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Exhibit Essay

Freddie Lieberman is an abstract artist who invites us into her world through her highly energetic, imaginative, colorful and playful artwork. Her journey to abstraction began recently, just in the past fourteen years, with prior works created in a more realistic style. However, abstraction has provided the freedom she always yearned for, allowing her to abandon all other concerns but her will to create. And she does so with great aplomb, exuberance and skill.

Freddie’s abstract works invite us in — into her space, her mind, to her very soul. They exude the artists’ sense of fun, allowing the viewer to envision life and art in a less “serious” way. And yet, these are incredibly serious works by a very devoted artist. She expresses herself from a viewpoint of fun and whimsy. However, the joy we experience when viewing these pieces, belie the difficulty and hours spent in their creation.

In curating this exhibit we rallied around the artists’ mantra, and title of the exhibit, “No Rules” and “No Limits”. Although the artist often categorizes her art into themes and styles, we felt the need to emphasize her philosophy of “no rules, no limits” by creating a show that releases us from those categories. We followed the art, so to speak, and in so doing discovered relationships from one piece to another. Art is a pure language, and what we uncovered is the continuity that underlines this artists’ oeuvre. A continuum of thought, of experimentation, balance of color and technique is found in each piece. As viewers and collectors, we love to look beyond the delight of these many layered surfaces. What we really experience and feel in each artwork is the culmination of this artists’ one main rule, which is to follow her spiritual sense and exuberance for life.

“I view the world on many levels. As my painting style has evolved, my artwork reflects that, and those many overlapping layers of glazes, paints and embellishments create intriguing color combinations and shape—always with a keen awareness of composition and balance....Just as each layer continuously changes the look of the painting, a lifetime accumulation of experiences all contribute to the person we are today.”

—Freddie Lieberman

In this regard, Freddie’s work is created spontaneously and "in the moment,” so to speak. However, these pieces are not made in one spontaneous moment. They are well thought out, created with layer upon layer of medium and embellishments until she feels they are complete. This artist devotes herself to experimentation and expands on the mediums she uses to create her art, challenging herself to create new art each time. As a result, Freddie lives in a constant state of experimentation, never fearful of the result, and continuously in search of the new. 

Abstraction always takes us on a journey. So it is no wonder that artist, Freddie Lieberman, enjoys this trip. Each artwork starts in one place, but with each additional layer, takes her somewhere else, elevating the piece to a higher level. It is a journey that is filled with joy and she has honed her skills and instinct so well that she has the confidence to follow wherever it sends her. The end result is that she has tapped our inner source, a place inside us where we feel her joy, her intention and love for her art. It’s a journey of love and life, where we all want to congregate.

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