the mysterious gallerist freddy, unveiled (sort of)the mysterious gallerist "freddy,"...
TRANSCRIPT
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The Mysterious Gallerist Freddy Unveiled (SortOf)By Rebecca Bates
The semi-anonymous founder of Baltimore gallery Freddy searches for art-
Right now if you were to visit the website for Freddy a Baltimore gallery and
open the page marked ldquoInfordquo yoursquod find a clip from A Nightmare on Elm
Street The filmrsquos heroine Nancy Thompson screams ldquoItrsquos only a dreamrdquo To
which Freddy Krueger replies ldquoCome to Freddyrdquo Visitors should view this as
a call to action First and foremost Freddy is an artist-run gallery with a staff
of only two including a gallerist who publicly adopts the moniker ldquoFreddyrdquo to
obscure their actual identity ldquoIts not about some kind of airtight identity
foilrdquo Freddy tells Paddle8 ldquoIts about the desire to present a project where the
identity of the curator is of less importance than the work itselfrdquo Freddy was
founded to amplify the presence of Baltimore artists and bring the work of
non-Maryland-based artists to the area That this exhibition space exists
outside familiar art-world hubs was key for Freddy the gallerist who had
become frustrated with what they describe as ldquothe commercial-driven side of
things in New Yorkrdquo Though Freddy regularly shows New York artists the
grassroots ldquolabor of loverdquo spirit of the gallery is clear In honor of the Freddy
auction which will help support the galleryrsquos programming and other
projects Freddy the gallerist lifts their mask ever so slightly to tell Paddle8
about the galleryrsquos mission And for the record we do know who Freddy is
but wersquore not talking (the truth seems irrelevant itrsquos only a dream etc
etc)
Paddle8 Can you tell me a little bit about how Freddy got started
Freddy I grew up in Maryland near Baltimore Ive been invested in the
Baltimore art scene somewhat peripherally since the early 2000s when a
family member was a painting student at MICA I was a fan and advocate of
SHARE
INTERVIEW
February 19 2015
Related Works
world hubs off the beaten path
$2000
BRAD PHILLIPS
True Story Redux
Nudashank (a pioneering artist-run gallery program in Baltimore operating
from 2009ndash2013) and sophiajacob (another pioneering artist-run space that
formerly occupied the Freddy space on West Franklin St) sophiajacob had
their final show last April and with their encouragement I decided to rent the
space with the intent to present half a dozen shows The first show opened
Friday June 13th
P8 Describe Freddyrsquos overall mission in five words
F To share what I love
P8 When you started Freddy what were the voids you saw in the Baltimore
and global art scene that you hoped to fill
F Theres a very different type of mentality going on in Baltimore that is more
or less the opposite of New York or other art centers where money and art are
bed buddies I think that artists who choose to live and work in Baltimore are
doing it for very personal reasons I respect that a great deal My background is
more New York-centric as I first moved to NYC in 1999 and have spent the
vast majority of my adult years in New York That said I am often dispirited
with the commercial-driven side of things in New York (I know I am not alone
in this) and find myself daydreaming about other options Bringing interesting
artists to Baltimore and introducing the work of young Maryland-based artists
to a larger audience seems important and exciting
P8 Can you explain the idea behind the anonymity of you as ldquoFreddy the
gallery administratorrdquo
F The anonymity has more to do with how the project is intended to function
$1500
JUDITH BERNSTEIN
Flocked Horizontal
$400
JOHN BOHL
Roses
on the Internet Its not about some kind of airtight identity foilmdashthere are
plenty of people who know exactly who I ammdashits about the desire to present a
project where the identity of the curator is of less importance than the work
itself I thought it would be interesting for information about the gallery to
travel in the form of rumor I knew this would create distortions of the truth
(like a game of telephone) and this is in line with the concept of the gallery
Freddy is an avatarmdashan extension of what I am doing in my other studio-
based work
P8 The gallery describes itself as ldquoartist-runrdquo How does an artist-run
gallery function differently from the major galleries most collectors know
F For starters we have no staff other than one local artist who works one day
a week and myself Freddys audience is primarily other artists Traditional
galleries typically have a more diverse audience that includes more than three
people who buy art Freddy is a labor of love We need all the support we can
get which is why this benefit was organized
P8 What defines the Baltimore neighborhood where Freddy is located
F The gallery is located in Seton Hill which is on the western side of
Baltimore It seems to be an area that is changing a lot There is a brand new 7-
Eleven on the corner Theres a lot of amazing art energy Open Space another
artist run gallery is our neighbor on the left and Franklin St is on the right
Springsteen has plans to open on the block in March There are other galleries
like Current Gallery and bb and probably others that I dont even know about
nearby
P8 What have been some of the most surprising or challenging shows Freddy
$900
TED GAHL
House Painter (In Garden)
$500
SEAN BOYLAN
Then there came a rather difficult silence
has presented
F The William Crawford show generated interesting discussion The works
are sexually explicit and his identity remains a mystery Peter Eide an artist
based in New Windsor Maryland had an amazing solo show at Freddy last
November Im honored that I could help introduce his work to a wider
audience I am also very proud of the recent Keith Mayerson exhibition His
Iconscape paintings are difficult revealing themselves over a sustained period
of time I think our current exhibition by Kenneth Goldsmith and Fox Irving is
possibly the most challenging show weve done so far
P8 What else is in the works for Freddy in the near future
F Coming up next is a solo exhibition by Ross Bleckner titled Freddy Presents
Dick which is a selection of photographs taken by Bleckner from the 1980s to
the present This is the first exhibition consisting entirely of Blecknerrsquos
photography though several images have appeared in publications and
alongside his paintings in exhibition catalogues The series is an ongoing
investigation into the seduction and repulsion of desire It will be
accompanied by a book of the same title Following the Bleckner show will be
a solo exhibition of paintings by a young Baltimore-based artist named June
Culp
P8 What common threads run throughout the work in the Freddy auction
F There is an eclectic mix of work by primarily Baltimore- and New York-
based artists at all different stages of their careers I think theres a good mix of
abstraction figuration and text-based work primarily painting I thought it
would be interesting to approach the auction almost like a group showmdash
$200
STEPHEN BOOTH
Spider-Man in Space
$400
JUNE CULP
Slap Booty
introducing the work of artists that a New York audience would most likely be
unfamiliar with alongside well-established names Im personally very excited
about every donation but if I could go home with something I think Id pick
Stephen Booths Spider-Man in Space
To collect works that embody the Freddy spirit visit the Freddy auction
through February 23
$1200
PHILIP HINGE
My Empires Doom
copy 2015 Paddle8 All rights reserved About Careers Contact iPhone Terms Privacy Made in NYC
THE ONLINE AUCTION HOUSE
Follow Us
Learn more about our auctionsdiscover new artists
Join Our Newsletter
Stay up to date on works by yourfavorite artists and designers
Enter your email JOIN
Right now if you were to visit the website for Freddy a Baltimore gallery and
open the page marked ldquoInfordquo yoursquod find a clip from A Nightmare on Elm
Street The filmrsquos heroine Nancy Thompson screams ldquoItrsquos only a dreamrdquo To
which Freddy Krueger replies ldquoCome to Freddyrdquo Visitors should view this as
a call to action First and foremost Freddy is an artist-run gallery with a staff
of only two including a gallerist who publicly adopts the moniker ldquoFreddyrdquo to
obscure their actual identity ldquoIts not about some kind of airtight identity
foilrdquo Freddy tells Paddle8 ldquoIts about the desire to present a project where the
identity of the curator is of less importance than the work itselfrdquo Freddy was
founded to amplify the presence of Baltimore artists and bring the work of
non-Maryland-based artists to the area That this exhibition space exists
outside familiar art-world hubs was key for Freddy the gallerist who had
become frustrated with what they describe as ldquothe commercial-driven side of
things in New Yorkrdquo Though Freddy regularly shows New York artists the
grassroots ldquolabor of loverdquo spirit of the gallery is clear In honor of the Freddy
auction which will help support the galleryrsquos programming and other
projects Freddy the gallerist lifts their mask ever so slightly to tell Paddle8
about the galleryrsquos mission And for the record we do know who Freddy is
but wersquore not talking (the truth seems irrelevant itrsquos only a dream etc
etc)
Paddle8 Can you tell me a little bit about how Freddy got started
Freddy I grew up in Maryland near Baltimore Ive been invested in the
Baltimore art scene somewhat peripherally since the early 2000s when a
family member was a painting student at MICA I was a fan and advocate of
SHARE
INTERVIEW
February 19 2015
Related Works
world hubs off the beaten path
$2000
BRAD PHILLIPS
True Story Redux
Nudashank (a pioneering artist-run gallery program in Baltimore operating
from 2009ndash2013) and sophiajacob (another pioneering artist-run space that
formerly occupied the Freddy space on West Franklin St) sophiajacob had
their final show last April and with their encouragement I decided to rent the
space with the intent to present half a dozen shows The first show opened
Friday June 13th
P8 Describe Freddyrsquos overall mission in five words
F To share what I love
P8 When you started Freddy what were the voids you saw in the Baltimore
and global art scene that you hoped to fill
F Theres a very different type of mentality going on in Baltimore that is more
or less the opposite of New York or other art centers where money and art are
bed buddies I think that artists who choose to live and work in Baltimore are
doing it for very personal reasons I respect that a great deal My background is
more New York-centric as I first moved to NYC in 1999 and have spent the
vast majority of my adult years in New York That said I am often dispirited
with the commercial-driven side of things in New York (I know I am not alone
in this) and find myself daydreaming about other options Bringing interesting
artists to Baltimore and introducing the work of young Maryland-based artists
to a larger audience seems important and exciting
P8 Can you explain the idea behind the anonymity of you as ldquoFreddy the
gallery administratorrdquo
F The anonymity has more to do with how the project is intended to function
$1500
JUDITH BERNSTEIN
Flocked Horizontal
$400
JOHN BOHL
Roses
on the Internet Its not about some kind of airtight identity foilmdashthere are
plenty of people who know exactly who I ammdashits about the desire to present a
project where the identity of the curator is of less importance than the work
itself I thought it would be interesting for information about the gallery to
travel in the form of rumor I knew this would create distortions of the truth
(like a game of telephone) and this is in line with the concept of the gallery
Freddy is an avatarmdashan extension of what I am doing in my other studio-
based work
P8 The gallery describes itself as ldquoartist-runrdquo How does an artist-run
gallery function differently from the major galleries most collectors know
F For starters we have no staff other than one local artist who works one day
a week and myself Freddys audience is primarily other artists Traditional
galleries typically have a more diverse audience that includes more than three
people who buy art Freddy is a labor of love We need all the support we can
get which is why this benefit was organized
P8 What defines the Baltimore neighborhood where Freddy is located
F The gallery is located in Seton Hill which is on the western side of
Baltimore It seems to be an area that is changing a lot There is a brand new 7-
Eleven on the corner Theres a lot of amazing art energy Open Space another
artist run gallery is our neighbor on the left and Franklin St is on the right
Springsteen has plans to open on the block in March There are other galleries
like Current Gallery and bb and probably others that I dont even know about
nearby
P8 What have been some of the most surprising or challenging shows Freddy
$900
TED GAHL
House Painter (In Garden)
$500
SEAN BOYLAN
Then there came a rather difficult silence
has presented
F The William Crawford show generated interesting discussion The works
are sexually explicit and his identity remains a mystery Peter Eide an artist
based in New Windsor Maryland had an amazing solo show at Freddy last
November Im honored that I could help introduce his work to a wider
audience I am also very proud of the recent Keith Mayerson exhibition His
Iconscape paintings are difficult revealing themselves over a sustained period
of time I think our current exhibition by Kenneth Goldsmith and Fox Irving is
possibly the most challenging show weve done so far
P8 What else is in the works for Freddy in the near future
F Coming up next is a solo exhibition by Ross Bleckner titled Freddy Presents
Dick which is a selection of photographs taken by Bleckner from the 1980s to
the present This is the first exhibition consisting entirely of Blecknerrsquos
photography though several images have appeared in publications and
alongside his paintings in exhibition catalogues The series is an ongoing
investigation into the seduction and repulsion of desire It will be
accompanied by a book of the same title Following the Bleckner show will be
a solo exhibition of paintings by a young Baltimore-based artist named June
Culp
P8 What common threads run throughout the work in the Freddy auction
F There is an eclectic mix of work by primarily Baltimore- and New York-
based artists at all different stages of their careers I think theres a good mix of
abstraction figuration and text-based work primarily painting I thought it
would be interesting to approach the auction almost like a group showmdash
$200
STEPHEN BOOTH
Spider-Man in Space
$400
JUNE CULP
Slap Booty
introducing the work of artists that a New York audience would most likely be
unfamiliar with alongside well-established names Im personally very excited
about every donation but if I could go home with something I think Id pick
Stephen Booths Spider-Man in Space
To collect works that embody the Freddy spirit visit the Freddy auction
through February 23
$1200
PHILIP HINGE
My Empires Doom
copy 2015 Paddle8 All rights reserved About Careers Contact iPhone Terms Privacy Made in NYC
THE ONLINE AUCTION HOUSE
Follow Us
Learn more about our auctionsdiscover new artists
Join Our Newsletter
Stay up to date on works by yourfavorite artists and designers
Enter your email JOIN
Nudashank (a pioneering artist-run gallery program in Baltimore operating
from 2009ndash2013) and sophiajacob (another pioneering artist-run space that
formerly occupied the Freddy space on West Franklin St) sophiajacob had
their final show last April and with their encouragement I decided to rent the
space with the intent to present half a dozen shows The first show opened
Friday June 13th
P8 Describe Freddyrsquos overall mission in five words
F To share what I love
P8 When you started Freddy what were the voids you saw in the Baltimore
and global art scene that you hoped to fill
F Theres a very different type of mentality going on in Baltimore that is more
or less the opposite of New York or other art centers where money and art are
bed buddies I think that artists who choose to live and work in Baltimore are
doing it for very personal reasons I respect that a great deal My background is
more New York-centric as I first moved to NYC in 1999 and have spent the
vast majority of my adult years in New York That said I am often dispirited
with the commercial-driven side of things in New York (I know I am not alone
in this) and find myself daydreaming about other options Bringing interesting
artists to Baltimore and introducing the work of young Maryland-based artists
to a larger audience seems important and exciting
P8 Can you explain the idea behind the anonymity of you as ldquoFreddy the
gallery administratorrdquo
F The anonymity has more to do with how the project is intended to function
$1500
JUDITH BERNSTEIN
Flocked Horizontal
$400
JOHN BOHL
Roses
on the Internet Its not about some kind of airtight identity foilmdashthere are
plenty of people who know exactly who I ammdashits about the desire to present a
project where the identity of the curator is of less importance than the work
itself I thought it would be interesting for information about the gallery to
travel in the form of rumor I knew this would create distortions of the truth
(like a game of telephone) and this is in line with the concept of the gallery
Freddy is an avatarmdashan extension of what I am doing in my other studio-
based work
P8 The gallery describes itself as ldquoartist-runrdquo How does an artist-run
gallery function differently from the major galleries most collectors know
F For starters we have no staff other than one local artist who works one day
a week and myself Freddys audience is primarily other artists Traditional
galleries typically have a more diverse audience that includes more than three
people who buy art Freddy is a labor of love We need all the support we can
get which is why this benefit was organized
P8 What defines the Baltimore neighborhood where Freddy is located
F The gallery is located in Seton Hill which is on the western side of
Baltimore It seems to be an area that is changing a lot There is a brand new 7-
Eleven on the corner Theres a lot of amazing art energy Open Space another
artist run gallery is our neighbor on the left and Franklin St is on the right
Springsteen has plans to open on the block in March There are other galleries
like Current Gallery and bb and probably others that I dont even know about
nearby
P8 What have been some of the most surprising or challenging shows Freddy
$900
TED GAHL
House Painter (In Garden)
$500
SEAN BOYLAN
Then there came a rather difficult silence
has presented
F The William Crawford show generated interesting discussion The works
are sexually explicit and his identity remains a mystery Peter Eide an artist
based in New Windsor Maryland had an amazing solo show at Freddy last
November Im honored that I could help introduce his work to a wider
audience I am also very proud of the recent Keith Mayerson exhibition His
Iconscape paintings are difficult revealing themselves over a sustained period
of time I think our current exhibition by Kenneth Goldsmith and Fox Irving is
possibly the most challenging show weve done so far
P8 What else is in the works for Freddy in the near future
F Coming up next is a solo exhibition by Ross Bleckner titled Freddy Presents
Dick which is a selection of photographs taken by Bleckner from the 1980s to
the present This is the first exhibition consisting entirely of Blecknerrsquos
photography though several images have appeared in publications and
alongside his paintings in exhibition catalogues The series is an ongoing
investigation into the seduction and repulsion of desire It will be
accompanied by a book of the same title Following the Bleckner show will be
a solo exhibition of paintings by a young Baltimore-based artist named June
Culp
P8 What common threads run throughout the work in the Freddy auction
F There is an eclectic mix of work by primarily Baltimore- and New York-
based artists at all different stages of their careers I think theres a good mix of
abstraction figuration and text-based work primarily painting I thought it
would be interesting to approach the auction almost like a group showmdash
$200
STEPHEN BOOTH
Spider-Man in Space
$400
JUNE CULP
Slap Booty
introducing the work of artists that a New York audience would most likely be
unfamiliar with alongside well-established names Im personally very excited
about every donation but if I could go home with something I think Id pick
Stephen Booths Spider-Man in Space
To collect works that embody the Freddy spirit visit the Freddy auction
through February 23
$1200
PHILIP HINGE
My Empires Doom
copy 2015 Paddle8 All rights reserved About Careers Contact iPhone Terms Privacy Made in NYC
THE ONLINE AUCTION HOUSE
Follow Us
Learn more about our auctionsdiscover new artists
Join Our Newsletter
Stay up to date on works by yourfavorite artists and designers
Enter your email JOIN
on the Internet Its not about some kind of airtight identity foilmdashthere are
plenty of people who know exactly who I ammdashits about the desire to present a
project where the identity of the curator is of less importance than the work
itself I thought it would be interesting for information about the gallery to
travel in the form of rumor I knew this would create distortions of the truth
(like a game of telephone) and this is in line with the concept of the gallery
Freddy is an avatarmdashan extension of what I am doing in my other studio-
based work
P8 The gallery describes itself as ldquoartist-runrdquo How does an artist-run
gallery function differently from the major galleries most collectors know
F For starters we have no staff other than one local artist who works one day
a week and myself Freddys audience is primarily other artists Traditional
galleries typically have a more diverse audience that includes more than three
people who buy art Freddy is a labor of love We need all the support we can
get which is why this benefit was organized
P8 What defines the Baltimore neighborhood where Freddy is located
F The gallery is located in Seton Hill which is on the western side of
Baltimore It seems to be an area that is changing a lot There is a brand new 7-
Eleven on the corner Theres a lot of amazing art energy Open Space another
artist run gallery is our neighbor on the left and Franklin St is on the right
Springsteen has plans to open on the block in March There are other galleries
like Current Gallery and bb and probably others that I dont even know about
nearby
P8 What have been some of the most surprising or challenging shows Freddy
$900
TED GAHL
House Painter (In Garden)
$500
SEAN BOYLAN
Then there came a rather difficult silence
has presented
F The William Crawford show generated interesting discussion The works
are sexually explicit and his identity remains a mystery Peter Eide an artist
based in New Windsor Maryland had an amazing solo show at Freddy last
November Im honored that I could help introduce his work to a wider
audience I am also very proud of the recent Keith Mayerson exhibition His
Iconscape paintings are difficult revealing themselves over a sustained period
of time I think our current exhibition by Kenneth Goldsmith and Fox Irving is
possibly the most challenging show weve done so far
P8 What else is in the works for Freddy in the near future
F Coming up next is a solo exhibition by Ross Bleckner titled Freddy Presents
Dick which is a selection of photographs taken by Bleckner from the 1980s to
the present This is the first exhibition consisting entirely of Blecknerrsquos
photography though several images have appeared in publications and
alongside his paintings in exhibition catalogues The series is an ongoing
investigation into the seduction and repulsion of desire It will be
accompanied by a book of the same title Following the Bleckner show will be
a solo exhibition of paintings by a young Baltimore-based artist named June
Culp
P8 What common threads run throughout the work in the Freddy auction
F There is an eclectic mix of work by primarily Baltimore- and New York-
based artists at all different stages of their careers I think theres a good mix of
abstraction figuration and text-based work primarily painting I thought it
would be interesting to approach the auction almost like a group showmdash
$200
STEPHEN BOOTH
Spider-Man in Space
$400
JUNE CULP
Slap Booty
introducing the work of artists that a New York audience would most likely be
unfamiliar with alongside well-established names Im personally very excited
about every donation but if I could go home with something I think Id pick
Stephen Booths Spider-Man in Space
To collect works that embody the Freddy spirit visit the Freddy auction
through February 23
$1200
PHILIP HINGE
My Empires Doom
copy 2015 Paddle8 All rights reserved About Careers Contact iPhone Terms Privacy Made in NYC
THE ONLINE AUCTION HOUSE
Follow Us
Learn more about our auctionsdiscover new artists
Join Our Newsletter
Stay up to date on works by yourfavorite artists and designers
Enter your email JOIN
has presented
F The William Crawford show generated interesting discussion The works
are sexually explicit and his identity remains a mystery Peter Eide an artist
based in New Windsor Maryland had an amazing solo show at Freddy last
November Im honored that I could help introduce his work to a wider
audience I am also very proud of the recent Keith Mayerson exhibition His
Iconscape paintings are difficult revealing themselves over a sustained period
of time I think our current exhibition by Kenneth Goldsmith and Fox Irving is
possibly the most challenging show weve done so far
P8 What else is in the works for Freddy in the near future
F Coming up next is a solo exhibition by Ross Bleckner titled Freddy Presents
Dick which is a selection of photographs taken by Bleckner from the 1980s to
the present This is the first exhibition consisting entirely of Blecknerrsquos
photography though several images have appeared in publications and
alongside his paintings in exhibition catalogues The series is an ongoing
investigation into the seduction and repulsion of desire It will be
accompanied by a book of the same title Following the Bleckner show will be
a solo exhibition of paintings by a young Baltimore-based artist named June
Culp
P8 What common threads run throughout the work in the Freddy auction
F There is an eclectic mix of work by primarily Baltimore- and New York-
based artists at all different stages of their careers I think theres a good mix of
abstraction figuration and text-based work primarily painting I thought it
would be interesting to approach the auction almost like a group showmdash
$200
STEPHEN BOOTH
Spider-Man in Space
$400
JUNE CULP
Slap Booty
introducing the work of artists that a New York audience would most likely be
unfamiliar with alongside well-established names Im personally very excited
about every donation but if I could go home with something I think Id pick
Stephen Booths Spider-Man in Space
To collect works that embody the Freddy spirit visit the Freddy auction
through February 23
$1200
PHILIP HINGE
My Empires Doom
copy 2015 Paddle8 All rights reserved About Careers Contact iPhone Terms Privacy Made in NYC
THE ONLINE AUCTION HOUSE
Follow Us
Learn more about our auctionsdiscover new artists
Join Our Newsletter
Stay up to date on works by yourfavorite artists and designers
Enter your email JOIN
introducing the work of artists that a New York audience would most likely be
unfamiliar with alongside well-established names Im personally very excited
about every donation but if I could go home with something I think Id pick
Stephen Booths Spider-Man in Space
To collect works that embody the Freddy spirit visit the Freddy auction
through February 23
$1200
PHILIP HINGE
My Empires Doom
copy 2015 Paddle8 All rights reserved About Careers Contact iPhone Terms Privacy Made in NYC
THE ONLINE AUCTION HOUSE
Follow Us
Learn more about our auctionsdiscover new artists
Join Our Newsletter
Stay up to date on works by yourfavorite artists and designers
Enter your email JOIN