Artist Statement 2010
Dan Cohen is an Artist of the New Renaissance. He is a classically trained painter, sculptor, designer, muralist, writer, philosopher, and visionary. He uses diverse modalities in his psychonautical adventure to understand what lies on both sides of the Veil. His influences include world mythologies, quantum physics, active dreaming, the Qabbalah and other occult sciences. His signature elements--beautifully rendered forms, archetypal symbolism, occult circuitry, meticulously crafted panels and constructs--bridge the ancient and the future, thought and memory. His work has been displayed alongside other leaders of the Visionary Renaissance, such as Alex Grey, Robert Venosa, and Martina Hoffman. He currently lives and works in the Pacific Northwest, Los Angeles, and New York City.
“I am for a modern art whose roots lie deep in our mythic past. I am interested in reviving the artist’s role as magus and art’s role as magical technology. To this end, I work towards the exploration of Art's relationship to our pysche. Art has the ability to slip past the gaurdians of ego in order to transform our consciousness and by extension, our world. Used in tandem with ritual and meditation,it is possible to peel away the veils of 'ordinary reality' in order to unlock the hidden map of our personal psyche, and the archetypal map of our collective consciousness. I believe that it is this transpersonal map that provides the key to gaining a deeper understanding of ourselves, our world, and our place in it. If we can see ourselves and our world clearly, we can begin to bring both to harmonic balance.
I believe it is important for any art to reflect the time it is created in, as well as to be relevant in terms of the recurring issues that humanity faces. The most prominent trend I see in our society today is that of synthesis -- the bringing together of diverse elements into a new whole. Due to the Internet, media, and the availability of varied literature, we exist in a sea of information. At no other time has a society had so many choices of “what to know.” Because of this, we gather various bits of information, which we then assemble into a new personal gestalt. The faith, art, music, and even clothing of today’s youth especially reflect this. My visual language reflects this as well, by knitting together diverse symbolic systems. It is through this modern filter that humanity continues to search for meaning, for the end of suffering, and for the evolvement of Consciousness. These eternal concepts and the quest to understand them form the thematic core of my work. In this sense, I would describe my work as transpersonal -- reaching beyond the individual, concerned especially with esoteric experiences & different states of consciousness beyond the usual limits of ego and personality.
One of the fundamental drives of humanity is the quest for meaning. The tantalization of a mystery, the excitement of its exploration, the thrill of understanding—an ongoing cycle that has driven humanity for eons. Whether it is the frontiers of the wilderness, or the frontiers of spirit, man has always wanted to see what lies “beyond.” I seek to create art that reflects my past journeys, stimulate new adventures, and inspire others to set off on their own Incredible Voyage.”
“I am for a modern art whose roots lie deep in our mythic past. I am interested in reviving the artist’s role as magus and art’s role as magical technology. To this end, I work towards the exploration of Art's relationship to our pysche. Art has the ability to slip past the gaurdians of ego in order to transform our consciousness and by extension, our world. Used in tandem with ritual and meditation,it is possible to peel away the veils of 'ordinary reality' in order to unlock the hidden map of our personal psyche, and the archetypal map of our collective consciousness. I believe that it is this transpersonal map that provides the key to gaining a deeper understanding of ourselves, our world, and our place in it. If we can see ourselves and our world clearly, we can begin to bring both to harmonic balance.
I believe it is important for any art to reflect the time it is created in, as well as to be relevant in terms of the recurring issues that humanity faces. The most prominent trend I see in our society today is that of synthesis -- the bringing together of diverse elements into a new whole. Due to the Internet, media, and the availability of varied literature, we exist in a sea of information. At no other time has a society had so many choices of “what to know.” Because of this, we gather various bits of information, which we then assemble into a new personal gestalt. The faith, art, music, and even clothing of today’s youth especially reflect this. My visual language reflects this as well, by knitting together diverse symbolic systems. It is through this modern filter that humanity continues to search for meaning, for the end of suffering, and for the evolvement of Consciousness. These eternal concepts and the quest to understand them form the thematic core of my work. In this sense, I would describe my work as transpersonal -- reaching beyond the individual, concerned especially with esoteric experiences & different states of consciousness beyond the usual limits of ego and personality.
One of the fundamental drives of humanity is the quest for meaning. The tantalization of a mystery, the excitement of its exploration, the thrill of understanding—an ongoing cycle that has driven humanity for eons. Whether it is the frontiers of the wilderness, or the frontiers of spirit, man has always wanted to see what lies “beyond.” I seek to create art that reflects my past journeys, stimulate new adventures, and inspire others to set off on their own Incredible Voyage.”