Photo-chemical Interventions

Jeff Cowen (born 1966 in NYC) previously worked as an assistant for Larry Clark as well as Ralph Gibson. In the nineties, however, intense studies of drawing and painting radically altered Cowen's artistic approach – inspiring a continuing search for the relationship between abstraction and the photographic image.

Developed in the darkroom of his studio in Berlin, Cowen's prints tread the line between painting, photography, drawing and sculpture. He implements the darkroom chemicals in the same way a painter utilises colours, devising his compositions while also allowing for the uncontrollable element of the developing process to play its part.

The Kunsthalle in Bremerhaven now presents his most recent series, in which the artist explores the photographic representation of gradations, shadows and partial fade-outs. By focusing on the unseen or barely visible, he essentially negates the traditional purpose of photography: to objectively record a visual experience for the benefit of the viewer. In this new series, Cowen firmly puts aside the concept of reproducing reality, while at the same time laying claim to alternative ways of approaching the medium.

For further information visit Kunsthalle Bremerhaven