Industrial Organic: Bill Cohn
Bill Cohn has work on view through Sunday, October 24, 2021 in the Annex Gallery. Below he talks about his inspiration and process.
I spend a lot of time in the woods -- on foot and wheels and skis. I pause occasionally to look up to the tree canopy and low in the understory, observing the endless and amazing forms, textures and patterns hidden in plain sight: the worm eaten bark of a dead or dying tree; the soft intense green of a moss covered boulder; the alluvial flow of a glacial mountainside; the tiers and swirls of wind-drifted snow.
Sometimes what I see sparks ideas -- forms or gestures I want to render in clay. As an example, on a hike in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada I found huge, western pine cones, which led me to envision a set of pods, disconnected from stems. As I’ve tried to recreate what my mind’s eye sees, the concept has morphed, adapting to the realities of sculptural engineering and the structural limits of building, firing, and glazing clay forms. And since my ‘signature’ style is what I call “Industrial Organic”, the forms are somewhat fantastical, organic-looking with machine-made textures.
In the studio I rely on my slab roller and my collection of textures (e.g. floor, dish, and bath matts, rug under-layers). I’ve found that textures with a plastic or rubberized surface work best, as when I impress them into the clay they don’t stick (assuming the clay isn’t wet). I apply textures to both sides, and when the clay has dried to the appropriate level of firmness I manipulate it by twisting, bending and stretching it. The textures and form immediately take on a new level of energy and jump with visual appeal.
I often use large rocks as sculpture bases. Among the many techniques I’ve developed is drilling in them using diamond coring bits, water, and a fair bit of patience. The finding, selection, and collection of the rocks is another aspect; I guess you’d call it an artistic practice. I wade through mountain streams finding rocks with workable dimensions and visual appeal. This also dovetails with one of my side passions: rock stacking and balancing. I’ve spent many peaceful hours constructing rock stack sculptures, which engage me with their improbable balance and impermanence.