Dan Friedman: Stay Radical – The Art Institute of Chicago – February 2, 2024

When modernism just isn’t enough, why not radical modernism, of which Friedman was apparently the father. But that was years ago, so I looked up ultraradical to see how far things have gone. The second definition of that involves the complete surgical removal of organs in a body cavity, so I’m glad he didn’t go there. What would that design look like – a blank canvas?

When asked, the security guard standing ten feet away from the door to the Architecture and Design room where the exhibit was housed didn’t know where the exhibit was, so I dared to be great and read the sign next to the door, which informed me.

I liked Friedman’s work, in particular the Gallimaufry and ICA Street Sights posters, Deep Sea Meltdown (a startling replica of my hall closet) and Tornado Fetish (an even more startling replica of my brain in the morning).

Friedman was said to have scavenged streets for materials and displayed them at home, using his apartment as a lab, recycling at its best.

And, just when I thought I had seen it all, I read that he was inspired by the futuristic decor of the Jetsons. If I could have snuck his Asteroid Lamp under my coat, I would have considered it. I wasn’t worried about the security guard noticing.