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| Alex Cohen: "Art kept me out of getting into trouble." |
He may only be 22 years
old but Alex Cohen appears to be wiser beyond his years. This Chicago native
creates pieces that are as bold and colorful as his style. We first spotted this
young up-and-comer at Antena Gallery's ‘Short Court’ but we caught up with
Cohen to talk more about his work, upcoming projects and why art has helped to
completely transform his life.
What made you realize you
wanted to become an artist?
After I dropped out
of high school I had a lot of free time on my hands. I would frequent museums
and ride the trains alone for hours and just walk around downtown
listening to music. I would see things that interested me and I guess I
just tried to replicate that in my free time. I also used to make art with
my mom when I was younger and it's also just in the culture of
skateboarding. A lot of the older people I looked up to made art as well.
It was always there. It was really just after dropping out of high school
that I really started exploring art again. It kept me out of getting in
trouble.
Who’s your all-time
favorite artist and why?
I have a few
favorite artists. I'll give you three: Matisse, Bob Thompson, and
Chris Johanson. These artists really speak to me through their
inventiveness of material and process. They all also use bright colors,
which is something I do in my practice. Color is pure.
How would you describe
your style?
Fun. I hope that's what
people get out of it - that life is fun and exciting. Life isn't a sad
long miserable process it's actually really fun you just have to
surround yourself with the right people to enjoy its full “funness”! But
yeah when I create a work I try to think how fun I can make it look and
feel.
(to be continued) - Irish S
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