Jay Wolf Schlossberg-Cohen records a moment in our life not just as a single occurrence, but as the moments of our journeys through time and space. His versatility as an artist enables him to execute his skill in countless mediums. These mediums enable Jay to pursue a unique depth, color and texture matched with his "trademark" cut-out and layering technique.
MEDIUM Jay's acrylic works show their vibrancy, luster and texture. In fact, he continues to rely on paints available from only one company based in New York City. Combined with his distinct layered, cut-out technique, his acrylic paintings come to life whether on canvas or paper. When you view a Schlossberg-Cohen acrylic you see a rich palette of the primary colors. more | top
A recent endeavor for Jay has been to explore his cut-out technique with ceramic. The ceramic work shown here was part of a larger process Jay has developed when working with students, groups and the public. more | top
Outdoor and large mural installations requires Jay to work with more "household" paints. The sheer size of the installations as well as the need for a "resistance to the elements" requires that Jay match his technique and skills to the durability of the paint. Typically he paints with a enamel/latex when working with bricks. more | top
Of all of Jay's mediums glass empowers his works with the element of the unknown and that of nature. Each new day makes the work different from the day before. Dichroic or clear, Schlossberg-Cohen's glass installations incorporate a room's personality or a building's architecture matched with the dynamic of light.
Like his acrylic paintings, the glass installation is a layered cut-out work. While his initial glass works relied on lead, his current glass technique avoids using lead. The layered glass is lamenated with a bond that strengthens over time with a UV light source.
Jay has to anticipate the effect that a morning's sun, an evening's moon or internal lighting will have on the completed work. The sheer beauty of his current installations - Denver's Hebrew Educational Alliance and San Francisco's Sha'ar Zhava Synagogues - guides the viewer to a higher and more mystical plane. more | top
Paper has always been a mainstay for Jay. Classically, Jay's works begin with small studies on paper - his artist notes and sketches. These 4 x 6 archival sheets act as the basis for his larger works - acrylics, glass, enamel etc. With paper, Jay applies watercolors to his small pen and ink studies and acrylics to his larger works. Prior to preferring canvas, Schlossberg-Cohen created larger works on paper for a group of performers and landscapes including President Clinton on Saxophone, Willie Nelson in concert and Eilat by the Sea. more | top
Jay's pen and inks are part of his "research" process. Because each of his subjects is full of color, Schlossberg-Cohen makes a point to add a visual reference to each study using watercolor paints. The watercolors, while primarily used as small studies, become the foundation for all of his final works. He has early works which demonstrate his skill in watercolor. more | top
CATEGORY Since the mid '80s, Jay Wolf Schlossberg-Cohen's unique storytelling and fine art abilities have been enjoyed by private and public art collectors, corporations and organizations. When commissioned, Jay tirelessly works with the collector to tie in his style and technique with the history, the current vision and the hopes for the future. His commissions are celebrations of living. His United States commissions include the 12 layered glass window series called The Witkin Windows, acrylic cut out paintings for Johns Hopkins Hospital and The Los Angles Philharmonic, and a 42 ft x 9 ft, canvas cut-out mural for Denver's Gelato d' Italia. more | top
While Schlossberg-Cohen has spent a lifetime in the arts, he had very little formal training in fine art until his late teens and early twenties. His experiences as a Freshman at the Maryland Institue of Art and one summer at the Art Students League in New York City enabled Jay to explore classical painting techniques. Unlike other fine artists today, Jay's technical skills and sense of composition is a function of his mastering of the classical approach to fine art.
"Spiritual Geography" is how Jay likes to describe his landscape paintings. While there are areas that the collector might be familiar with, the geography is not any one specific location. Rather Jay layers together his observations of the land -from rolling western clouds to pinon bushes in New Mexico; from lush Pennsylvania farms to the bustling cities in Europe, The Middle East and the United States. He brings a 360 degree perspective to each painting.
Initiated from his pen and inks and watercolor studies, Schlossberg-Cohen combines many elements into his floaters, acrylic cut-outs on paper and his acrylic cut-outs on canvas. more | top
From his earliest artistic inkling, Jay has been involved with performers - dancers, musicians, actors and conductors. Raised in a family where both parents and all siblings were actors and musicians, Schlossberg-Cohen captures the motion, passion and enthusiasm that each performer brings to the audience. Sit by Jay during a concert and you will be amazed at the various pen and ink studies he creates for his next painting. more | top
As an advocate for the fine arts, Jay has created a group of works that are on public display year round. These works are his own creations for national parks, like the Mojave National and Joshua Tree National Parks series, to venues like The Maryland Million race. From national airports to publicly traded companies Wolf Schlossberg--Cohen's installations are dynamic and compel the viewer to dig beyond the primary colors. Jay also has found time to organize and work with not-for-profit groups on outdoor and indoor mural installations. more | top
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