Leo Cohen will respond to Hackney Wick through its history and also its current day multi-cultural community by creating a sculptural based installation (5m x 5m) that links to the sociological philosophy of Niklas Luhman and economic philosophies of Marx and Engels.
A large suspended cloud made out of recycled materials, found object and money hangs above smaller sculptures of people. Each person has different signifiers, working titles/identities, religions or classes. Chains dropping down from the cloud are attached to each person suggesting people are all locked into one of many things: be it the system, community, society, environment, money, belief, God and/or many other concepts. Since “the world's first true synthetic plastic, Parkesine, invented by Alexander Parkes was manufactured in the Wick from 1866 to 1868”; Cohen chooses predominantly to recycle plastics into his installation. His materials are non-elitist (part of his own work ethics) and relate to themes of Hackney’s industry and class in a fluxist interpretation.
Artist Biography
Leo Cohen was born in London, 1987 into an Orthodox Jewish family. He moved around London, staying for short periods in Amsterdam and the South of France becoming more progressive whilst attending Central Saint Martins, Byam Shaw School of Art, to do his bachelor studies in Fine Art graduating this year in 2010. Cohen's artistic ambitions are in temporary, site-specific and mixed-media sculptural based installation after making a progression from painting using space to encapsulate the observer within the whole experience. He turns his attention towards creating experiences with catalysts that are not necessarily what he labels new, but overwhelming.
These engaging experiences are inspired by poetry, literature, sociology and philosophy, where he explores themes which conflict with each other causing controversy, but also work well juxtaposed together, from sexuality to religion and religious identity, comments on geo/socio-politics, or creating morally twisted fairytale settings and surreal dreamscapes. He has exhibited in the UK and Spain.
Solo Exhibitions
2009 A Jew in Between, the Foundry Gallery, London UK
Group Exhibitions
2010 Oil-of-Course, Byam Shaw School of Art, London, UK; BLASFEMIA’SHOW, Plato Pamplona, Barcelona, Spain; Atmosphere in the Spectrum, Crypt Gallery, London, UK
2009 A Twisted Fairytale, AIR Studios, London, UK; Blind Faith, Concourse Gallery, London, UK; A Mayfair Affair (Art Squat), London, UK.
2008 East Finchley Open, London, UK 2006 Foundation Degree Show, Byam Shaw School of Art, London, UK
Awards, Grants Awarded £1K from the Richard Reeves Foundation Bursary.
Leo Cohen is reachable at:
Email: info@theleocohen.com
www.theleocohen.com
A large suspended cloud made out of recycled materials, found object and money hangs above smaller sculptures of people. Each person has different signifiers, working titles/identities, religions or classes. Chains dropping down from the cloud are attached to each person suggesting people are all locked into one of many things: be it the system, community, society, environment, money, belief, God and/or many other concepts. Since “the world's first true synthetic plastic, Parkesine, invented by Alexander Parkes was manufactured in the Wick from 1866 to 1868”; Cohen chooses predominantly to recycle plastics into his installation. His materials are non-elitist (part of his own work ethics) and relate to themes of Hackney’s industry and class in a fluxist interpretation.
Artist Biography
Leo Cohen was born in London, 1987 into an Orthodox Jewish family. He moved around London, staying for short periods in Amsterdam and the South of France becoming more progressive whilst attending Central Saint Martins, Byam Shaw School of Art, to do his bachelor studies in Fine Art graduating this year in 2010. Cohen's artistic ambitions are in temporary, site-specific and mixed-media sculptural based installation after making a progression from painting using space to encapsulate the observer within the whole experience. He turns his attention towards creating experiences with catalysts that are not necessarily what he labels new, but overwhelming.
These engaging experiences are inspired by poetry, literature, sociology and philosophy, where he explores themes which conflict with each other causing controversy, but also work well juxtaposed together, from sexuality to religion and religious identity, comments on geo/socio-politics, or creating morally twisted fairytale settings and surreal dreamscapes. He has exhibited in the UK and Spain.
Solo Exhibitions
2009 A Jew in Between, the Foundry Gallery, London UK
Group Exhibitions
2010 Oil-of-Course, Byam Shaw School of Art, London, UK; BLASFEMIA’SHOW, Plato Pamplona, Barcelona, Spain; Atmosphere in the Spectrum, Crypt Gallery, London, UK
2009 A Twisted Fairytale, AIR Studios, London, UK; Blind Faith, Concourse Gallery, London, UK; A Mayfair Affair (Art Squat), London, UK.
2008 East Finchley Open, London, UK 2006 Foundation Degree Show, Byam Shaw School of Art, London, UK
Awards, Grants Awarded £1K from the Richard Reeves Foundation Bursary.
Leo Cohen is reachable at:
Email: info@theleocohen.com
www.theleocohen.com
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