TOM FRIEDMAN. TAKEAWAY.

• ARTIST.

  Tom Friedman
  (American, b. 1965)

• TITLE.

  Takeaway

• DATE.

  2018

• MATERIALS.

  Stainless steel

• Dimensions.

  165 x 60.50 x 20.50 in.
  (419.10 x 153.67 x 52.07 cm)

• Map.

  Northeast corner of Rodeo Drive and Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Gardens Park

Consumerism that connects with an audience that knows all too well about the need for fast food.

This is not your usual tinman! Takeaway by Tom Friedman stands almost 14 feet tall (4.27 m) at the corner of Beverly Gardens Park that faces out to Rodeo Drive. At first glance, this running man looks like he is made of the same silver material used to wrap the takeout food containers he carries on top of his head.

Friedman used stainless steel for the entire sculpture, from the bottom of the man’s long striding legs to the very top of the food containers balanced on his head. The man’s face is expressionless and communicates through motion as he sprints in a cartoon-like position toward the busy commercial area of Beverly Hills. The man’s arms and legs give the impression of him being wrapped in tinfoil–every wrinkle on the body, and details, such as a nose, subtly protrude from behind the metal.

This shiny man conveys amusement and reflection as the balancing act on top of his head goes beyond what is humanly possible. From cupcake molds to large takeout food containers, Friedman builds a tower of consumerism that connects with an audience that knows all too well about the need for fast food takeaways in their daily lives.

Friedman’s artwork often juxtaposes the ordinary with the absurd aspects of life. Takeaway portrays a man with a dual message: the ordinary objects the delivery man carries can be seen in everyday places (offices, houses, parks), but the almost acrobatic feat of transporting these containers and the sheer quantity of containers he carries creates a surreal moment. This tinman is not your usual delivery man–this unexpected entertainer comments on the amusement of life in a thoughtful way.

SPARK A CONVERSATION.

Consider the direction where the man is moving.

• Why is he going towards the business side of Beverly Hills?

• Why is he not aiming toward the residential area?

Look at the figure’s face; now come closer to it.

• Can you see any facial features peeking out from behind the stainless steel?

• Can you see a nose? Ears? Eyes?

Examine the containers on top of the man’s head.

• Can you recognize a kind of food for one of these containers?

• What is your favorite takeaway food?

• How many containers does this figure balance on his head?

• How many containers can you balance on top of your head while running?