Power Prism Artist: FriendsWithYou

FriendsWithYou is a multidisciplinary art collaborative established in 2002 by Miami-based artists Samuel Borkson and Arturo Sandoval III. The artists specialize in spreading their positive message of Magic, Luck, and Friendshipthrough various creative platforms. Forging their own brand of pop-ped and cartooning visual language a la Murakami, Arturo Herrera and Yayoi Kusama, FWY take a spiritual and serene approach to form and figure. Their reductive and simplified use of geo_metric abstraction always contains a special injection of amusement. Taking Bourriaud's Relational Aesthetics to heart and hand, these artists make art that activates the social interaction of people as exploded and refracted by the internet and elaborate new modes of interpersonal relationships. FriendsWithYou's most important artistic tactic to foster these relationships is the use of play. By reinterpreting religious traditions, symbols and spiritual practices, FWY invert these solemn and serious ideas through play to open up a connection to the divine. Many FriendsWithYou works look like toys because they are meant for play, a tool for unstructured free association and interaction. Their sculptures and paintings, inflatables and objects are meant to trigger the buried, neglected urges and yearnings that a seasoned art viewer may not expect to have activated; playfulness, laughter and inquisitiveness, with an end result of feeling connected. FriendsWithYou brings this message to life through large-scale experiential installations, public playgrounds, consumer products, published works, live performances, as well as animation and multimedia projects. Influenced by the simple happiness found in everyday life, FriendsWithYou's work is designed to be accessible to all. Throughout the last ten years, FriendsWithYou has gained international recognition as pioneers in the field of experiential art. Starting out sewing art toys by hand, the duo has grown into much larger than life projects, yet their toy-like art style remains. FriendsWithYou installations are fully immersive experiences that draw audiences into a magical world where the line between imagination and reality is blurred. From Art Basel in Miami, to the inauguration of a major park in NYC via an FWY installation, to a permanent playground commissioned project for Turnberry for the Arts, FriendsWithYou has been invited to participate in some of the most respected international art happenings and projects. Their fine art has been exhibited and/or included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA), Haus der Kulturen der Welt Museum in Berlin, Art Gallery of Western Australia, and Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, among others. In the future, FriendsWithYou plans to continue to spread its happy message around the world and become Friends-With-You!

Features:

• All prints arrive with an Authenticity Card with the Title, Edition Number, and Artist's Signature.
• Frames arrive with the hanger and nail- ready for the wall.
• All artwork is printed using archival, gallery quality-inkjet pigments on 100% cotton rag paper printed in the USA.
• A percentage of all sales goes to RxArt, a NYC based non-profit that puts art in children's hospitals.
• Each brushed aluminum framed print arrives with an acrylic front, acid-free white mat, and acid-free backing to protect your print and ensure its longevity.
• Size: 11" x 14" (print), 17" x 20" (framed)

ABOUT: LittleCollector is committed to inspiring the next generation of art lovers through the presentation of accessible contemporary art. They believe that viewing art is an essential part of childhood and fundamental creative experience. Many of LittleCollector's artist collaborators are not only represented by major galleries, but are also featured in permanent collections at major museums such as the Met, Guggenheim, and MOMA.

Brand: LittleCollector

Material: Framed Print

Origin: United States

As an art adviser and independent curator, Chrissy Crawford was accustomed to clients and friends asking her to find art for their children's rooms. When Crawford had a hard time finding a store or gallery with unique, affordable pieces, she decided to start her own. LittleCollector is a virtual gallery committed to inspiring the next generations of art lovers with contemporary, limited-edition art that looks just as stylish in the living room as it does in your toddler's bedroom. Each art print is made to last — archival pigments are printed according to museum-quality specifications on acid-free paper — and comes framed and ready to hang (complete with a hanger and nail). An authenticity card containing the artist's signature and the edition number is mounted on the back of each piece.