Mark Cohen. Closer

About

Comprised of works from the early to middle 1970s, many of the prints are unique and being exhibited for the first time.  Focusing largely on pictures of the body, the title “Closer” refers to Cohen’s particular contribution to the medium of photography and his trademark style.  At a time when street photography was finding its place by looking at the harmonic or dissonant intersections of people and their environment Cohen got closer to his subjects than anyone else.

Shooting in the gritty environs of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Cohen’s literal and innovative closeness came from his method of holding the camera at arm's length just a few feet away from his subjects.  He shot without looking through the viewfinder, intuitively finding the perfect moment and composition.  Intrusive but elegant, by turns brutal and sensuous, Cohen’s cropped bodies and faces and the examined texture of skin and clothing reveal a finely tuned aesthetic consistency.  Every picture is printed full frame.  No subject is observed without purpose. "They're not easy pictures. But I guess that's why they're mine." Says Cohen.