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Arts Intel Report

Tom Friedman: Detritus

Tom Friedman, Detritus, 2025

Sept 4 – Oct 18, 2025
501 W 24th Street New York, NY 10011

Although Tom Friedman’s turn to painted canvas may seem like a sharp departure from his traditional oeuvre, it’s more of a natural extension. Best known for his sculptures, the artist unveils a new collection of paintings filled with a Pollock-esque splatter of quotidian objects―detritus―from his life. Rendered in trompe-l’oeil, these fragments reflect a larger theme of renewal and transformation. At once self-portrait, sculptural homage, and new painterly exploration, the show is neither a return nor a debut, but something in between. Some may see it as autobiography, others as a leap of faith. Either way, it’s a reminder that even the most mundane details can be recast as art. —Charlie St John

Photo: Courtesy of Lehmann Maupin New York