Photograph: Self Portrait, ©DavidFriedler For the Estate of Greg Friedler
“I aim to document the raw beauty and timeless, bare essence of the world. My job is to observe and not judge, like an anthropologist. I see myself as a photographer and humanitarian whose fascination with people is matched only by my compulsion to make accessible, meaningful art,” Greg Friedler
“I’m convinced that Greg Friedler is one of our most important contemporary photographers. His timeless work communicates the truth of our times, the condition of our social systems, with captivating elegance and unadorned reality,” Alexander Scholz, Galerie Vevais
Photographer Greg Friedler (1970-2015) lived a life driven by creativity. Born in New Orleans, he received his BA from the University of Colorado and his Master of Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts in New York. His MFA thesis, Naked New York, grew into a phenomenon that produced four books, launching a career with exceptional emotional and conceptual depth.
A keen and curious observer, Friedler had an uncanny gift for coaxing his subjects to unmask; perhaps they sensed his portraits would embody, not exploit, them. Citing Diane Arbus as an influence, Friedler inherited her tradition of befriending versus objectifying, imbuing his work with intense, psychological narratives. The disarmingly egalitarian point of view of his Naked oeuvre informs his entire catalog: he sought to make friends with and unveil the heart and spirit of his subject – be it a person, a gesture of color, a stalk of ginger cut to the root.
Prolific in black and white and color film, digital media and photo collage, Friedler explored portraiture, nudes, abstractions of found graffiti and urban environments, still life, and travels in Havana, Poland, Israel, Egypt and South America with equivalent passion. Seen as a whole, Friedler’s complex catalogue is unified in its straight-forward confidence, and anchors his over-arching, existential search for meaning deep into the corporeal world.
Friedler wrote openly on his belief that a creative practice can be therapeutic, and how it directly helped him manage his own mental health challenges. Photography was the medicinal force that enabled him to connect with the world and live a fully authentic life. It is his deep empathy, coupled with an incredible technical fluency, that produced his powerful legacy.
Greg Friedler has been the subject of two feature-length documentary films, Naked London and Stripped: Greg Friedler’s Naked Las Vegas. He produced six monographs and his work has been included in numerous anthologies. His books Naked New York, Naked Los Angeles, Naked London and Naked Las Vegas were published by W.W. Norton; Mattress was published by Goliath. Friedler’s work is in prominent private collections internationally and in the permanent collections of the Musée des Beaux Arts, German Hygiene Museum, and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art.
“Greg Friedler’s work reflects his innate curiosity, passion, and compassion for the people and world around him. Whether shooting a languid female nude or a child on the street in Cuba, his images reinforce and perpetuate his unique sensibility, while helping others see with fresh perspective,” Reed Massengill
CV
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
Space Gallery; Grand Opening, Group Exhibition; Denver, CO; 2014
Alexander Salazar Fine Art; Solo Exhibition; San Diego, CA; 2012
Vertigo Gallery; Month of Photography; Denver, CO; 2012
Vertigo Gallery; Month of Photography; Denver, CO; 2011
Center for Visual Arts; Merge, Alumni Exhibition; Denver, CO 2010
Steven Kasher Fine Art; Inspired, Group Exhibition; New York, NY; 2010
Space Gallery; Havana, Group Exhibition; Denver, CO; 2008
910 Arts; Color Work, Solo Exhibition; Denver, CO 2006
Ogden Museum of Southern Art; New Southern Photography, Group Exhibition;
New Orleans, LA; 2004
John Stinson Fine Arts; Bellocq & Friedler, Solo Exhibition; New Orleans, LA; 2003
October Gallery; Naked London, Solo Exhibition; London, UK; 2000
Musee des Beaux Arts; New Photography, Group Exhibition; Bordeaux, FR; 1999
Galerie Alain Gutharc; Naked New York, Solo Exhibition; Paris, FR; 1999
Holly Solomon Gallery; Paper, Group Exhibition; New York, NY: 1998
Louvre Museum; Mois de la Photo, Group Exhibition; Paris, FR; 1998
Downtown Arts Festival; Arts Festival, Group Exhibition; New York, NY; 1997
Soho Gallery; Soho Arts Festival, Group Exhibition; New York, NY; 1996
School of Visual Arts Gallery; MFA Thesis, Group Exhibition; New York, NY; 1996
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Monographs
“Greg Friedler: Humanity”; Galerie Vevais, 2014
“Naked Las Vegas”; W.W. Norton & Company, 2008
“Mattress”; Goliath, 2002
“Naked London”; W.W. Norton & Company, 2000
“Naked Los Angeles”; W.W. Norton & Company, 1998
“Naked New York”; W.W. Norton & Company, 1997
Anthologies
“Identities Now: Contemporary Portrait Photography”; Peter Hay Halpert Fine Art, 2014
“The World’s Top Photographers: Nudes”; Rotovision, 2006
“Self Exposure”; Rizzoli, 2005
“Naked Women”; Thunder’s Mouth Press, 2001
“Exposed”; Quarto Publishers, 2000
“The New Nude”; Chronicle Books, 2000
“Paper”; Distributed Art Publishers, 1999
“Nerve”; Broadway Books, 1999
Selected Press
“Greg Friedler”, The Photo Review; 2010
“Naked Las Vegas”, Exposure; 2010
“The Naked Truth”, Las Vegas Weekly; 2008
“The Truth About Nakedness”, Las Vegas Weekly; 2007
“Greg Friedler: Naked”, Pozytyw: Russia; 2003
“Naked Truths”, Times Picayune; 2003
“Nude Orleans: From Bellocq to Bourbon Street”, Art Papers; 2003
“Greg Friedler”, Image Magazine; UK; 2000
“Exposed; Stark Reality”, New Mexico Photographer; 2000
“Genital Giants”, Time Out London; 2000
“Naked Ambitions”, London Herald; 2000
“Naked Truth”, Los Angeles Times; 2000
“Clothes Make The Man”, Paper; 1999
“Londoners Can Reveal Naked Truth”, The London Times; 1999
“Make An Exhibition Of Your Self”, The Express UK; 1999
“You Saw Yourself When You Were Naked”, 20 Ans; 1998
“Undressed For Success”, Los Angeles Times Magazine; 1997
“Nudes Flash”, British GQ; 1998
“Open Book”, Village Voice; 1997
“New York Strip, Served Raw”, Washington Post; 1997
Television and Radio
“Stripped: Greg Friedler’s Naked Las Vegas”; Showtime; 2010-2012
Radio 1190; Boulder, CO; 2010
KNPR/NPR; Artist Profile; Las Vegas, NV; 2007
“Naked London”; London BBC, UK; 1999
The Gideon Coe Show; London, BBC, UK; 1999
The Howard Stern Show, New York, 1996
COLLECTIONS
Karl Lagerfeld, Personal Collection
Christian La Croix, Personal Collection
Ronald S. Lauder, Personal Collection
Musée Des Beaux Arts, Permanent Collection
Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Permanent Collection
German Hygiene Museum, Permanent Collection
ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL CAREER
Greg Friedler Photography; Owner and principle photographer for editorial, advertising, and stock clientele. Produced fine art and professional photo shoots for commercial clients and publishing houses, including Time, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, Bank of America, and The New York Times; 1996-2014
University of Colorado; Adjunct Professor, Photo 1 & 2/Studio Critique; 2011
Art Institute of Colorado; Adjunct Professor, The Business of Photography; 2005-2006
Delgado Community College; Adjunct Professor, Digital Photography; New Orleans 2004
KIDsmART; Photography 101; New Orleans, 2004
Westchester Community College; Adjunct Professor, Basic Photography; New York, 1998-2001
Kelton Labs; Master black and white printer; New York; 1998-2000
EDUCATION
Masters of Fine Arts in Photography and Related Media; School of Visual Arts, NY; 2993-1996
Specialized Studies Abroad in Photography; University of Boston in Paris, FR; 1992
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and French; University of Boulder, CO; 1989-1993
Photograph: Self Portrait, ©DavidFriedler For the Estate of Greg Friedler