Peter Cohen
Colour in black and white
David Krut Projects is pleased to present Colour in black and white,
a solo exhibition of first works by Peter Cohen.
Colour in black and white consists of paintings, drawings and recent prints made in collaboration with Sarah Hunkin at the David Krut Workshop. Cohen has been a practicing architect for over 30 years and has a great deal of experience in his field. When the lockdown hit in 2020, however, he felt an inherent need to create outside of the boundaries of architecture. In contrast to the structural, precise and strictly planned application found in architecture, Cohen found the process of painting allowed him more freedom to be creative in a way that he had not practiced before.
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About this series...
Peter Cohen’s journey in painting was very spontaneous. He describes scratching around the house one evening for materials that he could use to make a painting. In creating his first painting, Cohen felt an overwhelming sense of liberation in the process and continued to make another and another until making work became compulsive. In many of his paintings, fine lines and a meticulous construction of shapes in shades of grey produce a sort of ‘bitmap’ image that defines a display space and colour for each ‘pixel’ in the work.
This pixelation imagery is in high contrast to some of the references Cohen draws on, including Classical sculpture, 18th century paintings the likes of Thomas Gainsborough, as well as tapestries and rugs, with their grid base inspiring his weave-like marks.
The visual of the image is simultaneously abstract and figurative. Cohen uses linework and contour to explore the optical properties of light and reflection. This network of methodical line-marks, each following a precise pathway composed by the architect-artist, weaves an almost digital screen of handwork.
Cohen’s connectivity to the realm of art has always been present. He attended art history lectures as part of his architectural degree and has always taken into account the art that would hang on the walls of the houses he designs. Cohen applies himself to studying classical and ancient artworks in an exploration of different ways of making marks. He has experimented with a range of materials including oil paint on paper and board as well as charcoal drawings. The artist does not work from specific references but is committed to finding meaning in the process.
The experience of working in the workshop brought another facet to his art-making. More than any other artist to spend time in the workshop, the printmaking process was new and the environment unfamiliar. Cohen’s prints, however, show that his visual language is vigorous, and thinking through the development of images and their resolution is second nature to the artist.
Editioned and unique prints
Mixed Bunch, 2022. Oil based monotype and 2-colour linocut.112 x 76 cm. Edition of 5.
R 18 000 Unframed
R 21 700 Framed
Contours, 2022
Oil based monotype with soft pastel handwork
52.5 x 38 cm
R 18 000 Framed
The Language of Flowers I, 2022
Oil based monotype with soft pastel handwork
43.5 x 31.3 cm
SOLD
The Language of Flowers II, 2022
Oil based monotype with woodies and
soft pastel handwork
43.1 x 30.8 cm
SOLD
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purchase a work or learn more:
Unique works and paintings
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purchase a work or learn more:
In the workshop
In 2022 David Krut Projects invited Peter Cohen to collaborate and experiment with the David Krut Workshop Printers at the workshop at Arts on Main. DKP is interested in creating experimental moments in which to interact with creatives from various fields as they look to expand their skills of professional practice into the visual arts arena. These explorations allow for a multi-disciplinary exploration of fine art, mark making, and bringing creatives from other disciplines into the printmaking world.
To learn more about Peter Cohen’s experience at DKW click HERE.
More about this collaboration
Podcast
Listen to architect Peter Cohen chat to Britt Lawton about his exciting new venture into fine arts! Cohen unpacks his recent residency at the David Krut Workshop, exploring the world of printmaking and the freedom that fine art has brought him. experimental moments in which to interact with creatives from various fields as they look to expand their skills of professional practice into the visual arts arena. These explorations allow for a multi-disciplinary exploration of fine art, mark making, and bringing creatives from other disciplines into the printmaking world.
Print Workshop Blog
In 2022 David Krut Projects invited Peter Cohen to collaborate
and experiment with the David Krut Workshop Printers
at the workshop at Arts on Main. Click the button below to read
the Print Workshop Blog about Peter Cohen’s collaboration with DKW:
Catalogue
Click the button below to request
a catalogue of available works from this
series by Peter Cohen:
