Blazoning Arms by Ariel Freiberg

Ariel Freiberg is an artist I see  in passing at the Bloc 11 Cafe on any given morning from my table outpost. About  a year ago I interviewed this 30 something woman in the said cafe. She contacted  me recently about another interview and we decided to meet at another of my  favorite haunts in Union Square– the Sherman Cafe.

Since the last time  we chatted Freiberg, a colleague of mine at Bunker Hill Community College in  Boston, landed a p/t teaching gig at Smith College. She told me: ” I taught  Drawing I to freshman students. I loved the level of discussion, and the focus  the students brought to the plate.” Freiberg told me she tries to instill the  visual experience of seeing… seeing light, color and texture.

Freiberg, who has a decidedly literary bent, recently had a show with the  celebrated local author Steve Almond. The title of the event was ” Art of the  Erotic.” Although not exclusively erotic, Almond touched on themes like: putting  the body before the heart, and Freiberg complimented this erotic theme with her  work. One of her paintings depicted a woman holding a book, wearing a corset and  skirt, bearing a child’s face and a well-developed woman’s body.

Freiberg revealed that she uses seemingly banal objects like gardening tools and  shoes, to explore sexual or erotic themes. Freiberg explained: “The gardening  tool cultivates the earth. With the shoe–well, it connects to the earth. The  shoe in essence acts as a conduit to the fertile earth. At the same time its  architecture restrains the foot from actually touching or  having consummation  with the earth.”

Freiberg also has an interest in Heraldry . This is a  visual way of describing a unit in the military. An example would be a coat of  arms, and things of that ilk. Freiberg uses this conceit to explore the  connection between the power of sexuality and the power of militarism.

Freiberg has had a number of exhibits recently. One was at the Oresman Gallery  at Smith College, and she will be curating an event of art and poetry at the New  Art Center in Newton in the fall of 2013. She is also scheduled to have an  exhibit of her work at Boston University’s Sherman Gallery in 2014. She has a  solo show “Blazoning Arms” at Miller Yezerski Gallery in Boston’s South  End through July 9, 2013.

Freiberg left the Sherman  Cafe with a smile and a slightly far away look–obviously pondering another new  idea in the  PARIS OF NEW ENGLAND.

****Freiberg told me if  you would like to commission work from her she can be reached at ariel@arielfreiberg.com.