International Sculpture Center

Unit of Study V.
Nancy Cohen - A Collaboration Between Forms


Nancy Cohen, Complements, 1998, glass, epoxy, rubber, wax, 30" x 12" x 21", Courtesy of the artist.

"I make abstract sculpture intended to evoke emotion through references to human experiences and relationships. The work often starts from a collection of found and constructed objects rich in cultural, associative, or symbolic meaning… materials and objects become elements which function for me like a cast of characters for an unwritten play. I juxtapose and modify them, working intuitively in process to explore tensions, sympathies, and contradictions."

Nancy Cohen, Artist
September 1996 through February 1997
Exhibition Catalogue, Grounds For Sculpture

New Jersey sculptor Nancy Cohen received her art education at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine, Rochester Institute of Technology and Columbia University in New York. Cohen has been the recipient of three New Jersey State Council on the Arts Fellowships, as well as one from Rutgers University for Innovative Printmaking, and a Pollock-Krasner Foundation grant. Cohen's work is represented in New Jersey collections including the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton, Jane Vorhees Zimmerli Museum in New Brunswick, and the Jersey City Museum in Jersey City. Her work has also been exhibited in galleries, colleges, public buildings, Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City, and other venues on the East Coast.


Students' prepare to make their individual and collaborative sculptures in the out-of-doors.

Unit Overview

This unit of study incorporates the dynamic confluence of found, human-engineered and natural objects as seen in the work of New Jersey artist Nancy Cohen. Students examine the apparent contradictions suggested by Cohen as she juxtaposes manufactured with natural objects. Students explore the use of found objects both natural and human-engineered in order to create works of art. Students explore how the siting of a sculpture can enhance or contradict the aesthetics of the piece. Students will focus their attention to why a particular site elicits a particular aesthetic response from them.


Students' found-object sculptures in the out-of-doors.

Unit of Study V.
Nancy Cohen - A Collaboration Between Forms
Unit Overview | Lesson 1 | Assessment Rubric 1
Lesson 2 | Assessment Rubric 2 | Extensions


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About the Curriculum | Units of Study | Field Trip Activity | Resources
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Studying Contemporary Sculpture | Public Relations
Reference Chart for Standards |
Extension Activities | Standards
Forming School Partnerships | Acknowledgements | Meet the Team
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