Cohanim (2018-2019)

Judy Chicago created a series of 12 paintings on porcelain to honor Leonard Cohen, the influential singer-songwriter. In these paintings, Chicago interprets Cohen’s lyrics into accompanying images. The series title, Cohanim, references Leonard Cohen’s surname; Chicago’s shared birth name, Judith Sylvia Cohen; and the lineage of male Jewish Levitical priests collectively known as Cohanim.

“Leonard Cohen’s lyrics often seemed to perfectly express my feelings at various points in my life. Even now, whenever I hear one of his songs, I can remember where I was and what I was working on when I first heard the words, and I am also deeply moved by the rhythms that inform his music, perhaps because of our shared lineage. He is the grandson of a Talmudic scholar and I am descended from twenty-three generations of rabbis.” – Judy Chicago

Selected Work

Cohanim 01 12803 Cohanim DSC06048 Cohanim 02 12717 Famous Blue Raincoat DSC06067 Cohanim 04 12718 Burning Violin DSC06057 Cohanim 06 12716 Bird on a Wire 2 DSC06071 Cohanim 07 12721 Anthem DSC06061 Cohanim 09 12041 Dress Rehearsal Rag DSC06065 Cohanim 10 12802 Farewell to Leonard Cohen DSC06070

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