Artist Profile: Eli Cohen
People
often use the expression, "still a child at heart." For Eli Cohen, at the heart
of his self-portrait, "Deputy Dan," is his childhood. While some kids remember
Mother Goose or Winnie the Pooh, Eli can recall reading the book Deputy Dan, by
Joseph Rosenbloom, almost every day when he was a young boy. His fondness for the book
prompted him to use it, literally, as the foundation for his painting. He created a
collage using words and phrases from the book, and then applied acrylic paints to complete
the piece. Eli took AP Studio Art for two years at Palm Desert High School in Palm Desert, CA. He was fortunate to be under the tutelage of teacher Judy Munson who gave him lots of encouragement and, according to Eli, "turns out a lot of talent from the school." His experience influenced his decision to continue studying art in college. After being accepted at Pepperdine University and NYU, Eli chose to study fine art at Rhode Island School of Design. Although he is unclear about his exact career path, Eli is sure that he’ll somehow contribute creatively to the world.