{"title":"David Cohen - Cabinets of Wonder","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFor the last ten years my images and subject matter closely echoed my personal interests in nature and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003escience, books and history. The artworks always seemed to take the form of organized collections of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eobjects and forms with the goal to tell stories long forgotten or help the viewer to see nature in new \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eways.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe early historical collecting of natural and exotic manmade objects lead to the creation of formal \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e“cabinets”. These were spaces and specially designed furniture that were often found in the homes of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ethe wealthy, whose goal was to inspire curiosity and awe in their visitors. The Kunstkammers, or \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ecabinets of wonder, were also status symbols as well as a visible declaration of sophistication and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eworldliness. Eventually, as the cabinets grew in size and complexity, more space was required and the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003efirst proto-museums began to evolve. This also came at a time when there was a push for more \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eelaborate organizational and classification systems accompanied by a pursuit of the systemic \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003econnections between objects. Museums have always been an attraction for me no doubt influenced by \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003emy annual elementary school trips to the Museum of Natural History in New York City. Not surprisingly, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003emy career path took me solidly into the world of museums which remain a significant inspiration in my \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003elife.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSo in a search to create credible visual settings that allowed the viewer a logical vantage point to begin \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003etheir exploration, I began to use cabinets or boxes as a way to structurally organize the space and create \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003einteresting conceptual connections and relationships among the objects. Between the formal \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ecompositional opportunities, a chance to play with light and shadow, the references to the early \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ecollectors and museums, and the celebration of nature’s wonders, this seemed like an ideal avenue for \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003emy aesthetic expression. The cabinets of wonder in this series continue to evolve to allow me to explore \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003enot only different subject matter but also to challenge myself compositionally, hopefully provoking the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eviewer to consider new ways of looking at the world.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","products":[],"url":"https:\/\/neilmperry.net\/collections\/david-cohen-cabinets-of-wonder.oembed","provider":"Talon Gallery","version":"1.0","type":"link"}