Josh Sperling and Sam Friedman
From The Cradle To The Grave
From the Cradle to the Grave was a two-person exhibition at Joshua Liner Gallery featuring new works by lifelong friends Sam Friedman and Josh Sperling. On view from January 7, 2016, the show celebrated their shared creative journey since childhood, presenting Friedman’s vibrant, pulsating acrylic paintings alongside Sperling’s layered plywood reliefs. While Sperling explored structure, light, and shadow through shaped canvases, Friedman’s works focused on color contrasts and undulating lines to create immersive sensory experiences, highlighting their distinct yet connected approaches to visual perception and abstraction.
Both born in 1984 in Oneonta, New York, Sam Friedman and Josh Sperling have developed unique practices rooted in abstraction. Friedman, a Pratt Institute graduate, is known for his spontaneous, vividly colored paintings that emphasize line and movement, while Sperling, who earned his BFA from SUNY Potsdam, creates sculptural canvases that merge painting and design with influences of Ellsworth Kelly and Frank Stella. Their works have been exhibited widely, with Friedman showing across the United States and Sperling gaining recognition for his structural and geometric explorations in contemporary painting.
Josh Sperling, From Now to the Eons of Oblivion, 2015, Acrylic on canvas over structure, 73 elements
Josh Sperling, Searching for Heaven, 2015, Canvas over structure with wood plinth, 120 x 21 x 21 inches (304.8 x 53.3 x 53.3 cm)
Josh Sperling, Love Potion (Green / Blue), 2015, Acrylic on canvas over structure, 64 x 66 inches (162.6 x 167.6 cm)
Josh Sperling, Skipping Stones, 2015, Acrylic on canvas over structure, 72 x 48.5 inches (182.9 x 123.2 cm)
Josh Sperling, Nocturnal Teenager, 2015, Acrylic on canvas over structure, 54 x 60 inches (137.2 x 152.4 cm)
Josh Sperling, Untitled (O-Brown), 2015, Acrylic on canvas over structure, 30 inch (76.2 cm) Diameter
Sam Friedman, Untitled, 2015, Acrylic on canvas, 144 x 120 inches (365.8 x 304.8 cm)
Sam Friedman, Untitled, 2015, Acrylic on canvas, 60 x 72 inches (152.4 x 182.9 cm)
Sam Friedman, Untitled, 2015, Acrylic on canvas, 72 x 60 inches (182.9 x 152.4 cm)
Sam Friedman, Untitled, 2015, Acrylic on canvas, 72 x 60 inches (182.9 x 152.4 cm)
Sam Friedman, Untitled, 2015, Acrylic on canvas, 72 x 60 inches (182.9 x 152.4 cm)
Sam Friedman, Untitled, 2015, Acrylic on canvas, 60 x 72 inches (152.4 x 182.9 cm)