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 PEDRO FRIEDEBERG 

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Pedro Friedeberg
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Nace en Florencia, Italia, el 11 de enero de 1937, es naturalizado Mexicano desde los 7 años llega a México debido a que sus padres, judíos alemanes, buscan refugio en México en 1939 escapando de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Desde pequeño, Pedro Friedeberg muestra un interés por la pintura, de hecho sus artistas favoritos eran Piranesi y Canaleto.

 

Más adelante, por algún tiempo estudia en Boston y en 1957 ingresa a la carrera de arquitectura en la Universidad Iberoamericana, donde conoce a Mathias Goeritz, artista mexicano de renombre. Al encontrar su vocación, Pedro Friedeberg deja la carrera de arquitectura e inicia la de artes plásticas en la misma universidad.

 

Desde su primera exposición individual, la obra del autor se caracterizó por un estilo propio muy definido. En 1961 se integra al grupo denominado “Los Hartos” liderado por Mathias Goeritz. Precisamente en esta época (1962), Pedro Friedeberg realiza uno de sus primeros Muebles Fantásticos; se trata de La Silla Mano: una mano derecha de proporciones ergonómicas que permite sentarse en su palma y los dedos funcionan como respaldo.

 

Friedeberg se opone al racional-funcionalismo, en el que la función se sobrepone a la forma; el arte de este autor de alto prestigio repudia la ausencia de ornamento y fantasía, por lo que su pintura, escultura y estampa están llenas de simbolismos metafísicos, religiosos, hindúes y aztecas.

 

Ha recibido diversas becas y premios como en la Bienal de Córdoba, Argentina; en la Trienal de Grabado de Buenos Aires, Argentina; en la Bienal de San Juan, Puerto Rico; así como en la XI Bienal de Gráfica de Tokio, Japón, que junto con su exposiciones individuales y colectivas, lo han hecho una figura destacada dentro del arte mexicano. Entre las exposiciones que ha realizado hay que subrayar “Los Hartos” Galería Antonio Souza (México, D.F.), “Pedro Friedeberg” Galerie Carroll (Munich, Alemania), “Confrontación 66” Palacio de Bellas Artes (México, D.F.), “Fantastic Furniture”, Museum of Contemporary Crafts (Nueva York, E.U.A.), “Pedro Friedeberg” Ex-Convento del Carmen (Guadalajara, Jalisco, México), “Pedro Friedeberg” Museo de Arte Moderno (México, D.F.), “Cien pintores mexicanos” Museo de Arte Contemporáneo MARCO (Monterrey, Nuevo León, México), “Autorretratos” Museo de Arte Moderno (México, D.F.), “Pedro Friedeberg” Palacio de Bellas Artes (México, D.F.), “Réquiem por una mosca” Museo de la Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público (México D.F.) y "Extravagancias y Pendejadas" FIFTY24MX (México D.F).

Por ser un artista de alta calidad y características distintivas, diversos museos y colecciones conservan obras de Friedeberg: Musee du Louvre París, Museum of Modern Art Nueva York (MOMA), Museo Omar Rayo Colombia, Museo José Luis Cuevas México, Museo de Arte Moderno de México, Tel Aviv y París, Museo Cavalino Italia, así como la Casa de Las Américas La Habana. 

Surrealist artist best known for his “hand-chair” sculpture and his architectural inspired drawing creating unusual compositions that expresses irony and surfeit. Friedeberg belongs to a group of 20th century eccentric and iconoclastic artists like Gunther Gerzso and Leonora Carrington who were irreverent, rejecting the social and political art, which was dominant at the time. Friedeberg has had a lifelong reputation for being eccentric, and states that art is dead because nothing new is being produced.

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His works can be found in the permanent collections of MoMA NY, the Musée du Louvre in Paris, Museo de Arte Moderno, the José Luis Cuevas Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Art in New Orleans, the Library of Congress in Washington DC, the Rose Art Museum of Brandeis University in Boston, the National Research Library in Ottawa, the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, the National Museum of Modern Art in Baghdad, the Ponce Museum of Art in Puerto Rico, the Franklin Rawson Museum in Argentina, the Omar Rayo Museum in Colombia the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC., The Museum of Arts and Design in New York. 

 

From his first exhibition, his work has had an easily identifiable style, although it is not easily classifiable. He often uses architectural drawing as his medium to create unusual compositions including designs for useless objects, often as a result of boredom.[1] He has studied and incorporated elements of various artistic and design trends from his lifetimes from Art Noveau to Op Art. Much of his work has an industrial quality, stemming from his training as an architect. However, there is a dream like quality as well, painting impossible palaces and other structures, with innumerable halls and rooms, secret passages and stairs which are often absurd. Irony and surfeit are generally expressed through the almost hallucinogenic repetition of elements and formal disorder, but it is the result of conscious thought.

 

Paintings, furniture and more are often characterized as being filled with ornamentation, with little or no white space, with lines, colors and symbols referencing ancient scriptures, Aztec Codices, Catholicism, Hinduism and the occult.[1][6] While his art has been criticized as adding ornament for its own sake or even distraction, he disagrees, saying that ornamentation is the oldest form of fine art, added to give objects an exceptional, even religious quality. He has called his extensive ornamentation, which includes elements from ancient texts, “Nintendo Churrigueresque”.

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Friedeberg belongs to a group of 20th century surrealist artists, which in Mexico include Gunther Gerzso, Mathias Goeritz, Alice Rahon, Kati Horna, Leonora Carrington, Remedios Varo and Paul Antragne, who were grouped together under the name of Los Hartos. They were original, eccentric, irreverent and iconoclastic.

Selected Solo Exhibitions

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  • 1959 Diana Gallery, México, D.F.

  • 1960 Protec Gallery, México, D.F.

  • 1962 Antonio Souza Gallery, México, D.F.

    • Villa Andre Bloc Gallery, Paris, France.

    • Carstairs Gallery, New York, USA

  • 1963 Pan American Union, Washington, DC, USA

    • The Foz Palace, Lisboa, Portugal.

    • Gallerie Carroll, Munich, Germany.

  • 1964 Byron Gallery New York, USA.

  • 1965 Gallerie Brusberg Hanover, Germany

    • Gallerie Hella Nebelung Dusseldorf.

    • Container Corporation of America Chicago, Ill, USA

    • International Gallery, Baltimore. USA

  • 1966 Antonio Souza Gallery, México DF.

    • Feingarten Gallery Los Ángeles, Cal, USA

  • 1967 Kiko Galleries Houston, Texas, USA

  • 1968 Glade Gallery, New Orleans, USA

    • Antonio Souza Gallery , México DF

  • 1970 Maurice Sternberg Gallery, Chicago, USA

  • 1971 Misrachi Gallery, México D.F.

    • Exconvento del Carmen, Guadalajara Jalisco, México.

    • Gloria Luria Gallery, Miami, USA

    • Gallery of Modern Art. Phoenix, Arizona, USA

  • 1974 Pecanis Gallery, Barcelona, Spain.

    • Misrachi Gallery, México DF

    • Grace Hokin Gallery Palm Beach, California, USA

  • 1975 Casa de la Cultura Puebla, Puebla, México.

    • Casa de la Campana Cuernavaca, Morelos, México.

    • Galerie Iris Clert, Paris France.

  • 1976 Covo de Iongh Gallery Miami Florida, USA

    • Gloria Luria Gallery Miami, Florida USA

    • Grace Hokin Gallery Chicago, Ill USA

  • 1978 The Art Center Museum Waco Texas, USA

    • Goldman Gallery Haifa, Israel.

  • 1979 Harcourt’s Gallery San Francisco, California, USA

    • Kopeliovitch Gallery Montreal, Canadá

    • Mixografia Gallery Los Ángeles, California, USA

  • 1981 Phyllis Needleman Gallery Chicago, Ill, USA

  • 1983 Galería del Círculo México, DF

    • Speranza Gallery Montreal, Canadá.

    • Mixografia Gallery Los Ángeles, California, USA

  • 1984 Ravel Gallery Austin Texas, USA

    • Galería Manolo Rivero Mérida Yucatán, México.

  • 1985 Galería Mer-kup México, DF

    • Centro Cultural El Nigromante San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, México.

    • Carmen Llewellyn Gallery New Orleans, USA

  • 1986 Museum of Modern Art, México, DF

    • Biblioteca Pape Museum, Monclova, Coahuila, México

  • 1987 Vorpal Gallery New York, USA

  • 1988 Carmen Llewellyn Gallery New Orleans, USA

  • 1990 Galería de Arte Mexicano, México , DF

    • Galería Latane Temple San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, México.

  • 1991 El Nigromante Cultural Center, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, México.

  • 1992 Cultural Institute of Veracruz, Veracruz, México.

    • Cultural Institute of Veracruz, Córdoba, Veracruz, México.

    • REF Studios Houston Texas, USA

  • 1993 Gallery of Fine Art . San Antonio Texas, USA

  • 1994 Gallerie Simonne Stern New. Orleans, USA

  • 1995 Galería de Arte Mexicano Bellas Artes San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, México

  • 1996 Galería de Arte Mexicano México D.F.

    • Museo Casa de Diego Rivera Guanajuato, México.

  • 1997 Tribute to Pedro Friedeberg.

    • Omar Rayo Museum, Roldanillo Colombia

    • 144 cartas, Galería Salón San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, México

    • Tarot y Zodiaco Multimedia Cultural Center San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, México

    • Galerie Simmone Sterne New Orleans, USA.

  • 1998 Terán Cultural Institute. Aguascalientes, Ags. México

    • Museum of Contemporary Art. Phoenix Arizona, USA

    • Pedro Friedeberg Museum, San Miguel de Allende, Gto. México

    • “Archivo General del Estado de Pachuca”, Hidalgo, México

    • Museum of The Palace of Fine Arts, México DF

  • 2000 Cultural Institute Isidro Fabela, México D.F.

    • Drexel Galery, Monterrey, NL. México.

    • Galerie im Gassla. Nuremberg, Germany

  • 2001 “Festival del Desierto” La Paz, SLP , Mexico.

  • 2002 Museum of Mexican History, Monterrey, NL, México

    • Antiguo Palacio del Arzobizpado México DF

  • 2003 Studio DVO, Bruxels, Bélgium

  • 2004 Pecannins Gallery, México D.F.

  • Cultural Institute, Aguascalientes, México

  • 2005 Cultural Institute, Aguascalientes, México

  • 2006 Museo Tequila Cuervo, Tequila, Jalisco

  • 2007 Galeria Casa Diana, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato

  • 2007 Museuo de la Acuarela, Mexico DF

  • 2008 Galeria Enrique Guerrero, Mexico DF

  • 2008 Galeria Ruiz Healy, San Antonio, Texas

  • 2009 “Confusiones Impecables”, Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico DF

  • 2009 Galeria Reyna Henaine, New York, USA

  • 2010 “Barroquismo”, Palacio Municipal, Puebla, Puebla

  • 2010 “Arbol de la VIda”, Festival Bicentenario, Zocalo, Mexico DF

  • 2010 Centro Cultural El Cubo, Tijuana, Mexico

  • 2011 Instituto Plitecnico, Facultad Arquitectura, Mexico DF

  • 2011 "Extravagancias y Pendejadas" Galeria FIFTY24MX, Mexico DF

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Museums and Public Collections

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  • Museum of Modern Art. México D.F., Mexico.

  • José Luis Cuevas Museum. México D.F., Mexico.

  • Televisa Cultural Center. México D.F., Mexico.

  • Museum of Contemporary Art. Toluca, México.

  • Museum of Contemporary Art. Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico.

  • Museum of Contemporary Art. Patzcuaro Michoacán, Mexico.

  • Museum of Modern Art New York, NY USA

  • Museum of Contemporary Art. Chicago Ill, USA

  • Museum of Contemporary Art New Orleans, LA USA

  • Pan American Union, Washington D.C. USA

  • Library of The Congress, Washington DC

  • Worcester Art. Museum Worcester, Mass

  • Rose Art Museum Brandies University, Boston Mass.

  • Washington and Lee University, Virginia, USA

  • Arizona State University, College, Arizona, USA.

  • Milwaukee Art Center Milwaukee, Minneapolis, USA.

  • California Palace of the Legion of Honor San Francisco, Cal. USA.

  • The Swann Collection of Caricature, New York, USA

  • J. Patrick Lannan Foundation Palm Beach Florida, USA.

  • Fort Lauderdale Art. Museum, Florida, USA.

  • The Ringling Museum Sarasota, Florida, USA.

  • National Research Library, Ottawa, Canada

  • The Science Museum Toronto, Canada

  • Vaughan Collection, Beaverbrook Art. Gal Canada

  • Musee du Louvre, Pavillon Arts Decoratifs, Paris, France

  • Musee Dárt Moderne de la Ville de Paris, France

  • Cavalino Museum, Brescia, Italy

  • Museum of Modern Art, Telaviv, Israel

  • The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel

  • National Museum of Modern Art, Baghdad Iraq

  • Casa de las Americas Habana, Cuba

  • Cultural Institut of Puerto Rico, San Juan Puerto Rico

  • Ponce Museum of Art, Puerto Rico

  • Franklin Rawson Museum, Argentina

  • Omar Rayo Museum Roldanillo, Colombia

  • East Texas Art Museum Beaumont, Texas, USA. Marco Museum, Monterrey N.L. Mexico.

  • Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C. USA

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Awards

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  • 1966 Córdoba Argentina, Biennale. 2nd. Prize

  • 1967 Solar Exhibition México, D.F. 1st. Prize

  • 1979 Buenos Aires, Argentina Engraving Triennale.

    • 2nd. Prize San Juan de Puerto Rico

    • Biennale. 1st Prize

  • 1984 XI Bienaale of Graphic Works. Tokio, Japan. Special Award.

  • 1993 “Artistic Creator” Dsignation by the Nacional System of Mexican and Foreign Creators.

  • 2011 Prize for cultural merit, Mexico City Government, Mexico DF.

  • 2012 Legionaire of Number, National Legion of Honor, Mexico.

  • 2012 Medalla de las Bellas Artes, INBA, Mexico DF

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Group Exhibitions

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  • 1960 “Los Hartos” de Mathias Goeritz, México, DF

    • 4000 years of Mexican Art, National University of México.

  • 1964 Paris Biennale, France.

  • 1965 “Box Show” Byron Gallery, New York, USA.

  • 1966 “Fantastic Furniture” Museum of Contemporary Crafts, New York, USA.

    • Surrealismo y Arte Fantástico Aristos Gallery, México, DF

    • “Confrontación 66” México D.F.

    • “Cordoba Biennale”, Cordoba, Argentina.

    • “Labyrinthe Kunstakademie Berlín, Germany

  • 1967 “Expo 67” Toronto, Canadá

  • 1968 “Hemisfair”, San Antonio, USA

    • “Solar Exhibition”, México D.F.

  • 1969 Contemporary Latin American Artists, Wilmington Museum, USA

    • Art of Ancient and Modern Latin America, New Orleans, USA

    • International Exhibition of Drawings, Rijeka, Yugoslavia.

    • XX Sao Paolo Biennale, Brasil.

  • 1970 Montevideo Biennale, Uruguay

  • 1971 Plástica Mexicana Annual Salon, México DF

  • 1972 Mexican Fantasy Art. Beaumont Museum Texas, USA

  • 1973 Mexican Watercolors and Graphic works.Tampa and Orlando Museums, USA

    • Surrealist Artists of the New World. Abele Gallery. Madrid, Spain

    • Biennale Coltejer, Medellín, Colombia.

  • 1974 3 Mexican Artists Halifax, Ottawa, Quebec and Calgary, Museums. Canada.

    • Mexican Contemporary Art. Tokio and Kyoto Museums, Japón.

    • The Art of our Time. San Carlos Academy, México, DF

    • First International Biennale of Graphic Work. Segovia Spain.

    • Panamerican Graphic Art Biennale, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

  • 1975 V World Psiquiatric Congress. Museum of Modern Art, México, D.F.

  • 1977 “Pastelart and Games”. Pecanins Gallery México D.F.

  • 1978 “The Post Vanguard” Naples, Italy.

    • “International Mail Art” Brescia, Italy

    • “Mantua Mail” 78 Mantua, Italy.

    • First Microbiennale of Postal Miniatures, Italy.

    • Mer-Kup Gallery, México D.F.

  • 1979 11th International Biennale of Prints. Tokyo, Japan.

    • The Engrave Triennale. Buenos Aires, Argentina.

    • Biennale of de San Juan de Puerto Rico.

    • “Chinchismo” La Chinche Gallery México D.F.

  • 1980 Third World Biennale of Graphic Art. London, Great Britain.

    • Contemporary Mexican Masters. Houston, Texas USA.

    • Urban Friction. Contemporary Art Forum, México D.F.

  • 1981 Banamex Painting Exhibition. 1981 México D.F.

  • 1982 Tribute to Pablo Picasso. Metropolitan Gallery México D.F.

  • 1985 Biennale of Oslo, Norway

    • 19 Mexican Peintres, L’Espace Latinoamericain, Paris France.

    • 25 Anniversary. Casa de las Americas. Habana Cuba.

    • Contemporary Art Forum and Casa de las Americas, Habana, Cuba

  • 1986 Confrontation 86. Palace of Fine Arts, México

    • Surrealism Exhibition, Nacional Museum of Art, México

  • 1991 Parallel Proyect. Mary Anne Martin New York , USA

    • Tribute to Fernando Gamboa. Palace of Fine Arts. México D.F.

    • “Jesusa Workshop”. La Estampa Museum México D.F.

  • 1992 “Tribute to Antonio Souza” Del Lago Gallery. México D.F.

    • VIII Domecq Iberoamerican Biennale of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, México

  • 1993 Jesusa Workshop. Centre Culturel du Mexique, Paris, France.

    • Past and Present. Banamex. Centro Histórico. Palacio Iturbide México D.F.

    • “Letter Perfect” New Orleáns Museum, USA

    • Arte Objeto Cervantino Festival, Guanajuato, México

    • Museum of Contemporay Art MARCO, Monterrey, NL. México

    • “100 Mexican Painters” MARCO Museum, Monterrey, NL, México

  • 1996 Museum of Contemporay Art MARCO, Monterrey, NL. México

  • 1997 “Selfportraits”. Museum of Modern Art. México D.F.

    • “Dialogos Insolitos” Museum of Modern Art. México D.F.

    • “Designed for Delight” Museum of Decorative Arts, Montreal , Canada.

    • Museums of Cracovia, Berlín Londres and Paris.

  • 1999 “Hommage to the drawing on pencil. Jose Luis Cuevas Museum, México D.F.

    • “Projekt Nürenberg” Galerie im Gässla Nürenberg, Germany.

    • Diverses Disciplines. Arte Mexicano Gallery, México D.F.

    • “Tribute to J. A. Manrique “, Cultural Institute of Aguascalientes, Guanajuato

    • “Portraits” Simone Stern Gallery. New Orleans, USA

    • “V Arte Bancomer Salon”México DF

    • “World Festival on Art on Paper” Kranj Yugoslavia

    • “Contemporary Mexican Graphic Work” Minister of Foreign Affairs. México.

  • 2000 “Mexican School from The Rupture to Geometrism”

    • Palace of Fine Arts, México D.F.

    • “From my Colection” CONACULTA, Itinerant exhibition.

  • 2001 “Boxes” House of the first Press, México D.F,

    • “Estampa 2001” Cultural Center El Nigromante, S.M.A. Guanajuato, Mexico.

    • “Latin American Artists” Jose Luis Cuevas Colection. Mexico

  • 2003 “Aparentemente Sublime” Museum of Modern Art, México D.F.

    • “Nopal Urbano”, México D.F.

  • 2006 “Bancas” Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico DF

  • 2008 “Campanas” Paseo de la Reforna, Mexico DF

  • 2012 Cinetismo, Museum of Modern Art, Mexico DF

  • 2012 Ceramica Uriarte, Museo Franz Meyer, Mexico DF

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Bibliography

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  • Pedro Friedeberg, Ida Rodríguez Pampolini, Universidad de México, 1972

  • Pedro Friedeberg, catalogo de la XIX Olimpiada Cultural, 1968

  • Surrealismo y arte Fantástico en México, Ida Rodríguez

  • Pintura Actual 1966, Alfonso Neuvillate.

  • El Arte Contemporáneo, Ida Rodríguez

  • Eroteik, J.J. Beljon, Amsterdam 1967

  • Bilder des Verschollenen Stils, Ernst Fuchs Vienna.

  • Art in Latin American Architecture, Paul F. Damaz.

  • Fantasy Furniture, Thomas Simpson.

  • Art Today, Faulkner and Ziegfeld.

  • Nuevos Ritos nuevos mitos, Guillon Dorfles

  • A guide to Mexican Art, Justino Fernández

  • Cuarenta Siglos de Plástica Mexicana, Ida Rodríguez

  • Crafts of the world, Rose Slivka

  • Architecture Forms and Functions, 1962-1963

  • Contemporary Art with wood, Donna Z. Meilach

  • Dibujo Mexicano, Raquel Tibol

  • 200 Jahre Phantastische Kunst, Wieland Schmied

  • Advanced Wood Working, Time-Life Books.

  • Chair, Bradford and Prete.

  • Mexican Homes, O´Gorman y Schalkwijk

  • México Arte Moderno II, A. de Neuvillate, Ediciones Misrachi.

  • Doce recetas celebres, American Express de México.

  • Labirynthe, Heinz Ladendorf, Bérlin, 1964

  • Who’s Who in the world, 1971, 1972 y 1979

  • Diez entrevistas, Manuel Ávila Camacho

  • Dictionary of International Biography, Londres, 1980, 1982

  • Who’s Who in the American Art, 1973 y 1976

  • Men of Achievement, 1975.

  • Who’s Notable in México, 1972

  • México, Pórtico de América.

  • Enciclopedia de México

  • Dictionary of Contemporary European Artists, Parma, Italia, 1980, 1982

  • The international Who’s Who of Intellectuals, Cambridge, 1976.

  • Ornamentalism, Conway y Adams

  • Mathias Goeritz, Olivia Zuñiga

  • Mathias Goeritz, Federico Morais

  • El grabado mexicano en el siglo XX, 1922-1981, Hugo Covantes.

  • Retrato de una época, Xavier Esqueda.

  • Designed for delight, Montreal Museum

  • Gramática del arte J.J Beljon, Holanda

  • Historia del Arte Mexicano, Bancomer.

  • Furniture of the 60´s Cara Greenberg, New York

  • Además ha realizado pinturas murales en diversas instituciones de México y el extranjero. Así mismo ha ilustrado libros, diseñado portadas de libros de texto y ha proyectado escenografías y vestuarios”

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