“3 models for the west (triptych)”

Objects, collages, and videos are part of Felipe Cohen's artistic universe, but it is primarily the investigation of volume that marks the artist's trajectory. A graduate in drawing and sculpture from FAAP (in 2000), he had his first solo exhibition in 2001 at the Centro Cultural São Paulo (Exhibition Program). He has presented his work at the Capela do Morumbi, the Centro Universitário Maria Antonia, the ARCO Madrid International Art Fair (Solo Projects), and participated in important group exhibitions such as the 8th Mercosul Biennial. He received the Fiat Mostra Brasil award in 2006, and his work is part of the collection of the Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo and the Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo.

Felipe Cohen investigates the construction of space through pure and perfectly arranged forms. The parts fit together precisely, even when simply placed on top of each other. His drawing is clean, exact, and volumetric. Even when working with two dimensions, as in his geometric landscapes, depth is emphasized, making these collages appear as piles of small fragments stacked at different heights.

It is very common in his work to use everyday elements, such as cups, lamps, and clothespins, and what draws our attention is that Felipe maintains their scale. According to Douglas de Freitas, the artist "...normally works with the scale of the utensil"1. It is as if the idea were materialized from an existing object, and from then on, the intervention takes place. This is clear when we see "Cathedral" (2009), a work composed of a wooden clothespin and a perfectly fitted piece of marble. This not only supports it but also makes us notice its entire design and the force of the elevation of our gaze, as is desired in cathedrals in general. Another important aspect of Felipe's work is also noticeable: the mixture of materials of different nobilities, always used in a clear way. There is no coating whatsoever. In the universe of architecture, one would say that the artist seeks the truth of the material. Felipe brings together marble and plastic in "Land Escape #7" (2013), felt and basalt in "Feltro #3" from the Meio dia series (2010), and wood and gold leaf in "Ícone caixa #1" (2012). The combinations are generally unusual, but they make perfect sense when we carefully analyze what is presented to our gaze.

It's hard not to notice the importance of the title in the artist's works. The words are carefully chosen and say a lot about the ideas contained therein. In "Ground or Void" (2013), Felipe says: "In fact, the title 'Ground or Void' arose from the realization that this visual game aims to search for landscapes that suggest openings, falls, and vertiginous patterns. From there, what particularly pleased me was the perception of a paradoxical relationship between the 'objective' of the game and its formal characteristics. In the process of constructing these images, placing a piece can mean opening up space and not simply filling the limits by finding the right piece for the missing space." (Description of the work "Ground or Void").

Felipe Cohen's objects are like sparks that radiate a light that takes us far away. They are like films that seem to expose everything intelligibly in those few minutes, films in which the title and content seem to make perfect sense, but which, from time to time, we find ourselves thinking about and relating to various lived situations.

Jacopo Criveli brilliantly highlights important characteristics of Felipe Cohen's work: "...it is precisely in the transcendence of the small things that inhabit Felipe Cohen's work, in the simplicity with which elements that our experience tells us should be ordinary and banal reveal themselves to be laden with surprising importance, that the core of his poetics resides. And the way the artist provides us with this epiphany is what makes it lasting, what makes it a discovery that we can carry far beyond the limits of the exhibition space..."2.

1. Text "Every Day at the Same Time," by Douglas de Freitas, about the installation "Poente" (Sunset), at the Capela do Morumbi. Source: http://www.museudacidade.sp.gov.br/exposicoes-expo.php?id=108

2. VISCONTI, Jacopo Crivelli. The Transcendence of Small Things. Source: http://www.galeriamillan.com.br/pt-BR/texto-critico/33