Inside the Studio: Naomi Friedman
In this edition of "Inside the Studio," we spotlight Naomi Friedman, an artist whose innovative approach to collage art bridges physical and digital realms. Friedman’s work is a vibrant intersection of found objects, community voices, and activism, reflecting her commitment to emergent praxis and political education. Join us as we explore how Friedman’s unique artistic practice evolves through her community interactions and her dedication to social justice.
Read on to learn more in an exclusive interview with Naomi Friedman :
1. How do found objects and community testimony shape your creative process in both physical and digital collage art?
Emergent praxis—which I understand as a commitment to fluidity and attention to surprising contradictions during the creative process—grounds my entire practice. When I create collage art, whether physical or digital, I aim to construct a multidirectional narrative that honors the place and the community where I created the piece. Found object art and community testimony help me incorporate visual media—like magazines left on trains, brochures from museums, or secondhand books left on stoops—into my work. This approach ensures that my creations reflect more than just my personal perspective.
2. Can you discuss the role of social justice and activism in your art, and how your work with nonprofits influences your practice?
Initially, I found—and became obsessed with—collage as a means to deepen and expand my work in anti-carceral and prison activism. Concepts and traumatic histories that I struggled to articulate with words became clearer through collage. I realized I could create political education tools that transformed complex ideas into accessible information. Collage, for me, is a radical space of recontextualization that helps people organize information in ways that resonate with them.
My work with nonprofit activist and arts organisations provides a communal anchor for my practice. Their feedback helps me ensure that my work delves deeper than a superficial snapshot. In many prison activism circles, there's a saying: “Nothing about us, without us.” This reciprocal connection between my activism and my art holds me accountable to this radical goal.
3. What are some of the unique challenges and rewards of co-founding and working within the Boyz With Apple Artist Collective?
I am immensely grateful and warmed by the community that has formed within the Boyz With Apple Artist Collective. As a trans artist navigating the fine art world, having a space to create unapologetically queer art that explores transness in its joyful complexities has been crucial. Boyz not only provides me with a non-judgmental workspace but also allows me to offer this rare experience to other queer and trans artists. I feel humbled and grateful every day that Boyz enables me to create silly, beautiful, and bizarre art with my best friends.
The collective has also pushed me to explore different modes and mediums of creation. Last summer, I worked as a scenographer on our collective’s inaugural theatre production—Purgatorio—which debuted to critical acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Working in theatre was not an initial goal or interest of mine and required a wider skill set than I felt confident with. Yet, as a Co-Founder, I discovered the unique joys and challenges of creating on an entirely different scale.
One of the most rewarding and difficult aspects of founding Boyz has been the responsibility of creating something entirely our own, with no pre-existing infrastructure. Although being the final decision-maker has sometimes led me to question myself, it has also challenged me to become both more flexible and decisive as a creator.
4. How do you balance your dedication to emergent praxis with the aesthetic aspects of your work?
I strive for my work and process to be multi-directional—allowing the pieces of visual culture I encounter to recontextualize and shift meanings and narratives as the piece comes to life. Grounding my work in a political praxis of emergence pushes me to create process-based rather than product-oriented work. Balancing emergence with aesthetics involves leading with intuition and allowing myself the freedom to include elements that might be considered “disruptive to the flow” without judgment.
One way I think of emergent praxis in my work is through the lens of weightlessness. This weightlessness brings my work into the realm of the surreal, strange, and silly. Collage gives me the freedom to create multiple narratives that intertwine throughout the composition of the piece. As a result, much of my work can be displayed from any orientation, creating opportunities for varied understandings of the work to emerge.
5. Can you share a recent project or piece that highlights your commitment to political education through collage?
The expansiveness of collage makes it an ideal tool for helping children break down complex ideas and reconfigure information in ways that make sense to them. I am currently working on a project that utilizes collage to help caretakers discuss race and the pervasive impacts of prison in age-appropriate formats. This blend of artistic creation and activist praxis, which began as my senior thesis project in Prison Studies at Vassar College, continued during my residency at Arquetopia. The project combines testimonies from prison system-impacted parents, carceral theory, and a whimsical childhood lens to inform the creation process.
6. How do you approach and curate materials and resources for your collage work?
One of the most beautiful aspects of collaging is discovering a myriad of ways to tell narratives that reflect the space of discovery without claiming objective representation. I collect found, forgotten, free, and discarded images to add to my visual media library. When starting a new project, I sift through my library, searching for colors, textures, and characters with the emergent potential to tell the story as it forms. There is joy in leaving space for elements that make me laugh and letting a childlike wonder guide my process.
7. How has your work at Arquetopia Residency influenced your current projects and artistic direction?
My time with Arquetopia allowed me to refine my creative process through both creative and intellectual mentorship. As someone who has never formally studied visual art, I feel incredibly fortunate to have access to a flexible space for learning new skills and discovering different ways to communicate visually. During my first residency with Arquetopia, mentorship from artist and scholar Francisco Guevara challenged me to continually question my perspective. The technical confidence I gained, the encouragement to play in the studio, and the lessons in decolonial theory in visual culture inspired my exhibit—Ego Video, Ergo Pervenio, an exploration of surveillance and trans experience—for the Firenze Biennale XIV. Since then, I have begun the Arquetopia Honors Alumni Residency and look forward to further growth and deepening of my practice under their guidance.
8. What advice would you give artists looking to incorporate activism and community engagement into their work?
The practices that have worked for me involve centering flexibility, embracing messiness, and approaching the responsibility of visual storytelling with humility. I encourage artists interested in incorporating activism into their work to remain vigilant against voyeuristic engagement and to remember that there are always multiple, shifting ways to tell a story.
Naomi Friedman's artistic journey is a testament to the power of integrating community, activism, and emergent creativity. Her unique approach to collage art challenges traditional boundaries and fosters inclusive dialogue. Stay tuned for more stories and exclusive interviews on Art Dealer Street.
You can learn more about Naomi Friedman and her work via these links: Website: https://www.boyzwithapple.com/ Instgram: @naomiifriedman Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/boyzwithapple X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/boyzwithapple1
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