Glen E. Friedman

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Glen E. Friedman

Portrait of Glen E. Friedman shot in Tokyo circa 1998 by Taiske Yokoyama
Birth name Glen Ellis Friedman
Born March 3, 1962 (1962-03-03) (age 46)
North Carolina
Nationality American
Field Photography

Glen E. Friedman (born 1962) is an American photographer and artist.

Contents

[edit] Works

Friedman's photographic work has been seen in International publications for more than thirty years, and on record covers for over 25 years. Original prints of his work are in the permanent collection of the Experience Music Project Museum in Seattle, Washington, and private collections worldwide. Friedman is an active political activist, shuns intoxicants, and follows a strict vegan diet.[1]

Glen E. Friedman is considered one of the most important photographers of his generation.[2][3][4] He is perhaps best known for his work promoting rebellious artists such as Fugazi, Black Flag, Ice-T, Dead Kennedys, Minor Threat, The Misfits, Bad Brains, Beastie Boys, Run-D.M.C., KRS-One, and Public Enemy, as well as old-school skateboarders such as Tony Alva, Jay Adams, Alan Gelfand, Duane Peters, and Stacy Peralta.

[edit] History

Friedman's childhood was largely spent skating in the West Los Angeles schoolyards of the area called "Dogtown." His friends were beginning to be featured in magazines, but he felt the images failed to capture skating's true essence. Though still in junior high school, he thought he could do better.[5]

In the fall of 1976, Friedman discovered an empty pool, and corralled a few friends into riding it so he could take pictures. He showed the results to a freelance SkateBoarder writer he met on the local schoolyard banks, who put the eighth-grader in touch with the editor. They published the first photos Glen submitted as a full-page subscription ad. He soon after became their youngest staff member.[6]

Several years later Friedman began to shoot the punk shows he was attending. Punks such as Black Flag and others received some of their first national and international media documentation through Friedman's work.[7]

Learning a strong work ethic from the self promoters in Black Flag, Friedman started working with the younger brother of an old DogTown friends' band, got them a record deal, managed the band, and produced their first record. This band was Suicidal Tendencies, and that album became the largest selling punk album of the 1980's.[8]

By the mid eighties Friedman was working with Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons and their newly formed Def Jam Records, promoting groups such as Run-DMC and Public Enemy, continuing his dedication to popularizing rebel youth attitude. [9]

In the nineties to the present day Friedman has concentrated on publishing his books, selling his prints to serious collectors, and promoting those lifestyles that continue to inspire radical youth culture and rebels of all ages.[10][11]

[edit] Time line

  • 1976 - At fourteen years old Glen E. Friedman shoots his first published photograph.[12]
  • 1982 - Friedman self published his punk "photo-zine" MY RULES. It sold 10,000 copies and was the largest selling 'zine of the era.[14]
  • 1990 - By this time Friedman's work had achieved fame as record covers for many of the 80's decade finest in hip hop and punk. Many of his photographs are recognized as the subjects' definitive portraits.[17]
  • 1994 - Fuck You Heroes is published, a collection of his more well known work spanning 1976 to 1991. Fuck You Heroes looked at the pioneering leaders of the skateboarding, punk, and hip hop subcultures. Its title, though offensive to some, signifies his subjects' heroic rejection of reactionary social standards.[18]
  • 1996 - His second book, Fuck You Too: The Extras & More, is published by ConSafos press.
  • 1998 - The Idealist is published, the artistic summation of his photography. Diverging greatly from his other books. This title was revised in 2003 to include an additional five years (The Idealist - In My Eyes - 25 Years).
  • 2000 - DogTown-The Legend of the Z-Boys, is published, and co-authored with long time friend and mentor C.R. Stecyk III.
  • 2002 - Glen's film credit, co-producer and creative consultant, barely touch on the major influence he had on the feature-length documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys, which won audience choice award for Best Documentary at Sundance and many other awards at film festivals worldwide.[20]
  • 2005 - His artistic treatise, Recognize is published.
  • 2007 - Friedman scheduled to release Keep Your Eyes Open, a collection of his best photographs of the band Fugazi.

[edit] Quotes about Friedman

  • "The bottom line is that he was there at the beginning of so much cool stuff in so many different areas it's not funny." - Henry Rollins[22]
  • "Outspoken, individual, and the very best at what he does...It's time Friedman was listed alongside Capa, Bresson, and Avedon." - Candy Culture[27]
  • "His photos achieve what so many others only aspire to—they show the spiritual within the physical." - LA Weekly[28]

[edit] Friedman's Books

  • MY RULES, Photozine, self published and distributed, 1982
  • Fuck You Heroes, Glen E. Friedman photographs 1976-1991, Burning Flags Press, 1994, ISBN 0-9641916-0-1
  • Fuck You Too, The Extras + More Scrapbook - Music and Skating thru> '04, Glen E. Friedman, ConSafos press 1996, updated 2005, ISBN 0-9656535-0-1
  • The Idealist, Glen E. Friedman - In My Eyes - 25 Years (1976-2001), Burning Flags Press, 1998, updated 2004, ISBN 0-9641916-5-2
  • DOGTOWN-The Legend of the Z-Boys, C.R. Stecyk III & Glen E. Friedman, Burning Flags Press, 2000, ISBN 0-9641916-4-4
  • RECOGNIZE, Glen E. Friedman, Burning Flags Press, 2005, ISBN 0-9641916-6-0
  • Keep Your Eyes Open, Glen E. Friedman, Burning Flags Press, 2007, ISBN 0-9641916-8-7

[edit] Books with significant Friedman contributions (partial listing)

[edit] References

  1. ^ “Glen E. Friedman”, Herbivore Magazine, Fall 2003, <http://www.southern.com/BURNINGFLAGS/press/herbivore.php> 
  2. ^ sixspace gallery
  3. ^ Washington Post, 21 May 2000 - Here & Now - ART - By Pete L. Zanko.
  4. ^ Roving Eye Gallery
  5. ^ official Biography
  6. ^ official Biography
  7. ^ Fuck You Heroes Introduction by C.R. Stecyk III
  8. ^ Fuck You Heroes Introduction by C.R. Stecyk III
  9. ^ Fuck You Heroes Introduction by C.R. Stecyk III
  10. ^ official Biography
  11. ^ Los Angeles Times, 21 November 2002 - It's All About Attitude. By Keith Hamm.
  12. ^ official Biography
  13. ^ official Biography
  14. ^ official Biography
  15. ^ official Biography
  16. ^ official Biography
  17. ^ WARP magazine, February 1995 - Glen E. Friedman - Photos from the Edge by Ian Christie.
  18. ^ official Biography
  19. ^ official artist web site
  20. ^ Juice magazine, Dogtown Chronicles, Fall 2002
  21. ^ Time Out magazine, Sept. 2-9, 2004
  22. ^ Fuck You Heroes Quote from book flap written by Henry Rollins
  23. ^ Los Angeles Times, 21 November 2002 - It's All About Attitude. By Keith Hamm.
  24. ^ Washington Post, 21 May 2000 - Here & Now - ART - By Pete L. Zanko.
  25. ^ AIGA website 2004
  26. ^ Juxtapoz Art & Culture Magazine, December 2003.
  27. ^ Candy Culture, Dublin, Ireland 2006.
  28. ^ L.A. Weekly, 26 April 2006 - Clouds' Illusions by Adam Beinash.

[edit] External links