Abigail Cohen

Online Artist 2
Date viewed: March 23, 2008

Abigail Cohen was a young artist finding her voice, and exploring her own life through photographs. Herself and how she relates to others around her had been her ongoing subject. She thought of life as a cycle of always dieing and being reborn again, a circle that is never ending. Her work one cycle of my Journey shows Abigail of finding her own voice as an artist and as a person. She talks about how everything has a balance, a balance between intimacy and tension, of chaos and fluidity, of mystery and awareness. Unfortunately, Abigail's life was cut short because of a heart failure at the age of 27.

This artist compels me because she was close to my age when she passed away. It's so sad to see anybody pass away at such a young age. I especially think her work one cycle is meaningful, I connect with her in that I think around your mid twenties, is the time when you are really trying to find your own voice. I also think it's always harder when you actually make yourself the subject of your artwork. This means you have to analyze yourself, and make the "personal" public. Putting it out in the public means that it will be open to criticism. I'm glad that she was able to put herself in this spot, and have found to be herself and not be ashamed of it. "I am concerned with being home, being attached, being safe, but also being left vulnerable to the wild world, beckoning and demanding my attention," she remarked. In life there are times where you feel safe, and then there are times when you feel scared. Feelings or emotions always changes. I think there is always a sense of freedom when you are able to present yourself as both being strong and vulnerable at the same time.