For over thirty five years Lynne Cohen has focused on unpeopled interiors. Observed, found scenes, they nevertheless appear highly constructed or artificial. Cohen has explained that
photographs from the beginning have been about various sorts of artifice and deception. I started out probing the boundaries between the found and the constructed, the absurd and the deadly serious, the animate and the inert, and I've been probing them ever since.
Cohen's celebrated vintage black and white photographs have given way to larger-scale colour images and a shift to different types of found spaces:
The mens clubs, halls, beauty salons, living rooms and lobbies I photographed early on are much more commonplace and accessible than the target ranges, classrooms, spas, military installations and training environments I now photograph. In the new pictures, there is a more critical edge because I have become more concerned with manipulation and control.
Born: Racine, Wisconsin, USA, 3 July 1944
Resides: Montreal, Canada
Education:
1968
University of Michigan
1967
University of Wisconsin
1967, 1969
Eastern Michigan University
1965
Slade School of Art, University of London
Selected Solo Exhibitions:
2010
Art 45, Montreal
2009
Le Point du Jour, Cherbourg-Octeville
In SITU - Fabienne Leclerc, Paris
Olga Korper Gallery, Toronto
Le Bleu du Ciel, Lyon
2008
Museum für Photographie, Braunschweig
Art 45, Montreal Fototeca, Havana, Cuba
2007
5e Biennale De Montréal
Camara Oscura, Madrid
Olga Korper Gallery, Toronto
Hasted Hunt Gallery, NYC
Galerie Wilma Tolksdorf, Berlin
2006
Netwerk, Aalst
Carleton University Art Gallery, Ottawa
Hasted Hunt Gallery, New York
Olga Korper Gallery, Toronto
Wilma Tolksdorf, Frankfurt
2004
National Gallery of Canada
Galeria Bacelos, Vigo, Spain
2003
Galería Visor, Valencia, Spain
Image/Imatge, Orthez, France
Musée de l'Elysée Lausanne
Galerie Wilma Tolksdorf, Frankfurt
2002
National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa
In Situ - Fabienne Leclerc, Paris
Oakville Galleries, Ontario
Fotohof, Salzburg, Austria
Olga Korper Gallery, Toronto
2001
Galeria Fucares, Madrid
Dalhousie Art Gallery, Halifax
Galerie Wilma Tolksdorf, Frankfurt
2000
Galeria Visor, Valencia, Spain
Olga Korper Gallery, Toronto
Centro de Fotografía, Universidad de Salamanca, Spain
Galerie Rodolphe Janssen, Brussels
P$P$O$W, New York
1999
Galerie Christiane Chassay, Montreal
1998
Kirkland Fine Arts Center, Millikin University, Illinois
Museum voor Fotografie, Antwerp, Belgium
1996
Galerie des Archives, Paris
P$P$O$W, New York
1995
Galerie Rodolphe Janssen, Brussels
Robert Klein Gallery, Boston
Karsten Schubert, London
1994
Louise Spence, Toronto
1993
P$P$O$W, New York
Ehlers/Caudill Gallery, Chicago
Robert Koch Gallery, San Francisco
Galerie Rodolphe Janssen, Brussels
1992
P$P$O$W, New York
Art Gallery of York University
Robert Klein Gallery; Chinati
Foundation, Marfa, Texas
Anderson Gallery, Virginia Commonwealth University
FRAC, Limousin, Limoges; Carleton University
1991
Mackenzie Art Gallery, Regina
1990
Gokelaere & Janssen, Brussels
Printworks Gallery, Chicago
Owens Art Gallery, Mount Allison University
1989
Museum fur Gestaltung, Zurich
Art 45, Montreal
Sweger Konst, Stockholm;
Photography Gallery, Toronto
Universite de Sherbrooke, Quebec
Floating Gallery, Winnipeg
1988
Art Gallery of Windsor
P$P$O$W, New York
Interim Art, London
Samia Saouma, Paris
1987
Printworks Gallery, Chicago
1986
49th Parallel, New York
1984
Nova Scotia College of Art and Design
1983
Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
1981
Floating Gallery, Winnipeg
1979
Yarlow/Salzman Gallery, Toronto; Light Work Gallery, Syracuse, New York
1978
International Center of Photography, New York; Galerie Nouvel Observateur, Paris;
Carpenter Center for Visual Arts, Harvard University
1975
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque; Yajima Gallery, Montreal
1973
A Space Gallery, Toronto
Selected Group Exhibitions:
2011
Real Venice, Venice Biennale
Olga Korper Gallery, Toronto
Rencontres D'Arles, Arles
2010
James Hyman Photography, London
MAC's-Grand-Hornu, Belgium
Galería Visor
Photo Espana, Museo de la Ciudad, Madrid
2009
Musée ChSaint-Jean de Nogent-Le-Rotrou, France
Art Gallery of Ontario
Centro de la Imagen, Mexico City
James Hyman Gallery, London
Olga Korper Gallery, Toronto
Carleton University Art Gallery, Ottawa
Mouvement Art Public, Montreal
Palais Dorotheum, Vienna; Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca
Festival Internacional Cervantino Guanajuato, Mexique
2008
Vu Photo, Quebec
Le Point du Jour, Cherbourg-Octeville
Walter Phillips Gallery, Banff, Alberta
StMuseum, Frankfurt
Glenbow Museum, Calgary
Musée Régional de Rimouski
Musée de la Gaspésie, Gaspé
Musée du Nouveau Monde, La Rochelle, France
Musée du Bas-Saint-Laurent, RiviLoup
Ottawa Art Gallery
2007
Parisian Laundry, Montreal
Art 45, Montreal
Palais Dorotheum, Vienna
Thessaloniki Museum of Photography, Greece
The Apartment, Syntagma, Athens, Greece
Palais Dorotheum, Vienna
Musée Nicephore Niepce, Chalon-sur-Sa, France
Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Rennes
galerie Xippas, Paris, La Réserve, Pacy-sur-Eure
Galería Bat, Madrid
Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, University of Toronto
National Gallery of Canada
2006
National Gallery of Canada
Haus Wittgenstein, Vienna
Espai Visor / Galería Visor, Valencia
Galerie Grita Insam, Vienna
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal
Centre Pompidou, Paris
Ottawa Art Gallery, Ottawa
McMaster Museum of Art, Hamilton, Ontario
Parc Culturel de Rentilly, France
Olga Korper Gallery, Toronto
2005
Neuer Berliner Kunstverein StMuseum Zwickau
Kunstmuseum Heideinheim
StGalerie Waldkraiburg
Galería des , Galería Bacelos, Galería Visor, ARCO, Madrid
National Gallery of Canada
Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal
Festival du photo vers l'image, Biarritz, France
Eastern Michigan University
2004
Fotoinstituut, Rotterdam
Galerie Nei
Liicht/Café-Cr, Dudelange, Luxembourg
Det Kongelige Bibliotek / Det nationale Fotomuseum, K
Kunsthalle Nürnberg
Oldenburger Kunstverein
National Gallery of Canada
FRAC Bretagne & Clair Obscur, Le Grand Cordel, Rennes
Musée des Beaux-Arts, Montréal
Museé d'art et d'histoire de Saint-Brieuc, France
Eclateur Joiliot Curie, Ivry sur seine
Fondation d'art contemporaine Daniel et Florence Guerlain, Les Mesnuls, Ile de France
Carleton University Art Gallery, Ottawa
Galerie Wilma Tolksdorf, Art Cologne
Olga Korper Gallery
2003
Contemporary Museum of Canadian Photography, Ottawa
Galeria dels , Barcelona
Centre photographique d'Ile-de-France, Pontault-Combault
Image/Imatge, Orthez, France
Trafic Haute-Normandie, Sotteville-LRouen, France
Ottawa Art Gallery, Ottawa
FRAC d'Ile-de-France, Le Plateau, Paris
Galeries du CloEcole des beaux-arts, Rennes
StGalerie Wolfsburg
Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum, Aachen (travelling show)
2002
Sala Millares, Madrid
Centro de Arte de Salamanca
Olga Korper Gallery, Toronto
OberLandesmuseum, Linz
Dunlop Art Gallery, Regina
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen
Knstsammlungen, Chemnitz, Austria
XII Galería D'Art & Galería icart, Vilafranca del Pened, Spain
2001
Galerie Rodolphe Janssen, Art Brussels, Brussels
Centre des Arts Saidye Bronfman, Montreal
Domaine de Kerguéhennec, Bignan, France
2000
Galería des , Barcelona
Musée de l'Elysée Lausanne
Galerie Rodolphe Janssen, Art Brussels, Brussels
Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography, Ottawa
Art Gallery of Ontario Centre culturel de Colombier, Rennes, France
1999
IVAM, Valencia, Spain
Culturgest, Lisbon
Ottawa Art Gallery
Centre d'art contemporain de Bruxelles
Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, Ohio
1998
Power Plant, Toronto
Olga Korper Gallery, Toronto
Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick, Maine
Contemporary Art Center of Virginia, Virginia Beach
Weslyan University, Middletown, Connecticut
Photographic Center of Skopelos, Skopelos, Greece
Fine Arts Center of Larissa, Greece
Musée d'Art Moderne, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
Art Gallery of North York, Ontario
Light Factory, Charlotte, North Carolina
Centre National de la Photographie, Paris
Art Gallery of North York, Ontario
Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago
1997
Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, Ohio
Galerie CC Ten Weyngaert, Vorst, Belgium
University of Tampa Art Gallery
Musée de Beaux Arts, Montreal
Galerie Rodolphe
Janssen Ottawa Art Gallery
National Gallery of Canada
P$P$O$W, New York
Cranbrook Art Museum, Michigan
National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C. (travelling show)
Centre d'Art Contemporain, Geneva
Museum of Fine Arts, Florida
State University, Tallahassee
New York Public Library
1996
Musée d'Art Moderne, Paris
Stephen Bulger Gallery, Toronto
Art Gallery of Ontario
MUHKA, Antwerp
Centre d'art Neuch, Switzerland
New York Public Library, New York
Califormia Museum of Photography, Riverside
Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota, Florida
National Gallery of Canada
Galerie Rodolphe Janssen
FIAC, Espace
Eiffel Branly, Paris; New York Public Library
1995
Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume, Paris
Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
Logan Art Gallery, Queensland, Australia (travelling show)
National Gallery of Canada
National Museum of Australia; Randolph Street Gallery, Chicago
1994
Galerie des Archives, Paris
Maison de la Culture, Nevers
P$P$O$W, New York
Carleton University Art Gallery; National Gallery of Canada
1993
National Gallery of Canada (travelling show)
Raab Galerie, Berlin
Raab Boukamel Galleries, London
Gian Ferrari Arte Contemporanea, Milano
P$P$O$W, New York
National Gallery of Canada
Tufts University Arts Gallery 1988
Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University (travelling show)
Dia Art Foundation, New York
Aperture, New York
1992
Dalhousie University Art Gallery (travelling show)
Maryland Institute
Emily Carr College of Art and Design
Dazibao, Montreal
Printworks Gallery, Chicago
Musée d'Art Contemporain, Montreal
Center for Creative Photography, Tucson
Rosa Esman Gallery, New York
Galerie Rodolphe Janssen, Brussels
Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
1991
Barbara Gross Galerie, Munich
Galerie Samia Saouma, Paris
Newport Harbor Art
Museum, California (travelling show)
Barbican Art Centre, London
Rosa Esman Gallery, New York
Gokelaere & Janssen, Brussels
University of North Texas
Mackenzie Art Gallery, Regina
Galerie Art & Essai, Université de Rennes
FRAC, Limousin
Saw Gallery, Ottawa
Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington
1990
Newport Museum and Art Gallery, Wales (travelling show)
Galerie Samia Saouma, Paris
Ehlers Caudill, Chicago
Biennale Internationale de Marseille
Lineart, Gand, Belgium
Weatherspoon Art Gallery, University of North Carolina
Presentation House Gallery, Vancouver
Security Pacific Gallery, Seattle
1989
Stills Gallery, Edinburgh (travelling show)
Sarah Lawrence College, New York
Galerie Samia Saouma, Paris
Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Manes Galley, Prague
Arnolfini Gallery, Bristol
Serpentine Gallery, London (travelling show)
P$P$O$W, New York
1987
Jeffrey Linden Gallery, Hollywood
P$P$O$W, New York
1986
Presentation House, Vancouver (travelling show)
P$P$O$W, New York
1985
National Gallery of Canada
Edmonton Art Gallery
1984
Yajima Gallery, Montreal
Photographers Gallery, London
Bradford Art Gallery
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto
Bibliothéque Nationale, Paris
Presentation House, Vancouver
1983
Yarlow/Salzman Gallery, Toronto
Winnipeg Art Museum (travelling show)
1982
Eastern Michigan University
Photographers Gallery, Saskatoon (travelling show)
1981
Cultural Centre, Nantes
National Gallery of Canada
Light Work, Syracuse
Skidmore College, New York
Musée des Beaux-Arts, Montreal
McIntosh Gallery, University of Western Ontario, London
Musée d'Art Contemporain, Montreal
1980
Centre Saidye Bronfman, Montreal
Light Work Gallery, Syracuse, NY
National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (travelling show)
Douglas Kenyon Gallery, Chicago
Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY
Yajima Gallery, Montreal
1979
Walter Phillips Gallery, Banff, Alberta (travelling show)
Ryerson Polytechnic, Toronto
CEPA Gallery, Buffalo, NY
1978
Yajima Gallery, Montreal
1977
Museum of Modern Art, New York
National Gallery of Canada
1976
Witkin Gallery, New York
University of New Mexico Art Museum
Owens Art Gallery, Sackville
Optica, Montreal (travelling show)
1975
National Film Board of Canada
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto
1973
University of Michigan
Walker Art Center (travelling show)
1972
831 Gallery, Detroit
Detroit Art Institute
1969
Detroit Art Institute
Oklahoma Art Center
Grand Rapids Art Museum
1968
Chicago Art Institute
1967
Phyllis Kind Gallery, Chicago
Selected Publications:
2009
Cover, Le Point du Jour, Paris/Cherbourg
2007
A Place Without A Place, Thessaloniki Museum of Photography (text: H. Papaioannou)
Lynne Cohen / Denis Farley, Parisian Laundry, Montreal (text: Jean-FranBélisle)
2005
Camouflage, Le Point du Jour, Cherbourg
2004
Lynne Cohen, Edition Galeria Bacelos, Vigo (text: Alvaro de los Angeles)
2003
Confluence: Contemporary Canadian Photography, CMCP (text: Martha Hanna)
2002
Hyperspace: Lenticular Photography, Dunlop Art Gallery (text: Jack Anderson)
2001
23-33, Obscuur, Tijdschrift voor Fotografie 21 December
No Man's Land, Thames and Hudson, London (text: Ann Thomas; interview).
1999
Le souci du document, Les 400 Coups, Montreal
1998
Photography's Multiple Roles, Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago
Under Construction, Olga Korper Gallery Toronto (text: Claire Christie)
1997
Evidence: Photography and Site, Wexner Center for the Arts
1995
Beyond Recognition, National Gallery of Australia
1993
Magicians of Light, National Gallery of Canada (text: James Borcoman)
Vivid: Intense Images by American Photographers, Raab Galerie, Berlin
1992
Working Truths/Powerful Fictions, Mackenzie Art Gallery, Regina (text: Jessica Bradley)
L'endroit du décor / Lost and Found, Hdes arts & FRAC-Limousin
1991
Un-Natural Traces, Barbican Art Gallery, London (text: Carol Brown)
Typologies, Newport Harbor Art Museum, California (text: Marc Freidus)
1990
American Photographs 1940-1990, Museum voor Fotografie, Antwerp (text: Pool Andries)
Silent Interiors, Security Pacific Gallery, Seattle
1988
Occupied Territory, Aperture, New York
1984
Seeing People, Seeing Space, Photographers' Gallery, London
1975
Exposure, Art Gallery of Ontario
The Female Eye, National Film Board of Canada
Selected Awards:
2008
Conseil des arts et des letters, Québec, various awards
2006
Conseil des arts et des letters, Québec, various awards
2005
Governor General's Award in Visual Arts and Media Arts
2002
Canada Council Senior Arts Grant
2001
Logan Award, Chicago Art Institute
National Magazine Awards, Canada, Gold award
Ontario Arts Council Senior Arts Grant
1997
Canada Council Senior Arts Grant
1993
Ontario Arts Council Senior Arts Grant
1991
Canada Council Victor Martyn Lynch-Staunton Award
1989
Canada Council Senior Arts Grant
Merit Award for Occupied Territory, Photo/Design
1986
Canada Council Senior Arts Grant
1967
Logan Award, Chicago Art Institute
Selected Collections:
Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin College
Art Bank, Canada; Art Gallery of Ontario
Art Institute of Chicago
Australian National Gallery
BibliothNationale, Paris
Bradley University; Canadian Centre for Architecture
Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography
Center for Creative Photography, Tucson
Centro Gallego de Arte Contempor, Santiago de Compostela
City of Ottawa, Canada
Davis Museum, Wellesley College, Massachusetts
Department of External Affairs, Canada
Edmonton Art Gallery; Fonds National d'Art Contemporain, Paris
Fonds Régional d'Art Contemporain, Basse-Normandie, Bretagne, Limousin, & Lorraine France
Illinois Bell Telephone Company
International Center of Photography, New York
International Museum of Photography, George Eastman House, Rochester
Kunsthaus, Zurich; Light Work, Syracuse
Miami Art Museum
Milwaukee Art Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Musée d'Art Contemporain, Montreal
Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris
Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago
Museum voor Fotografie, Antwerp
National Film Board of Canada
National Gallery of Canada
New Orleans Art Museum
Owens Art Gallery, Mount Allison University
Photographers Gallery, Saskatoon
Prudential Insurance Company, New York
Universitat de Val, Spain