Maria Friberg
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"Still Lives #3", 2004
Signed Maria Friberg and dated 2008, numbered 24/25, verso. Unique in its size. C-Print, laminate, wood 82.5 x 120 cm.
Exhibitions
Another example, in a different size, exhibited at:
Conner Contemporary Art, Washington DC, "Still lives", 2005.
Contemporary Art Galleries, University of Connecticut,
"Library", 2005.
Kulturhuset, Stockholm, Galleri 3, "Boys Are Us”, 26 January - 13 April 2008.
Abecita Konstmuseum, Borås, "Friberg & Hüttner", 8 November - 1 February 2009.
Literature
Friberg (e.a), "Maria Friberg", 2008, illustrated pl. 23.
Kajsa Widegren, recension Abecita, Expressen, 8 November 2008, illustrated.
Friberg (e.a), "Maria Friberg", 2005, illustrated pl. 2.
More information
Maria Friberg's works in the series 'Still Lives' revolve around themes such as power, masculinity, and humanity's relationship with nature. Through her art, Friberg challenges preconceived notions of identity, gender, and social hierarchies.
In the motif "Still Lives #3" Friberg has placed a reclining male figure in a charged context – a sea of old books in beautiful leather bindings. Literature and the power of the written word have historically been associated with masculine power. In "Still Lives #3" the traditional perception of masculinity is undermined by the passive pose assumed by the man. The resting male, curled up and introspective, is portrayed as far removed from power, control, and self-consciousness.
"Still Lives #3" was first exhibited at the Armory Show in New York, one of the world's largest art fairs, where thousands of objects are for sale and gallerists and collectors move in an intense flow over a few hectic days. The work garnered significant attention and was highlighted in the media. The artist and her gallerist found themselves surrounded by visitors, collectors and museum representatives eager not to miss the chance to converse with the artist behind the acclaimed photograph.
Since then, the motif has lived a life of its own. Maria Friberg continually receives feedback and inquiries from enthusiasts and collectors around the world.
Maria Friberg is one of Sweden's most prominent contemporary artists. She has held solo exhibitions at, among others, the Moderna Museet and Fotografiska in Sweden, as well as at various international venues such as the Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum in California, Conner Contemporary Art in Washington, D.C., and Pi Artworks in London. Her works are represented in many collections, including the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Kiasma in Helsinki, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and the Denver Art Museum.
The motif "Still Lives #3" was most recently exhibited in the exhibition "Almost There" at the Thiel Gallery in Stockholm in 2024 – a dialogue between Maria Friberg's acclaimed practice and the museum's collections.
Artist
Maria Friberg was a Swedish artist who primarily worked with photography and videography. Her primary theme was masculinity, whereby she investigated the traditional male adopted roles and its properties which has through history been defined as "masculine". Since her breakthrough in the 1990s alongside other female photographers who were educated at Gothenburgs photography school, Friberg has offered his growing audience enigmatic, powerful, and imaginative staged images of men. They float tranquilly in pool water, are squeezed into cars, sometimes sleeping among white sheets, or only their lower halves are visible as they sit in suits at a table. She works with staged photography and often uses art historical references. Friberg likes to work in series, varying a motif across multiple works. Some of her most well-known series are "Still Lives" and "Almost There."
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