Walking into the artist studio of Ezra Cohen one feels the warmth of a cozy cabin in the forest of Vermont instead of a 5th floor walk-up in the heart of Hell’s Kitchen. Paint splatters everywhere; on shoes, brushes, floor as well as seashells filled with paint acting as a palette and worn blankets resting on chairs that I wanted to snuggle in for the afternoon. A loving albeit yappy dog begs for treats. This is the home away from home of young artist Ezra Cohen, who knows the neighborhood as his apartment is across the street. This is where he grew up; it’s home. Sharing the studio with mentor Edla Cusick, fondly known as Missy, has been an influential part of Ezra’s artistic creativity. Ezra greets us at the door graciously offering hot tea in a beautiful pottery mug (this gesture melts my heart). This begins our visit. Delightful.
Leaning against the wall and displayed on easels are mostly large canvases 60 x 72″ & 64 x 72″ in bold colors, large cut out shapes & thick paint create these expressionist works. My eyes scan from one canvas to the next like a child in a candy store wanting more. On one easel is a large orange and white painting, followed by a burst of yellow and black bold strokes of another work leaning on the opposite wall. A diptych takes center stage. It is a work in process; an abstract version of Picasso’s famous Guernica painting.
On the floor are small works that make an interesting installation; shapes and colors in mass against a splattered paint floor, which reminds me of Jackson Pollock’s East Hampton Studio. Cohen enthusiastically unrolls new works; the color palette is brighter than previous works. We see splashes of neon yellow and orange. There is a brightness in these which feels fresh and exciting. With all my senses awake I want to see more…..
The conversation turns to his love of painting, his experience at the art student league, and his thoughts about the art world. He expresses great admiration for teacher Knox Martin and his parents… “Being home-schooled as a child was one of the greatest things my parents ever did for me, I wouldn’t be who I am today and I wouldn’t have been able to focus on what I believed was important. As for the art world, I find it too pretentious” (ah, a kindred spirit). These influences have guided Ezra to develop his artistic talent.
We discuss other artists that have inspired Ezra. Matisse, Basquiat and Alfred Leslie easily come to mind for the young artist. You can clearly see these influences in Ezra’s work, but one also sees his own style. When asked if there is anything you dislike about your work Ezra responds; “I love my work, if there was something I was unhappy with I would change it.” You get a sense that this is a young man in charge of his destination. He is someone to follow; at only 23 years of age, he will be around for a long time.
Back to reality, our tea is getting cold, we’re hungry and we need to decide on a place for lunch but not before taking one last look at the exciting work of Ezra Cohen. We’ll be back
——————————————Art Smart——————————————-
Not every great artist is in a museum (not yet anyway). We hope to bring you a new artist every month that we feel deserves your attention.
This month we bring you abstract expressionist painter Ezra Cohen. Many of you may know the work of Alfred Leslie. If you don’t, you can find his work in several museums such as The Whitney Museum of American Art and the Smithsonian. Along with Ezra, he studied at The Art Students League. If you like the work of Alfred Leslie, we think you should check out Ezra: http://www.ezracohenstudio.com/
You don’t have to be a multi-millionaire to own great art.
xx,
PJ&R
