Half Truth

Alex Bradley Cohen

September 10 - October 8, 2016

Most of us find it difficult to conceive of truth without its polar opposite looming brightly. We end up with little finesse or nuance in differentiation. Alex Bradley Cohen is not dispersing falsehoods. His half-assertion is simply the result of transition. Not yet complete. Multiplicity. These new paintings explore stages but they are pushed into one field of vision. Rendered likenesses based on visual observation despite the simple colors and bold broad strokes. The transitions are not simply the next thing. They are made of entirely different stuff. Spirit guides and avatars are not the result of straightforward maturity.

Alex comes off like his painting. So simple and breezy that we may dimly assume naïveté. That’s the realest thing, Alex favors that lightness in facing difficulty. Still looks dead on. Still conjures an open smile. Still carries that crisp freshness no matter the dark and bitter tones along the way. He is looking at what is in front of his eyes, comparing to his imagined image, then offers both for our eyes. Vulnerable and disarming because, let’s face it, few of us are so clear about the half of our worldview that we’re making up. So, no, the other half of his half truth is most decidedly NOT false.

Colorful, Abstract and Good-Natured Painting by Kerry Cardoza for Newcity