Absence/Presence: An Interview with Charles Cohen

After reading Interview: Absence/Presence: A Conversation with Charles Cohen and viewing some of his work, I decided I would focus my entry based on his series entitled The Buff Series. This is the first time I have heard of the artist Charles Cohen, however, what he explores through and in his art is something I think about all the time when viewing and making art. Being able to explore his work and reading his responses have helped me to reach a better understanding of this form of new media art and of Cohen as an artist.

At the beginning of the interview Cohen discusses how he uses "cut-outs" to create an effect where the viewer or audience of the piece recognizes a void and fills it with his or her thoughts or perceptions. He then goes into his next phase which he calls the "abstract effect" where the intellectual activity happens for the viewer while viewing his work. The viewer then experiences the "reflexive effect" of Cohen's work by having expectations from the art piece as well as Cohen having expectations from the viewer about his work.

Cohen then goes on to say how this in turn by involving the viewer in the decision of what the project is illustrating and proving creates co-authorship with the artist.

"The viewer dissects all viewing experiences to the degree where the subtleties of the construction of meaning are understood and, perhaps assumes co-authorship with the artist."

Although he makes an interesting point, I personally have never really thought of the viewer as a co-author, I believe Cohen take an extremist view on the viewers role of his art. Now that I do, I still don't know if I totally agree with what Cohen is saying because although the viewer creates assumptions about the artwork the artist is the one who creates the actual work of art. The viewer does not take part in the conceptualization or the actual creation. When Cohen goes as far as saying the viewer becomes a co-author I believe that statement to be a little extreme. Instead I view the viewer as more of an opinion holder and not always the artist.


Cohen goes on to say that the void in his series creates or opens a thought process for the viewer. This I completely agree with, for I believe that great art makes the viewer stop and really think about what is happening in the work. I also think that one of the greatest compliments that an artist can receive is hearing that their work make the viewer stop and stare and think. In Cohen's case he wants the viewer to stop and place themselves into his imagery and begin to think about what is going on in the piece and what they are identifying with not only as viewers but as part of the art work. Through this thought process Cohen discusses interactivity as an act of intimacy, distance, and alienation through his art towards the viewer.

Cohen says "co authorship is the standard for interactivity... the Silhouette draws attention to the process of making the image as well as the motivation, draws viewer into the equation, making the narrative relative to the present moment. This reflexivity with in the image, for the viewer and between the image and the viewer is interactivity"

Most people believe that interactivity has to do with technology, but Cohen truly believes that through technology the viewer just becomes alienated and distant from the world of art. Cohen wants to "alienate the viewer as well as highlight a form of beauty in the lack of knowledge" through his use of the cut outs in his work. It really allows him to explore the involvement of the viewer and their thought process of his works.

~ B ~