of Houston, Texas. With the recent completion of an eight-year campus redevelopment project, including the opening of the Nancy and Rich Kinder Build ...
, Houston, Texas. *
Morgan Library and Museum The Morgan Library & Museum, formerly the Pierpont Morgan Library, is a museum and research library in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It is situated at 225 Madison Avenue, between 36th Street to the south and 37th S ...
, New York, New York. *
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
, Stanford, California. *
New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States (behind the Library of Congress ...
, New York, New York. *
University of California Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...
, Los Angeles, California. *
Emory University Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as "Emory College" by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory, Emory is the second-oldest private institution of ...
, Atlanta, Georgia. *
Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...
, Ithaca, New York. *
Wolfsonian-FIU The Wolfsonian–Florida International University or The Wolfsonian-FIU, located in the heart of the Art Deco District of Miami Beach, Florida, is a museum, library and research center that uses its collection to illustrate the persuasive power of ...
, Miami Beach, Florida. *
W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research The W. E. B. Du Bois Research Institute, formerly the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African-American Research, is part of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research located at Harvard University. Its main work is ...
, Cambridge, Massachusetts.


Quotes about Friedman

*"The bottom line is that he was there at the beginning of so much cool stuff in so many different areas it's not funny." –
Henry Rollins Henry Lawrence Garfield (born February 13, 1961), known professionally as Henry Rollins, is an American singer, writer, spoken word artist, actor, and presenter. After performing in the short-lived hardcore punk band State of Alert in 1980, Rolli ...
*Friedman says about his work, "For me it's about inspiring people, with integrity and rebelliousness." To which, Keith Hamm of the
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
said, "For the past quarter century, Friedman has been doing just that." – Keith Hamm, Los Angeles Times. *"The most prolific photographer of his generation." –
American Institute of Graphic Arts The American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) is a professional organization for design. Its members practice all forms of communication design, including graphic design, typography, interaction design, user experience, branding and identity. T ...
*"The esoteric political and aesthetic conscience of his generation." – Juxtapoz Art & Culture Magazine * "His loudphotos achieve what so many others only aspire to—they show the spiritual within the physical." – Adam Beinash,
LA Weekly ''LA Weekly'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin, who served as president and editor until 1991. Voice Media Group sold the paper in late 2017 to Semanal Media LLC, whose paren ...
*"Outspoken, individual, and the very best at what he does...It's time Friedman was listed alongside Capa, Bresson, and Avedon." - Candy CultureCandy Culture
2006 interview by Aiden Kelly.


References


External links


''Burning Flags'' site dedicated to Glen E. Friedman's Archive and latest information.

Friedman Video Interview before exhibit in San Francisco, CA 2010

Friedman Video Interview with State Radio On-Line in Dublin, Ireland 2010

Friedman Video Interview on ARTE TV Pt. 1 of 3 Capturing Culture series, France 2016

Friedman Video Interview on ARTE TV Pt. 2 of 3 Capturing Culture series, France 2016

Friedman Video Interview on ARTE TV Pt. 3 of 3 Capturing Culture series, France 2016
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Friedman, Glen E. 1962 births American photographers People from North Carolina Living people Skate photographers