artist statement

Every language comes with the caveat of abstraction, so to avoid overwriting my work here, I’ll distill something about myself instead: I’m a sci-fi geek and science dilettante, attracted to what defies classification. Since that is also what I hope to create, you could say I make pants out of pants. Paradoxes and dualities regularly show up in my work (chaos/control is a favorite), and sometimes within my process, which might include passage through digital media in some direction.

Abstraction has always been present in varying degrees in my work. Recently, my personal universe has transformed by magnitudes, unearthing considerations of Time, Memory, and Change. My experience as a musician creating time-based work never addressed the issues between humans and the linear realm. When any solid ground (‘pants’) seems ludicrous, my abstract tendencies surface.

So many things are possible and impossible at the same time, including myself, which I keep seeing differently. On Tuesday, I’m an idiot/savant using the wrong end of a screwdriver. That’s the best I can do, I think. I want to STFU before I’m likely to say something like “I want to generate agnostic one-time code.”

bio

Sandra Cohen studied fine art at Parsons School of Design, the SMFA, and the Art Institute of Boston. A Massachusetts Cultural Council Painting Fellow and former member of the Copley Society of Art, she has also been a performing singer, guitarist, drummer, songwriter; graphic artist, web designer, art director and pretzel cart vendor.

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Awards

Painting Fellowship, Massachusetts Cultural Council, 2008

Education

Lesley University, Cambridge, MA (BS Studio Art, Art History)
Pine Manor College, Chestnut Hill, MA (Printmaking, Drawing)
School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA (Painting, Printmaking)
Parsons School of Design, New York, NY (Studio Art)

Exhibitions
2024 – …gladly beyond, (Group), Fountain Street Gallery, Boston MA; Marie Craig, Curator
2023 – LIMITLESS TRANSLATIONS: THE ARTIST AS STORYTELLER, (Group), Fountain Street Gallery, Boston MA; Nilou Moochhala + Joseph Fontinha, Curators
2023 – ABOUT FACE, (International Juried), Fountain Street Gallery, Michelle May + Payal Thiffault, Curators
2023 – BRIDGES, (Group), The Narrows Center for the Arts, Fall River MA; Joseph Fontinha + Lior Neiger, Curators
2023 – IN SEARCH OF…, (Group), Fountain Street Gallery, Boston MA; Joseph Fontinha + Lior Neiger, Curators
2021 – REFUGE, (Juried), Newburyport Art Association & Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Newburyport MA; Joe Donelly, Juror
2021 – NAA FALL JURIED SHOW, Newburyport Art Association, Newburyport MA; Kari Bernard, Juror
2018 – BEARING ARMS: RESPONDING TO GUNS IN AMERICAN CULTURE, (Juried), Broadsided Press
2017 – A BAND CALLED BETE NOIR, (Solo), National Boston, Brookline MA
2015 – CHROMA, (Group), Gallery 263, Cambridge, MA; Lynda Schlosberg, Curator
2015 – CAA 14th NATIONAL PRIZE SHOW, University Place Gallery, Cambridge, MA; Michael Rush, Juror
2013 – CAMBRIDGE ARTS COUNCIL, (Group), Cambridge, MA
2013 – NATIONAL BOSTON, (Group), Brookline, MA
2012 – CAA 11th NATIONAL PRIZE SHOW, University Place Gallery, Cambridge, MA; Clara Kim, juror
2011 – MASSACHUETTS CULTURAL COUNCIL: PAINTING FELLOWS 2008, Concord Art Association, Concord MA
2009 – RED, (National Juried), CAA University Place Gallery, Cambridge, MA; Carl Belz, Juror
2009 – STRATA, (3-artist), MKL Gallery, Somerville MA; Scott Cipolla, Curator
2008 – CAA NORTHEAST PRIZE SHOW, Cambridge MA; Nicholas Baume, Juror
2006 – EMERGING VISIONS, (Group), The Harvard Club of Boston at Copley Society, Boston, MA
2006 – DJINNI, (solo) Co|So Gallery, Boston, MA
2006 – CLEX, (3-artist), Zeitgeist Gallery, Cambridge, MA
2005 – IDYLL ENGINES, (3-artist), Zeitgeist Gallery, Cambridge MA

2004 – ART & SOUL, (Group), The Cloud Foundation, Boston, MA

Affiliations

Ipswich Art Association (2023- )
Fountain Street Gallery (2022- )
Ipswich Cultural Council (2020-2023)
Newburyport Art Association (2020-2021)
Co|So Boston (2000-2019)
Gallery 263 (2015-2019)

Please contact me for more information.