Writing sample by Julia Montepagani, published in the Art Students League of New York 's artist magazine, Atelier. An interview with artist Ezra Cohen.

1. 19Fall 2017
T
wenty-four-year-old Ezra Cohen’s
path to art seems to have been
immediate and direct – much like
his painting style. Born and raised in Hell’s
Kitchen, his dynamic and multi-textured
works – a mix of various types of paper,
cloth, and cut shapes from yesterday’s
paintings – are at least partly the result
of his creative upbringing. The son of a
playwright and a dancer, Ezra was home-
schooled and he self-selected his path to
painting. He met his first mentor, Edla
Cusick, through a friend when he was only
eight, and was introduced to his long-time
teacher, Knox Martin, eight years after
that. Ezra’s strong connection and deep
respect for his teachers is evidenced by their
ongoing relationships. Since he was sixteen,
Ezra has split his time between Knox’s class
and his shared studio space with Edla. This
summer, Knox and Ezra shared a show at
Todd Merrill Studio in Southampton. We
spoke in Knox’s classroom:
Julia Montepagani You’ve been painting
most of your life. Was there a point when
you discovered your “style?”
Ezra Cohen I just came in and I painted
every day—I didn’t really try to find a style.
A lot of people try to find their style, and
then if they sell a few paintings in that
style, then they keep making more of the
same. But they don’t really move forward
and become free. I don’t like to label
myself. I never know what I’m going to do
the next day.
JM What informs your work?
EC I look at a lot of art. All different
types. Knox told me to surround myself
with everything, and then eliminate what’s
not working. I absorb as much as I can of
the good stuff. I come in and paint and
don’t put any restrictions on myself – and
just let it rock. The perfect example is the
show now at MoMA, the Rauschenberg
show. Each piece is totally different than
the next. He may have lost it at some points,
but he never limited himself.
JM How has Knox Martin impacted you?
EC Knox has completely changed the way
that I see art. He’s been doing it for ninety-
four years. He’s changed my aesthetic, how
I take out what’s good or bad.
JM And now you’re in a show with him.
EC Having a show with Knox is a huge
leap. I’m honored that he would do that
with me. I’m hanging next to a master.
JM What do you think about as you paint?
EC Every time I come into the studio, my
paintings grow. I am confident in that. I’m
just excited for the next painting.
JM What do you want people to feel when
they look at your paintings?
EC I want it to be fresh for them every
day, so they find something new in it. I have
a painting above my bed that I did a few
years ago, and there was something wrong
with it, and I couldn’t figure out what it
was. I showed Knox and he goes, “Get me
a medium brush with white.” He writes
my name huge across the top. It was kind
of shocking. I put the painting away for a
while. Now I have hung it above my bed,
and every time I look at it, I see something
different, something fresh in it. That’s what
I want people to get from my work.
You can learn more about Ezra and his work at
www.ezracohenstudio.com.
Something Different
Julia Montepagani
An Interview with Ezra Cohen
Left: Ezra Cohen, XXX, 2017, mixed media on canvas,
60 x 72 in. Above: Ezra Cohen, K, 2017, oil and paper
on canvas, 60 x 72 in.