Risa Friedman’s Rectangled is a nostalgic homage to counting rectangles in the puzzle section of the newspaper in her grandparents’ kitchen in Queens, New York. Friedman transforms the architecture of BMoCA’s interior brick-lined lobby space into an immersive puzzle of parallelograms through the presentation of framed prints and photo-covered blocks. Friedman will activate the installation throughout the month-long duration of the exhibition by adding photo-covered blocks for visitors to count and rearrange. Through this interactivity, she simultaneously creates the opportunity to experience child-like wonder while attributing the stacking of right angles to the inescapable tasks of adulthood.

About the artist
Risa Friedman is a multidisciplinary artist with a focus on photography, paper arts and installation. Her work celebrates the beauty of place with an emphasis on people-made details and blocks of color. She hopes her work inspires others to stop and appreciate elements of their everyday environment in new ways. Risa grew up in suburban New York, but draws most of her inspiration from her time spent living in cities and watching them change—New York, Brighton (UK), Quito (Ecuador) and currently Denver. Her background and career in the social sciences (sociology and public health) also inform her approach to art. One of her favorite parts of her process is people: she loves collaborating with other artists and meeting those who live and work in the spaces she photographs. In addition to creating her own art, Risa curates art shows and organizes art-based fundraisers.

About Present Box
Present Box is a series of temporary exhibitions that invite artists to transform BMoCA’s lobby and front entrance into innovative installations, performances, and events. The site-specific projects are intended to encourage artists to create work outside their comfort zones and to foster interactive participation. Artists are also urged to explore themes that are relevant for our present time.

Image: Boxed Out. Lobby Edition. 2018