Cora Cohen facts for kids

Cora Cohen (born October 19, 1943 – died June 2023) was an American artist. She created many types of art. These included paintings, drawings, and even changed X-rays. Cohen is best known for her abstract paintings. Abstract art uses shapes, colors, and lines. It does not show things exactly as they look in real life.

Many art critics praised her work. One critic, Barry Schwabsky, said she was an "underrated painter." Michael Brenson from The New York Times called her 1984 show "dense, brooding and yet elated." Cohen also interviewed other abstract artists. Her art was shown in many places. This included major art institutions in Germany.

Early life and education

Replace the Beloved, 1984, 60 x 60 inches, oil on linen.

Cora Cohen was born in New York City. She went to the High School of Music & Art from 1957 to 1960. Then, she studied at Bennington College from 1960 to 1964. There, she learned from artists like Paul Feeley.

Later, she was an Artist in Residence at the University of Pennsylvania. This was from 1969 to 1970. She then returned to Bennington College as a graduate student. This was from 1970 to 1972. During this time, she met sound artist Liz Phillips. Phillips showed her new kinds of music. This helped Cohen explore new ways to use traditional art materials.

Career

Cohen's first solo museum show was in 1974. It was at the Everson Museum of Art. She started showing her art regularly in New York. This began at the Max Hutchinson Gallery in 1976. From the late 1980s, she showed her art widely. This included galleries like Holly Solomon Gallery.

In the early 1990s, she began showing her art in Europe. Her 2008 exhibition, Come in a Little Closer, got a lot of attention. It was written about in The New York Times. Art critics praised her unique brushstrokes. They said her art showed a balance between forming shapes and becoming shapes.

In 2011, Cohen showed her "altered x rays." These were exposed X-ray films. She added cuts and changes to them. This made the images look different. This exhibition was held at Museum Insel Hombroich in Germany. In 2013, she had another show called The Responsibility of Forms. This show featured paintings from 2012-2013. They explored feelings of uncertainty and sureness.

R88, 2011, 30.2 x 25.1 cm, leather, paper and pigment on roentgenograph

Cohen's work has been in many group shows. These were in the United States and other countries. Some shows included "70 Years of Abstract Painting - Excerpts" in 2011. She also participated in the "Invitational Exhibition of Visual Arts 2012."

Cohen received many awards for her art. These awards helped her continue her work. Some awards came from the National Endowment for the Arts (1987). She also received support from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation (1998). In 2013, she was given a Guggenheim fellowship. This is a very important award for artists.

Cora Cohen was also a guest teacher. She lectured at many art schools. These included The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She lived and worked in Long Island City. She also spent time in Germany.

Collections

Cora Cohen’s art is in many public collections. This means museums and universities own her works. People can see her art in these places.

Some of these collections include:

• The Swedish State Art Council in Stockholm.
• The Ulla and Heiner Pietzsch Collection in Berlin.
• The Weatherspoon Art Museum in Greensboro.
• Yale University in New Haven.
• The Bryn Mawr College Art and Archaeology Collection.
• The Neuberger Museum of Art in Purchase, New York.