WHAT THOUGHTS LOOK LIKE
THE FABRIC OF JOHN COHEN’S LIFE
OCTOBER 22 - DECEMBER 22, 2022
Gospel Church, Harlem, 1958
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Gospel Church, 1958
Gelatin silver print, printed 1958-1960
Print size: 13 3/8 x 9 1/8 inches
Mounted to board. Signed, titled, dated, “print from Image Gallery” in pencil,
and artist’s copyright stamp in ink on mount verso
(P5313JC)
Untitled(children running, New Haven), 1955
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Untitled(children running, New Haven), 1955
Gelatin silver print, printed later
Paper size: 11 x 14 inches
Mounted on dark board
Signed, dated, and “Credit John Cohen” in ink on print verso
(P5375JC)
Josef Albers at Yale, 1955
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Josef Albers at Yale, 1955
Gelatin silver print, printed later
Paper size: 8 x 10 inches
Image size: 6 3/8 x 9 1/4 inches
Nothing on print verso
(P5321JC)
Boxer With Towel, Elm City Gym, New Haven, 1954
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Boxer With Towel, Elm City Gym, New Haven, 1954
Gelatin silver print, printed 1954-1960
Print size: 8 x 9 3/4 inches
Mounted to board. Signed, titled, dated in pencil and artist stamp on print verso
(P5354JC)
Woven Textile, Pre-Columbian
Woven Textile, Pre-Columbian
17 x 17 inches
(P5357AFK)
Rev. Gary Davis at Grocery Store, 1954
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Rev. Gary Davis at Grocery Store, 1954
Vintage gelatin silver print
Paper size: 5 1/4 x 7 3/4 inches
Image size: 4 7/8 x 7 inches
Artist copyright stamp on print verso
(P5318JC)
Elizabeth Cotten “Libba” at Her Home in Wash. D.C., 1960
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Elizabeth Cotten “Libba” at Her Home in Wash. D.C., 1960
Gelatin silver print, printed later
Paper size: 8 x 10 inches
Image size: 6 5/16 x 9 1/4 inches
Signed, titled, dated in pencil, with artist stamp on print verso
(P5358JC)
Woody Guthrie and Jack Elliott, 1961
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Woody Guthrie and Jack Elliott, 1961
Gelatin silver print, printed 1999
Paper size: 8 x 10 inches
Image size: 6 1/4 x 9 1/2 inches
Signed, titled, with print and image date in pencil on print verso
(P1530JC)
Muddy Waters, 1959
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Muddy Waters, 1959
Gelatin silver print, printed 1970s
Paper size: 8 x 10 inches
Image size: 6 x 9 inches
Signed, titled, and dated in pencil with artist stamp on print verso
(P1218JC)
Bob Dylan on my Roof, 1962
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Bob Dylan on my Roof, 1962
Vintage gelatin silver print
Paper size: 15 x 10 inches
Image size: 6 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches
Mounted onto Bainbridge board; tracing paper with diagram pencil drawing over the image and printing notes; target stickers on either side of mounted image. Used for “Dylan” book co-published by Rolling Stone Press and Doubleday, 1984. This is the earlier known image of the print, likely made by a commercial printer shortly after it was taken.
(P2365JC)
Bill Monroe in Hazard KY, 1962
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Bill Monroe in Hazard KY, 1962
Gelatin silver print, printed later
Paper size: 8 x 10 inches
Image size: 6 1/8 x 9 1/4 inches
Artist copyright stamp on print verso
(P1154JC)
Black Gold, E. Kentucky, 1959
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Black Gold, E. Kentucky, 1959
Vintage gelatin silver print on single weight paper
Paper size: 10 x 8 inches
Image size: 9 1/4 x 5 7/8 inches
Signed, titled, and dated in pencil on print verso
(P5352JC)
Family on Porch, 1959
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Family on Porch, Hazard KY, 1959
Vintage gelatin silver print on single weight paper
Paper size: 10 x 8 inches
Image size: 9 1/4 x 6 1/4 inches
Signed and dated in pencil on print verso
(P5353JC)
Untitled, date unknown
smith, harry (1923 - 1991)
Untitled, date unknown
String figure glued to black construction paper
Frame size: 10 1/2 x 22 1/2 inches
Image size: 9 1/4 x 6 1/4 inches
(P5363HS)
Rooster and Hen, Unknown
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Rooster and Hen, date unknown
Ink drawing
Paper size: 14 x 17 inches
Image size: 14 x 17 inches
(P5362JC)
Isle Taquile, Religious Procession,, Peru 1956
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Religious Procession, Isle Taquile, Peru, 1956
Gelatin silver print, printed later
Paper size: 11 x 14 inches
Image size: 8 5/8 x 13 1/4 inches
Signed, titled, dated, and artist negative number in pencil on print verso
(P5360JC)
Train to Huancavalica, Huancayo, Peru, 1964
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Train to Huancavalica, Huancayo, Peru, 1964
Early gelatin silver print
Paper size: 11 x 14 inches
Image size: 8 5/8 x 12 3/4 inches
(P5361JC)
Girl with Ox, Peru, date unknown
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Girl with Ox, Peru, date unknown
Early gelatin silver print
Paper size: 11 x 14 inches
Image size: 8 5/8 x 13 1/4 inches
(P5359JC)
Funeral, Huancayo, 1956
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Funeral, Huancayo, Peru, 1956
Gold toned gelatin silver print, printed 1981 – 1982 on Agfa Paper
Paper size: 10 x 8 inches
Image size: 9 1/4 x 6 1/4 inches
Signed in pencil on print verso
(P2895JC)
Lima, Peru, 1957
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Lima, Peru, 1957
Gelatin silver print, printed 1970s or earlier
Paper size: 11 x 14 inches
Image size: 9 3/4 x 12 1/2 inches
Signed, titled, and dated in pencil on print verso
(P2548JC)
Road to Ayacucho, 1956
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Road to Ayacucho, Peru, 1956
Gelatin silver print, printed 1960s
Print size: 9 x 6 inches
Mounted to wood block. Signed, titled, dated in ink, and noted in pencil on mount verso
(P5356JC)
Quero, Peru, 1957
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Quero, Peru, 1957
Gelatin silver print, printed 1960s
Paper size: 9 1/4 x 6 1/4 inches
Image size: 9 1/4 x 6 1/4 inches
Mounted to wood block. Signed, titled, and dated in ink on mount verso
(P5355JC)
Collage, 1955/1957
COHEN, John (1932 - 2019) & ISRAEL, MarVin (1927 - 2007)
Collage, 1955/1957
Collage made for artist’s exhibition at Yale University Art Gallery, 1958
Size: 14 x 9 inches
Collage on board with printed text. Mounted on cardboard.
Signed, titled, dated 1955 and "John Cohen + Martin Israel 1957" in pencil on verso
(P5364JC)
Harry Smith at the Chelsea Hotel, 1969
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Harry Smith at the Chelsea Hotel, 1969
Gelatin silver print, printed 2000 by Sid Kaplan
Paper size: 14 x 11 inches
Image size: 12 1/4 x 8 inches
Signed, titled, and dated with print and image dates in pencil on print verso
(P5365JC)
Gregory Corso, Pablo, Mary and Robert Frank, “Pull My Daisy”, 1959
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Gregory Corso, Pablo, Mary and Robert Frank, “Pull My Daisy”, 1959
Gelatin silver print, printed later
Paper size: 14 x 11 inches
Image size: 13 1/2 x 9 1/8 inches
Signed, titled, and dated in pencil with negative number in pencil on print verso
(P5366JC)
Frank with Camera in Kitchen, 1959
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Frank with Camera in Kitchen, 1959
Gelatin silver print, printed later
Paper size: 10 x 8 inches
Image size: 9 x 6 inches
Signed and dated in pencil on print verso
(P5142JC)
Richard Bellamy (as Angel) talks with George Segal, 1960
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Richard Bellamy (as Angel) talks with George Segal during filming of “Sin of Jesus”, 1960
Gelatin silver print, printed later
Paper size: 8x 10 inches
Image size: 6 x 9 inches
Signed, titled, and dated in pencil with artist’s stamp on print verso
(P1512JC)
Untitled, still life from garden (flower), date unknown
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Untitled still life from garden (flower), date unknown
Watercolor painting
Paper size: 10 1/8 x 14 1/8 inches
(P5367JC)
Untitled, still life from garden (lettuce), date unknown
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Untitled, still life from garden (lettuce), date unknown
Watercolor painting
Paper size: 10 1/8 x 14 1/8 inches
(P5368JC)
Untitled, still life from garden, 2017
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Untitled, still life from garden, 2017
Ink drawing
Paper size: 18 1/8 x 11 7/8 inches
Dated in pencil on recto
(P5369JC)
Sing Out Magazine, July 1964
Includes photographs and essays by John Cohen
Exhibition Announcements
Exhibition Announcements:
Image Gallery Christmas Show (1960)
Limelight: John Cohen (1957)
Sing Out Magazine, 1961
Includes photographs and essays by John Cohen
John Cohen, 1958
FRANK, Robert (1924 - 2019)
John Cohen, 1958
Gelatin silver print, printed later
Paper size: 14 x 11 inches
Image size: 9 1/8 x 6 1/8 inches
Titled, dated and “print by: Robert Frank” in pencil on print verso
(P5372RF)
The New Lost City Ramblers: On the Great Divide, 1973
The New Lost City Ramblers: On the Great Divide, 1973
12.5 x 12.5 inches
Record
Downhill Strugglers, date unknown
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Downhill Strugglers(Jackson Lynch, Eli Smith and Walker Shepard), c. 2012
Gelatin silver print, print date unknown
Paper size: 11 x 14 inches
Image size: 6 x 9 3/16 inches
Nothing on print verso
(P5371JC)
Chairs and Teacup, Leatherwood, Kentucky, 1959
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Leatherwood, Kentucky, 1959
Gelatin silver print, printed 1970s or before
Paper size: 11 x 14 inches
Image size: 7 x 8 1/2 inches
Mounted to matt board.
Signed twice, titled, dated twice in pencil on mount recto. Label from Bowdoin on mount verso
(P1605JC)
Exhibited: The Spirit of the New Landscape, 1978, Bowdoin College Museum of Art., Brunswick, Maine.
New Lost City Ramblers Volume 4, 1962
New Lost City Ramblers Volume 4, 1962
Left to right: Tom Paley, Mike Seger, John Cohen (with guitare)
Cover photograph by Robert Frank
12.5 x 12.5 inches
LP Record
What Do Thoughts Look Like? 1949
COHEN, John (1932 - 2019)
What Do Thoughts Look Like? 1949
Handwritten note on 8 ½ x 11 inch paper
This homework assignment, written by Cohen age 17, serves as inspiration for the title of this exhibition. Note his teacher’s comments.
High Atmosphere: Ballads and Banjo Tunes from Virginia and North Carolina collected by John Cohen in 1965
High Atmosphere: Ballads and Banjo Tunes from Virginia and North Carolina collected by John Cohen in 1965
Cover photograph of Appalachian musician Lloyd Chandler by John Cohen. Chandler is credited with writing O Death, a song featured in the Coen Brothers’ film, O Brother Where Art Thou
12.5 x 12.5 inches
LP Record
Mailboxes, Perry County, Kentucky, 1959
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Mailboxes, Perry County, Kentucky, 1959
Gelatin silver print, printed 1970s
Paper size: 14 x 11 inches
Image size: 9 x 6 1/4 inches
Signed, titled, and dated in pencil on mount recto
Details of print in another hand in pencil on mount verso
(P1606JC)
Exhibited: The Spirit of the New Landscape, 1978, Bowdoin College Museum of Art., Brunswick, Maine.
Chickens at E.C. Ball’s Mountain Form, Rugby N.C.(aka Abby Road), 1965
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Chickens at E.C. Ball’s Mountain Form, Rugby N.C.(aka Abby Road), 1965
Gelatin silver print
Paper size: 8 x 10 inches
Image size: 4 7/8 x 7 3/8 inches
Signed, titled, dated, “EC Ball in background” and “(Abby Road)” in pencil on print verso
(P5374JC)
Jazz Dancer James “Jimmy” Berry, 1955
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Jazz Dancer James “Jimmy” Berry, 1955
Vintage gelatin silver print
Paper size: 11 x 14 inches
Image size: 9 3/16 x 11 1/2 inches
Artist copyright stamp in ink on print verso
(P5370JC)
Woven Textile, Pre-Columbian
Woven Textile, Pre-Columbian
16 7/8 x 16 7/8 inches
(P5482AFK)
Untitled (tree trunk), date unknown
COHEN, JOHN (1932 - 2019)
Untitled (tree trunk), date unknown
Ink drawing
Paper size: 13 3/4 x 11 inches
Nothing on print verso
(P5373JC)