Wendy Cohen
I am contemporary artist who holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Fine Arts from the National Art School in Sydney. I push boundaries with my innovative and inventive style, as I am drawn to the expressive qualities of abstraction, reshaping the indeterminate presence into futuristic shapes, defined by colours, lines and textured forms.
I draw inspiration from natural and urban environments to communicate my oeuvre in a painterly abstracted language that pulse with colour and a sense of energy and fluidity. My aim is to convey my own poetry and harmonious rhythm to the paintbrush, developing playful imagery with an emotive and inventive sensibility.
Freedom of expression reflects my intuition unencumbered by rigid rules and convention that dance with luminous colours, movement and emotion to transform the canvas into visual symphonies of shapes, lines, mark-making, textured gestural brushstrokes and variations of the colour palette. Spontaneous mark-making suggests a sense of fluidity and freedom, whilst lyrical brushstrokes imply a sense of musicality composed with textured surfaces that build layers, to create depth and tactility in my paintings.
Artist Statement
With this freedom, my brushstrokes can dance across the canvas, expressing the emotions and imagination that drive creativity and manifest my unique perspective, full of life and energy. Imprecise brushstrokes and chance effects—hallmarks of the unpredictability of abstract expressionism—contrast with the precision of geometric artistic control, creating composites that are dynamic and engaging.
With a sense of curiosity, exploration, and discovery, a lyrical genre emerges, resulting in spontaneous mark-making as well as an exciting interplay between shapes and lines, alongside the ebb and flow of textured brushstrokes and the alchemy of varied colour palettes. The spectrum of colours radiates through its hues to create harmony, balance, and intrigue. I interpret colour through the sounds of the soul, viewing it as the transcendental essence of music, giving my paintings a melodic expression that enhances both the beauty of creation and my cultural influences.
Most importantly, my artistic hand flows with a natural simplicity that is visible in the work, highlighting compositions that are uncomplicated, uncontrived, yet organic, and that often incorporate collage elements. In my textured mixed-media paintings, recycled materials such as linen, paper, and cardboard are collaged and brought back to life through the creative process. Contrasts are achieved through variations in these collage elements, creating an engaging dichotomy between textured paint, material surfaces, and flat planes.
Observation, intuition, and imagination are central to my process as I respond to the interconnectedness of the world, inviting the viewer to participate in the wonder of my paintings—translated onto the canvas with a syncopated rhythm and tempo.