Renowned Louisville artist Julius Friedman died Sunday at the age of 74 after battling leukemia.
Friedman was perhaps best known for his iconic posters, including “Toe on Egg” which featured a Louisville Ballet dancer’s pointe shoe balanced on a single white egg.
But Friedman was more than just “the egg man,” as he described himself in a 2007 interview. His work — including his popular pieces created from deconstructed books — has been in museums across North America, Asia and Europe.
Last year, the Frazier History museum ran a 50-year retrospective of Friedman’s artwork. At the time,Frazier director of marketing Andy Treinan said Friedman's work was always developing.
“With his new work, he has created this multi-sensory experience, printing on metals and uses glass,” Treinen said. “There’s a tactile component to it. You’ll be able to feel things. You’ll be able to hear things. You’ll be able to see things.”
Friedman's work was also recently exhibited at the Craft(s) Gallery in 2014.
In a statement posted on Twitter Sunday, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer called up another one of Friedman's famous works--a ice cream sundae balancing on a French horn--and called the artist a visionary.
Our city mourns the passing of Julius Friedman. Artist. Innovator. Visionary. He was playful, creative and colorful, like his artwork. pic.twitter.com/LLXDfUIZhb
— Greg Fischer (@GregFischerLou) July 16, 2017