Artists

Bio

Native New York street photographer Oren R. Cohen’s work is kind of a meditation. "When I go out shooting I never know what I'm looking for. I just try to clear my mind, release any pre-conceptions, and just walk and observe the world as it is. People tend to filter out so much in their day to day lives. We become so conditioned to see only what we expect that we miss out on most of what's really there. Shooting is really a spiritual experience for me where I try to open myself up to the world.”

Although most of Oren’s work revolves around New York City and its inhabitants, he initially developed an interest in street photography on trips to Latin America. “Traveling taught me to really observe. I came home seeing things in a whole new way, almost like seeing them for the first time.”

This naturally led to a growing passion for documenting the rich beauty and cultural diversity of his own city and its people. “I’ve been spending al lot of time walking around and shooting in New York’s Chinatown. City life has changed so much since the heyday of classic street photography. People used to spend a lot more time outdoors, living, socialising, playing, shopping. It seems like much of that has gone away. These days people spend much more time indoors, in front of television, or video games. It’s become harder for a street photographer. The immigrant neighborhoods of New York still have that buzzing street life so I tend to spend quite a bit of time there.”

Oren has studied photography at the International Center of Photography (ICP), the School of Visual Arts (SVA), and the Center for Photography at Woodstock, NY.