Harold Cohen ‘Colour Rules’ in London’s Cork Street

admin — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:19:45 +0000

I went for a quick jaunt
around Cork Street this week and went to the Bernard Jacobson gallery, where I
saw Harold Cohen’s show ‘Colour Rules’ and I have to say that I was truly
surprised, not having seen any of his works before in the flesh I was intrigued
to go in and delighted because he has produced some fantastic works. I
personally am not into digital art or digital paintings as he has described
them. However in the midst of all the technology he has struck upon something
marvellous. They are fresh and unique. Enticing but not in “fuck wow, this is
going to change my life” but in a pleasant, this is quite unique way of
creating work and the final product is descriptive, inviting, and quite
contemporary in subject matter. However in my research I have to question who
or maybe what is producing these paintings. Since 1972 Harold has used Aaron to
create drawings. First invented I believe to aid his teaching of drawing
techniques, It has grown into a computer programme that creates original
pictures. Its intent is to encapsulate and replicate the behaviour that the
artist unconsciously employs to create artworks. I’m never show about how I
produce artworks, so I am now very intrigued to read up on the psychology that
Cohen employs to produce works of art. I will keep you posted.

Back to the work, The paintings I presume produced on aluminium are organic in structure however not in colour scheme, the overlaying foliage is not unlike a overgrown garden on acid, with powerful streams of bright colours protesting behind dull turgid
greens and khaki’s. This enhances the flatness, and strangely if find this the
most exciting element. (I suppose that I accept this because it’s digital
created) The play between the stark straggly lines takes your eye on path
around the painting however doesn’t let it out. It gives you constant
excitement and induces you to look further into the work and recognise the
smaller details. The gallery had a range of different sized paintings and all
of them worked which I was surprised about. What was even more exciting was
that downstairs they are also showing some of the Harold Cohen that I have seen
in the books, the old visceral paintings from his youth. The application of
paint, the description of colour, surface and material. The planes of the
paintings blocks of colour that juxtapose in colour and shape. The surprisingly
smooth surface of the paint is interspersed with edges of the rough canvas. These
paintings seem an age away from the slick analytical new work that he has
produced, but they both attach a strong element of colour conversation to their
narrative. This just shows that you can be creative through so many outlets. So
go out find your craft and follow!

Oliver Cloke» Harold Cohen ‘Colour Rules’ London’s Cork Street

Harold Cohen ‘Colour Rules’ in London’s Cork Street