Artist Statement

I explore the intersection of our urban, rural, and wild spaces through artmaking. I am inspired by the love of the land we share in the midwest. My pieces are one-of-a-kind exposures using Cyanotype, combining the photo process with drawn illustrations of farm animals, cultivated, and native species.

My work highlights the strength and character of the animals while putting them into the context of our modern lifestyle. Their lives depend on our choices. For example, the piece Icelandic Chickens of Whipoorwill Farm uses a heritage breed created by the vikings and suggests its current habitat by including pictures of prairie, city, and cornfield. Scientific symbols suggest the balance of creation, evidenced by the sensitivity of crops to our intervention such as chemical applications and medicines. Using these tools well requires discernment. The Icelandic chicken thrives with only basic care, yet the breed is on the brink of extinction. To lose this breed would be to lose a living facet of history and human reliance on animals.

The artwork recognizes a contract of co-dependance between us and the creation around us. This relationship requires our love and respect to thrive and grow. My meticulous process of art-making reflects how I feel we can care for the world. When we care well for the small things, we care well for the big things too.

Artist Bio:

Friend’s work has been shown in solo shows in Iowa, California, and Nebraska, and other group shows. It is recognized in local radio, newspaper, published in Diffusion magazine, and resides in public and private art collections. It has received awards in national juried art exhibits. She exhibits in a variety outdoor public art events including the Des Moines Arts Festival.

She earned a Masters of Fine Art in Integrated Visual Arts at Iowa State University in 2013 and grew up in the community of Sioux Center, Iowa. Her undergraduate degree is from Dordt College where she studied fine art and graphic design. Naomi worked for three years at the Octagon Center for the Arts as the Exhibits Director. Naomi operates a small 3 acre farm, Friends Flowers, where she grows flowers for local markets.

"The world is no better than its places. Places are no better than their people. When people make dark the light within them, the world darkens." -Wendell Berry