Merlin Cohen - Sculptor - Marble

As a young man I had the good fortune to live in Europe , where I toured the Italian stone quarries and visited the great museums of Italy and France . I was drawn to the sensual, warm curves released from the hard, cool stones by the masters of carving. I chose direct stone carving as my art venue, as it allows the liberation from nature my perception of the form within the stone.

After experimenting with various art media, I was always drawn back to sculpting in stone. I found the subtractive process much more challenging, and the results to be more sensual and pleasing to the eye and to the touch. Serendipitously, Ralph Hurst, a noted sculptor and experienced educator, came into my life. He had been Professor Emeritus of Art at Florida State University in Tallahassee , Florida and had just accepted the position of Artist in Residence at the University of Tennessee-Martin. After working with Ralph and under his tutelage for two and a half years, he suggested that I was ready to pursue a career as a professional artist.

My art has been a continuously evolving process. From my beginnings in figurative and realism, I have gravitated to the abstract and non-representational. Math based designs have become an integral part of my new directions, and I find the shapes sensual and meditative. Living in the Sonoran desert of Southern Arizona has awakened spirits that must be expressed in the universal and infinite forms of my sculptures. Pushing stone to its structural and artistic limits has become my goal.

Over time, my gallery affiliations have changed as has my art. I have grown with each step along the way, and I have found the galleries and the art community very supportive. The fact that my sculpture has been accepted by the patrons of the arts has given me endless pleasure and incentive to reach higher plateaus. There is no greater honor than the appreciation of your talent by others.

As my exposure to the public has increased, I have been invited to speak to groups with varying degrees of art knowledge. These sessions have ranged from “Show and Tell” at the elementary school level to “Looking at Stone Sculpture” with Museum docents and university level alumni art leagues. A goal for the future is to better prepare myself to be a more effective emissary for the arts, especially stone sculpture. The more one understands an art form, the more they will appreciate and enjoy viewing, discussing, and owning it.

My personal challenge is to release form from stone and elicit emotions of pleasure and peace for the viewer.