Garden of Wonders | David Cohen

August 1 – 31, 2025 | camas Gallery

RECEPTION: FRIDAY, August 1, FROM 5:30 – 7:30 P.M.
Welcome and artist introductions at 6:00 P.M

Gardens and arboretums have always fascinated me – from small, well-loved, backyard efforts, to  amazing formal gardens like Jardin des Plantes in Paris – all of these are places of mystery and awe for  me. Whether experiencing the magic of seed-to-flower transformations, or exploring the almost  unimaginable forms and structures of the plants themselves, or the discovery of unknown creatures who  inhabit these worlds, there was always something that drew me to these places. Over the millennia,  gardens have always been a place where people connect with nature in both a cooperative and mutually  interactive kind of dance – learning and supporting one another in ways that just don’t happen anywhere  else. Interestingly, after many decades of not making art, it was my stumbling upon the early botanical  etchings of mostly unknown artists that inspired me to begin this pathway that I could never have  imagined.  

It is also important to share that butterflies have always been part of my life – I was an avid tracker/ releaser from an early age, with the many un-bulldozed suburban lots as my hunting grounds. There I sat  hour after hour in the bush, alone with my butterfly net and glass holding jar with punctured-metal top  in hand, keeping an eagle eye out for exotic creatures who flitted in my general vicinity. The excitement  of the hunt as well as the chance to examine these amazing creatures up close was the ultimate  stimulation for my curious mind.  

In making explorations of the natural world the major focus of my art, I am also trying to elevate its  symbolic importance – something that artists have been doing since the first days that they began to  leave images behind. The recent “mosaic” paintings are my attempt at celebrating nature’s beauty and  mystery, conjuring up symbols for reverence as the ancient Romans did when they created their  incredible nature-focused objects and mosaic floor designs. This also aligns with my strong interest in  unearthing how we came to see the world as we do today and the many ideas and events that shaped us  along the way.