Etienne Cohen
Out From Down Under & Beyond: Fine Art From Australia and New Zealand
May 11 - June 1, 2010
Reception:
Thursday May 13, 2010 6-8 PM
Press Release
Etienne Cohen displays in her work a true love and sensitivity for the natural world and its verdant vistas. Her landscapes vary – some are from life, whilst others are compositions which stray into the realm of fantasy, creating joyous scenes dominated by color and pattern. The palette is reflective of the landscapes of Australia to which Cohen emigrated from England. An intense range of earth tones, from deep greens with light yellows against cyan skies, through mellow ochre tones to the striking reds of the bushland earth fill the paintings. She displays a wonderfully light touch, employing small, carefully worked brushstrokes which build up into individual leaves on trees, rocky cliff faces and scrub.
There are elements of both the hyper-realist and surrealist in Cohen’s work. Her life landscapes are rendered immaculately in stunning color, but her more creative landscapes are dominated by pattern and dramatic perspective which pulls the viewer in and engages them entirely in a more emotive, empathic relation to nature.
Artist Statement
I began painting after arriving in Australia from the U.K. I was inspired by the land - the pure colours, the light, the exotic flora and fauna. Living on an eco community in the rainforest led me to paint the beautiful lush landscapes of the area to connect people with the wonder of nature that could be disappearing. This environmental message is one I try to bring wherever I go, and my art is a major part of that, combining the beauty of nature with my experiences of painting with Aboriginal groups. In 2004 Australian Geographic asked me to use some of the images I had created for their endangered animal projects to produce greeting cards to benefit the programs and educate the children. I was delighted to help with such a project, and I look forward to sharing the serenity of this "wide brown land" with a wider audience.
Invitation to the exhibition
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View the catalog page
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Artists in this exhibition
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