Adam Cohen Abstract Painting and Russell Monk Casa Portraits
January 23, 2013 through March 3, 2013
Adam Cohen's fascination with color and composition started when he was a child growing up in Englewood Cliffs in Northern New Jersey. He studied at Philadelphia's Tyler School of Art at Temple University (BFA), as well as the School of Visual Arts, Parsons and the Art students League. Over the years, Cohen began to explore the use of the computer in his practice. Using Photo Shop 1, Cohen was one of the very first artists ever to use the computer for art-making, and his career as a top illustrator was born. Cohen was hired by Disney,Visa, MasterCard, Coca-Cola, CBS-TV, McGraw-Hill, Pfizer, Orion Pictures, Verizon, AT&T, The Atlantic Monthly, Dean-Witter, The New York Times and many, many others. Eventually, Cohen returned to Fine Art. First using paper collage and other mixed media, he now creates paintings on paper and canvas that are influenced by the New York School of Abstract Expressionism. Cohen has been exhibited at the Leonard Pearlson Gallery in NY, the Gallery of American Artists, the Walter Meade Gallery in Roxbury NY, and the Princeton Show Home, in addition to upcoming projects and shows in various cities worldwide. Russell Monk’s Casa Portraits were taken in a “daylight” studio in the courtyard of his house on the outskirts of the town of San Miguel de Allende, in central Mexico. The subjects are his neighbours, friends, “locals” and random people that he met in his day to day life or who sometimes would come knocking at his door. There is “Pedro” who is a singer and who looks after the neighborhood playground; Isabelle, the long suffering but glamorous matriarch of the large family who lives on the other side of Russell Monk’s wall; Salvador and his pet rabbit; a man who walk around town selling garlic – draped from his torso; a young ironworker; a slaughterhouse worker; a new father wit h his infant son; an old woman who begs on the streets; a beauty queen from a nearby “rancho” – to name a few…Always trusting him – allowing him to fit them within whatever vision it is that he has of them and the mystery that is Mexico. Russell Monk has been shooting professionally for longer than he would like to admit, and divides his time between Toronto and Mexico. He has worked commercially for a wide range of clients, advertising, design and editorial. And, along the way he has garnered numerous nominations and won various awards with his photography appearing in amongst other, American Photography, Applied Arts, Communication Arts, Graphis and Zoom. He has also had a number of gallery shows, self-published book, titled Amusing World and won a Gold for his travel writing at the National Magazine Awards. Presently, Russell is working on a long term project, a book of Mexican Photographers, shooting various commercial assignments, and recording some new songs.
