John Friedman
Washington, D.C.
b. 1947
Jon Friedman is known for his photorealistic paintings of landscapes and natural scenes, as well as his meticulously painted portraits. As a student in the early 1970s, Friedman’s early work tended towards abstraction, ranging from strict geometric forms to more atmospheric compositions. At this time he also experimented with methods of paint application, using spray-paint and stencils in conjunction with bold, thick painterly marks. In the 1980s and 90s, Friedman shifted to illustration, working for scientific publications. At this time he was commissioned for his first portrait, which began his illustrious portraiture career. Most recently Friedman completed a portrait of Bill and Melinda Gates, commissioned by the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.
Jon R. Friedman was born in Washington, DC in 1947. He attended the Corcoran Museum School and the prestigious Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture before going on to receive his BA from Princeton University in 1969 and his MFA from the Cranbrook Academy of Art in 1971. Friedman has been widely exhibited at galleries an institutions throughout the united states, including the National Portrait Gallery,Washington, DC; the Cotuit Center for the Arts, Massachusetts; the Butler institute, Youngstown, Ohio; the American Craft Museum, New York; the Corcoran Museum, Washington, DC; and the Detroit ArtInstitute, Michigan. His work is included in the permanent collections of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC; the City Hall Portrait Collection, New York; the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, New York; the National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC; the Phillips Collection,Washington, DC; and the United States Senate and House of Representatives, among others. The artist lives and works in Cape Cod, Massachusetts and New York.
