INFORMATION FOR A PRESS RELEASE

"Art Galleries refer to me as a photographer, but photographers refer to me as an Artist!"

John Neville Cohen's pictures add a bright new dimension to any wall. So sophisticated, original and contemporary, always a talking point, they intrigue, surprise, yet remain intelligible to all.

John's pictures, limited to editions of only 8, have great investment potential too! Not yet one of the big names, but Arts Review mentioned Picasso when describing John's 'Spirit of Spring' and the exhibitions to date are impressive. Now is the best time for astute buyers to buy, considering just how very special John's photography is: "regarded as one of Britain's most original photographers." The Times. "A woman's face was exquisitely metamorphosed with the cup of a yellow tulip - a Femme - Fleur Picasso might have perpetrated had he taken to photography." Arts Revue.

John Cohen invented his own unique form of 'Painting with Light' photography (a very different and original 'special effect' technique in the early 1960's), without using any computer, darkroom chemicals, or expensive equipment to create his unique top international award winning transparencies.

His technique is pure photography on film and has nothing to do with moving lights to make light graffiti, or of lighting specific parts of a scene during a long exposure. What it does involve is the photographing of projected images that surprisingly are not often projected on to a screen!

John has found that the projector really lives up to its earlier known name - 'The Magic Lantern', as what can be done with projectors for photographers really is magical!

One of his best known pictures was titled 'Spirit of Spring', this was the first ever picture taken on Kodachrome (transparency film)that included both a negative of a tulip and a positive image of a girl's portrait, all on the same emulsion! This photograph won 'The London Salon Trophy' in 1967; it was then the first time a colour picture was deemed worthy of this much-coveted trophy, for it had only ever been awarded before for Black and White studies. John was also the youngest member to have won it. No one knew at the time, how these pictures were possible, as they were created well before anyone had the use of computers.

His discovered technique sometimes involved; projecting his image through a crystal, through coloured cellophane, or reflecting the projected image off various reflective surfaces, the image projected could be a negative (colour or black and white) and he even used three, or four projectors (with careful masking) all together at times. The chosen screen often became the subject of the picture; John has photographed projected images on to a shell, a flower and a butterfly wing, even on to the edges of the pages of a book!

His freely available article titled 'The Magic Lantern' fully describes and explains exactly how anyone and everyone can do it. These special effects have certain qualities that are a little different from those achievable by digital manipulation. ('The Magic Lantern' can be found at - http://www.jncohen.net/photmagi/cg030001.htm)

There have been over 20 One-Man Exhibitions of John's photography (many were sponsored by Kodak) at major venues; 2 were held in New York, 4 in London, The Edinburgh Festival and many other UK & USA Cities. His pictures have stood up to the test of time and they are exceptional, so now they have just become available for sale as limited editions. 

Favourable reviews and comments have been received; Cecil Beaton C.B.E., Sir William Russell Flint R.A., Lady Clementine Spencer-Churchill, Sir George F. Pollock Bt., M.A., F.R.P.S., F.R.S.A., 'The Times' and 'Arts Review' to name a few! 

John has honestly explained that he starts with an idea and then experiments with various images, but sometimes something unforeseen happened, that sends him down a totally fresh route to create a very different picture than he originally planned, often it has been these ‘inspired accidents’ that have since turned out to be his very best works.

"Indeed, since the photographic image is made by the action of light, truth to light is truth to the medium of photography! All John Cohen's photographs are made, simply and solely, by the use of light.  His magic is the magic of the luminous, his poetry is that of the chiaroscuro. The attractions of his work is all the greater for the purity of the photographic technique, and its appeal all the more universal for being couched in an imagery common to all men and intelligible to all."Sir George F. Pollock Bt., M.A., F.R.P.S., F.R.S.A.

John (now over 70) is still currently creating pictures "I use pure photography to express ideas, or thoughts, rather than reality. I trust that my pictures will intrigue, cause interest and be appreciated as very original art works that make quite a statement!" John Neville Cohen

FOR MUCH MORE ABOUT JOHN: -

Reviews and Exhibitions http://www.artist-john-cohen.net/Reviews.htm
Sir George Pollock Introduction http://www.artist-john-cohen.net/Introduction.htm
John N. Cohen’s pictures http://www.artist-john-cohen.net/index.htm

Facebook Fan Page http://en-gb.facebook.com/pages/Painting-With-Light/208903157734 
Rhizome at the New Museum New York http://rhizome.org/profile.php?1075241
Art Review http://www.artreview.com/profile/JohnNevilleCohen
YouTube all about 'Painting with Light' http://www.youtube.com/user/jncohen40

Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/john_n_cohen/sets/72157623122863068/
LinkedIn  http://es.linkedin.com/in/johnncohen 
Twitter  http://twitter.com/JohnNCohen 

John Cohen’s websites: 
http://www.artist-john-cohen.net
http://www.jncohen.net
http://www.jncohen.com
John Neville Cohen’s contact details http://www.artist-john-cohen.net/Contact.htm