“Plastic Makes Perfect”: Work by Aron Cohen at Space07, Sacramento |

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“Plastic Makes Perfect”: Work by Aron Cohen at Space07, Sacramento

December 16, 2009 by Lainya Magana

Collection and Analysis 2, Mounted Pigment Print, 20.5"x20.5", 2009

I have unearthed myself from my holiday hibernation to bring you a smattering of shots from my latest curatorial endeavor. “Plastic Makes Perfect” features the work of San Francisco-based photographic artist Aron Cohen. The opening of the show was met with rave reviews, due most certainly in part to Cohen’s ability to surprise viewers and invoke wonder with aesthetically appealing and conceptually intriguing works of art. Cohen composes his subject matter in such a way as to create a sense of abstraction that one would expect from a painting. Executed through the photographic process, Cohen stages his materials and carefully composes each piece. The resultant images portray a sense of ethereal space, weightlessness, and an embodiment of the immaterial. For more on this collection of work, please follow the jump.

Collection and Analysis 6, Mounted Pigment Print, 20.5"x20.5", 2009

Artist’s Statement

Through the use of a camera, I seek to probe the conventions of documentation, classification, and painting. I examine contemporary mundane objects. Often made of plastic, these objects are indicative of our modern age: They speak to the excesses of society and the loss of attention to what it is that we create or has been created for us; they exist in our physical environment as well as the planetary, yet go unnoticed. In much the same way an early biologist might have collected and conducted visual studies of insects to gain a greater understanding of their nature, we must also understand the nature of these objects and how they represent our attitudes towards the physical world.

I view this work in connection to science and understanding, our relationship to science is one of improving quality of life, but also of increasingly complex notions of existence and responsibility sometimes the work takes the form of analytic photography such as photo microscopy, and other modern methods of visual analysis.

This work is not just to create a record however. Often people understand the use of the camera as a way to represent truth, or to prove how the lens can deceive; however, with the advent of digital media, the question of truth and deception in art photography is no longer as relevant. Digitally, the image that is produced can be a fake, be a true representation of reality, or most likely be something in between. The artist is not as limited by the camera, the lighting, or even what can be done in a darkroom. Digital photographers now enjoy the same freedoms as painters always have. Though the content of my images is not added to, the process of digitization allows me to place color and tone where I choose and if needed to remove distractions. I compose my images in camera and produce my images in pigment. I consider this work photography and painting. By using this flexible computer based medium, I am able to create less waste as well as further enforce my understanding of the objects that I collect and document, and can adjust the images to convey my personal understanding.

– Aron Cohen