Pop Op Art Lithograph by Robert Bob Fried

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This is just a great original piece. I always knew of bob fried through his work with bill graham and … Read more This is just a great original piece. I always knew of bob fried through his work with bill graham and family dog doing incredible posters for some of the best bands of the era including the grateful dead. What I didnt know is that he did a lot of fine art as well. For those not familiar with the artist, I have included his biography below. I was lucky enough to acquire 2 different images done by the artist in the early 1970s. They are wonderful pop or op art abstract views that were used in some of his exhibitions. This one is really one of my favorites I have seen in doing research. A wonderful lithograph on paper measuring 30 1/4 x 22 inches. The printing is done all the way to the edges of the sheet. Signed, dated, titled and numbered in pencil along the bottom. Print is in very good condition. Outstanding original color. Really an outstanding example of the artist's work. A few small edge dings to the corners but nothing too bad. Unframed. Kind of print that would look incredible floated in a big frame. The work is incredible and would feel like it is jumping off the wall. If you collect fried's work or are interested in other similar work, check my store for the other example I am also selling. Print is stored in a tube and will be shipped that way.
For those not familiar with the artist his biography reads: "painter, printmaker and sculptor robert fried is best known for the psychedelic rock concert poster he created during san francisco's summer of love and it's aftermath. Born in brooklyn in 1937, fried's father was a master clockmaker who wrote several books on clock making, illustrated with his own technical drawings and those by his young son, whom he had instructed. Fried took drawing classes from the pratt institute in brooklyn from age 11. He studied graphic art at new york city community college, receiving an associate of arts degree and worked as a commercial artist. Fried won a scholarship to attend the cooper union, where he received a bachelor of fine arts degree in 1961. He taught at the provincetown workshop with victor candell (1903-1977). He served as an assistant to robert motherwell (1915-1991), exhibited at new york's brata gallery and became acquainted with timothy leary (1920-1966) and the lsd culture. He was the recipient of a fulbright scholarship. With his new bride penelope, fried went to spain ostensibly to study the spanish artist francisco de zurbaran (1598-1664). They lived in madrid for two years. During this period, fried painted several large canvas paintings. In 1965, they moved back to new york city. Fried applied to several graduate programs at various schools and was accepted by the san francisco art institute. In 1966, fried and penelope drove across the country with their infant daughter. While studying at the art institute, fried worked as a fee-lance graphic artist and started creating screen prints. In 1968, he received his m.F.A. Degree.

After noticing and becoming interested in psychedelic rock concert posters, he became friends with several poster artists of the day, victor moscoso and rick griffin. Fried received his first commission for a rock poster from griffin. He was asked to create part of a triptych for concerts at the avalon ballroom by the charlatans in 1967. The poster featured a photograph of the charlatans pianist michael ferguson that was taken by noted photographer, herb greene. From 1967 through 1970, fried created at least 18 different rock concert posters for promoters such as chet helms and bill graham of the family dog. Fried will forever be known as major contributor the the rock concert poster scene of the 1960's and 1970's. As the demand for rock concert posters tappered off, fried turned to painting and fine art prints. Many of his prints were done in the style of sheets of postage stamps, often with themes of social criticism and political commentary. In 1971, fried enjoyed a artist residency at simon frasier university near vancouver, b.C. He exhibited frequently in the bay area and appeared in group shows at the joslyn art museum in omaha, the college of marin, santa clara university and the oakland museum. He also taught at the art institute and exhibited at faculty shows. Fried received a purchase award for a print that was shown at the san francisco outdoor art festival in 1973. He also received a national edowment for the arts grant for printmaking in 1974. That same year, fried and five other bay area artists, gage taylor, robert moon, bill martin, gerald gooch and richard lowenberg were commissioned by the san francisco museum of art to travel to baja, california for a month and prepare materials for an exhibition reflecting their trip. The resulting exhibition, "baja," included paintings, watercolors, gouaches, sculptures, assemblages, photographs and films. The exhibition also included one of fried's postage stamp prints. On the same day as the opening reception for the exhibition, january 9, 1975, fried suffered a stroke and died at a hospital in redwood city, california. " See less