Description
An exceedingly rare and large, original oil on canvas by noted Santa Rosa/San Francisco artist John Irwin Friedman (1934-2008), later known as Partee, depicting a view of San Francisco and the Golden State Bridge, painted during the Mid Century 1960’s era sometime around the Summer of Love (1967). Not only was Friedman known as a popular Bay Area artist, but he was also a close friend of Charles Manson’s and a loose member of the Manson Family, the latter becoming more significant after the horrible murders and subsequent rise to infamy of the Manson Family (Friedman had nothing to do with the murders!).
The painting style is in the mid-century Expressionist aesthetic, akin to Bernard Buffet or Charles Levier, but more interesting than its visual appeal is its historic importance. It’s in essence a time capsule of San Francisco, capturing the city with its landmarks during the days of hippies and free love, decades before the advent of the tech industry and Silicon Valley. Couple that with the Charles Manson lore (Friedman and Manson were friends long before the murders and remained so long after), and it becomes a fascinating part of art/pop culture history as well as a delight to view.
Etchings of San Francisco by Partee are quite common and pop up often for sale, however original paintings by the artist (particularly of this scale) are extremely elusive and near impossible to come by. It is signed lower right and the canvas measures approximately 20.25″ x 60.25″. It does have its original frame, but due to the large size the painting is being sold without the frame to reduce shipping costs. If you are interested in the frame as well, please contact to discuss shipping options.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.