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IN
AN ERA of post modernistic paintings awash with contrived myths and
symbolic underpinnings, Roni Cohen's industrial "landscapes",
focusing on the pure values of form, colour and pattern, come as a
breath of fresh air.
Cohen, a graduate of the Teachers Art College at
Ramat Hasharon, completed her studies in London and New York. This
broad education may explain the rich sources of her paintings.
They range from the bright colours and bold images of Pop Art to the
dynamic industrial themes of post-World War I Europe and America, which
culminated, in 1927, in a landmark "Machine Age
Exposition" in New York.
Cohen's industrial scenes are of two types. In
one group, devoid of human figures, pipes, machines and cables are
organized into beautifully balanced architectonic designs made up of
flat, interlocking areas of unmodulated colour. Against this
background, geometric lines and forms flow down and across her canvas,
or zoom in towards the spectator.
In the second group, which illustrates specific
work-situations, human figures - diamond cutters, a laboratory
technician, a textile-loom operator - appear, stylized in form and
barely distinguishable from the machines they operate.
Cohen's paintings are especially notable for their
textural variety. Not only are flat areas of colour alternated
occasionally with strips of feathery paintwork, giving the appearance of
fluffy clouds, but collage is sometimes applied to the canvas in the
form of patterned material, wrinkled paper or fur. These increase
the impression of products in the midst of dynamic creation.
An impressive show. (Mabat Gallery, 31 Gordon.)
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