Practical Magic: Rachel Gisela Cohen
Rachel Gisela Cohen, install shot of Changing Room at Sweet Lorraine Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Practical Magic is an online interview series with early and mid-career creatives. Through a selection of prompts we spotlight each person’s practice and (hopefully) prove art world creatives are the real influencers of today.
interview with: RACHEL GISELA COHEN
visual artist, educator, independent curator
For the month of August, each twice-weekly PM interview will be with a selected artist from our 3rd Open Call Exhibition Celestial Opera, Human Cathedrals. Today’s feature is with Rachel Gisela Cohen, whose mixed media works prioritize the materials and process of her practice. About Rachel:
Rachel Gisela Cohen lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. She received her MFA in Painting and Drawing from Pratt Institute and her BA in Art History and Visual Art from Drew University. She has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, Vermont Studio Center and the Constance Saltonstall Foundation. She recently exhibited at Spring Break Art Fair 2020, the Armenia Art Fair and Hunter College Art Galleries.
We had the pleasure of working with Rachel last year for the production of our 2nd Open Call show in a ChaShaMa space, where Rachel previously worked as a program coordinator. We were thrilled to include her in this year’s open call and connect further about her practice!
PP: Who or what are major influences for you right now and why?
RGC: I am currently reading Ninth Street Women by Mary Gabriel, which focuses on the life and work of five abstract women artists, Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler. The book moves chronologically and starts with Lee Krasner and begins shortly after the Great Depression. It talks about how artists during this time in New York were a deeply political community, lead protests in order to support one another, and even unionized. It reminds me of our current times and how artists are yet again rising up to speak out against injustices.
PP: What is a typical day in the life for you as a creative? How do you structure your day/week to manage your practice?
RGC: During the week I work as an arts administrator at a non-profit and also as an Artist Educator at the Museum of Arts and Design. I am grateful to work in my field but also designate at least 1-2 full days every week to spend exclusively in my studio. I am constantly collecting and gathering fabrics and textiles for my work. I used to spend a lot of time in the garment district and would make it a part of my commute from home to work. Now I focus more on using recycled materials and purchase fabrics from black and women-owned businesses. My current studio in Sunset Park is super close to FabScrap, which is also a great organization that recycles fabrics from the fashion industry.
Raptor Cloud, 2019, acrylic, flashe and fabric on canvas, 16 x 12 in
PP: Current binge-worthy tv/film recommendation?
RGC: The L Word, Insecure, Betty and lots of classic old school horror movies like Jaws, Alien and Pet Cemetery.
PP: What are you listening to in your studio or when you work?
RGC: I've always listened to a lot of jazz and blues. My partner is a Jazz musician, and I worked at a Jazz club through college, right up until I left New Jersey to attend graduate school. This summer in my studio I've been listening to a lot of female jazz vocalists, such as Nina Simone, Alice Coltrane, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. I've also been really into Kendrick Lamar, Patti Smith, Lizzo, Sylvan Esso, Grimes and A Tribe Called Quest.
portrait of the artist in front of her work
PP: What's your favorite article of clothing to wear and why?
RGC: My Blue Light glasses because they're cute and they help my eyes when I'm staring at all my screens all day.
PP: What is the next big milestone you've set for yourself? How close to achieving it are you?
RGC: The next big milestone I've set for myself is curating an exhibition through RAMA Projects. RAMA Projects is the independent curatorial passion project that I co-curate with one of my oldest and best friends. My business partner works in finance and technology as an advocate for women in business, and our vision is to connect young collectors with emerging contemporary artists. I would really love to find a physical space to host our first exhibit. Before COVID we were scheduled to have an exhibition this summer, but since, we have lost our space and are currently back on the hunt for another.
install shot of Changing Room at Sweet Lorraine gallery, Brooklyn NY
Practical Magic interviews post weekly on Thursdays - check back to see who we’re chatting with next.