JOHN COHEN EARLY WORK | PRESS RELEASE

L. Parker Stephenson Photographs is pleased to present John Cohen Early Work: 1954-1957, an exhibition of photographs by filmmaker, musician, and photographer, John Cohen. A reception forthe artist will take place on January 12th, 6 -8pm.

The exhibition features Cohen’s early photographs, some never before seen, of the streets of New Haven, Connecticut, and rousing gospel gatherings in New York City. While attending Yale University in the 1950’s, Cohen often left the painting studio to photograph the surrounding neighborhood and was drawn to the wide-ranging activities on Oak Street. The images act as a portal into a parallel world; the life of the gypsies, boxers and children in the street. The first public display of the artist’s photographs took place here in the gypsies’ storefront window - after the gypsies adorned them with lipstick.

In contrast to the quiet New Haven scenes, energy bursts forth as music takes control of the men, women and children in gospel churches that Cohen discovered in Brooklyn and Harlem. The Jazz Review issued a multi-paged photo essay of the series in 1959, making it Cohen’s first published work.

This exhibition coincides with Library of Congress’ acquisition of John Cohen’s archive. By acknowledging the exceptional nature of his wide-ranging oeuvre, the Library will make Cohen’s photographs, films and recordings accessible to researchers as well as the public.

Through photography, Cohen (b. 1932) documented one of the most transformative eras in American arts. From the Beat film Pull My Daisy and gallery happenings by early performance artists, to young Bob Dylan’s arrival in New York and Abstract Expressionist gatherings at the Cedar Bar, Cohen was present to record what are now historical events in the late 1950’s and early 60’s. Beyond the United States, Cohen traveled extensively to Peru, driven by a fascination for the weaving, music and lifestyle of the native Andean population. Photographs and recordings are available in Past, Present, Peru (2010) a multi-volume set produced by Steidl. More John Cohen titles by Steidl are expectedout this year and next. Signed copies of Cohen’s first monograph, There is No Eye (2001), are available at the gallery.

Cohen’s photographs have been exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions and are in the collections of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art and the New York Public Library; in Washington at the Corcoran Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery; and in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum among many other major museums.

Cohen is also well known and has been greatly influential in the world of American folk music. He was the founding member of the band The New Lost City Ramblers in 1958 and was the driving force for the field’s revival and appreciation. In his quest to follow its roots he visited Appalachia to witness, film and record a vanishing generation of musicians and singers. CDs of his field recordings and his own bands are available through Smithsonian Folkways Records. Cohen continues to perform regularly.

The Gallery, located at 764 Madison Avenue (65-66th streets), is open from Wednesday – Saturday 11am-6pm. For more information or additional visuals please contact the Gallery at (212) 517-8700 or email info@lparkerstephenson.nyc.