Nancy Cohen at Kouros Gallery by Rachel Selekman, The New Art Examiner, October 1998 Nancy Cohen's sculptures perpetuate a rich history of found object and assemblage art; however, they are subtle and subversive compared to the work of some of her predecessors like Marcel Duchamp and Edward Kienholz. The found objects she uses are mainly culled from the domestic arena and rather than being totally exposed they are partially hidden underneath taut abaca paper sheaths. The work also has a strong relationship to the more recent development of biomorphic abstraction which is associated with many contemporary women artists such as Phoebe Adams, Petah Coyne, and Mia Westerlund-Roosen. Silverware, kitchen utensils, and broken glassware are the found materials the Cohen uses predominantly. These materials are manipulated so that oval and circular forms prevail. Loops made of bent silverware serve as the framework for Chain Mail and Constituents while the natural curves of serving spoons and the roundness of broken wine glasses (both the base with the stem broken off and the cup part are utilized) make up the form of Bust. Grouped together, these round elements are used to build organic forms that resemble protective shields or wombs and other bodily manifestations which reinforce the feminine interest her selection of objects suggests. As a whole, strength of form and fragility of means imbue Cohen's sculpture with a presence of gritty elegance that breathes with life.