FeedMeCoolShit.com » Kim Cogan

Kim Cogan

Let us introduce you to San Francisco, USA based Kim Cogan. Exceptional painter with the skills to go very far indeed. Kim Cogan’s refined oil paintings capture contemporary life in all its beauty. Using minimal brush strokes and a highly recognizable palette Kim’s style speaks ease well beyond his years.

Site: www.kimcogan.com

FMCS: Hi Kim how’s things?

Things are great, very busy though. Not enough hours in a day to do everything.

FMCS: Please tell us a little bit about yourself Kim? How did mom and dad Cogan bring you up? And where you a BMX, Skateboard kid or plain old plasticine kid?

I was born in Pusan, Korea in 1977, and moved to the states at a young age. I am fortunate to have such great parents, who have been supportive along the whole way.

I was a bit of all of the above, I thought I was a skateboard kid until I fell flat on my face, I rode bmx and made jumps. My drawings and creativity always shined through the rest of my interest though. People would tell me I was to become this great artist, before I could even understand what the word meant.

Naturally I grew into those shoes and became an artist. I don’t know about being called great…but maybe I can come close to that if I work hard.

FMCS: Where are you currently living? And do you work out of the same location?

Like all artist, I live in a golden palace, you take an old freight elevator to get to a huge open studio on the top floor which looks over the city. Yeh sure, I live and work humbly in a small San Francisco apartment, with a room setup as a studio. The studio has a mind of its own, and has decided to gradually take over every nook and cranny.

FMCS: What / who / thing kicked off your interest in art?

Art museums, cartoons, comic books, superman, dinosaurs, transformers, writing graffiti, illustration, all of this stuff sorta had it’s impact on me.

FMCS: Tell us about the feelings behind your art? Especially the beautiful San Francisco paintings!

San Francisco is such a unique city with so many different moods. It has always been a big part of my life and I wanted to try to capture the city by characteristics which are distinctively San Francisco, yet omitting everything that is iconic. I’m trying to flip it and do something different with what has been done before.

FMCS: Are you exhibiting at the moment? Where can we see you? Also do you plan to exhibit more internationally?

You can view my artwork at www.kimcogan.com. Currently, I am preparing for a solo exhibition at The White Walls Gallery.

May 4th, 2006 - June 8th,2006

The White Walls Gallery
835 Larkin
San Francisco, CA
www.whitewallssf.com

For now I would like to not get to far ahead of myself, but within time due I hope to exhibit more elsewhere and internationally.

FMCS: How do you find people respond to your work?

So far so good. Somehow people relate my work alot with photorealism. However I don’t make that connection.

Photorealism has a slickness to conceal it was created with paint by an artists hand, whereas I embellish the properties of paint, it is tactile, has texture, richness, it drips and has stinky fumes.

FMCS: Can you dance? Does this have a hypnotic effect on the opposite sex when you do so? If so can you tell us how you move like that you tiger?

I would like to think I can get down, that my rhythmic moves are as graceful as an angel walking through heaven, which leaves the opposite sex dazzled like a deer in front of a cars headlights, but my girlfriend would probably beg the differ and prefers me not to unleash my secret power moves.

FMCS: What have you planned next for the Kim Cogan art movement?

As far as the paintings go, I have a few tricks and surprises up my sleeves. I am always trying new approaches. As far as the shows go, I have the solo coming up in May, and will be in a few group shows later on this year.

FMCS: Kim tell us what pushes your buttons?

Like anyone I dislike war, crime, poverty, injustice, but the one thing I absolutely hate with all my heart and guts, would have to be buzzing, biting, mosquitoes in the night. Turn on the light and they vanish. They won’t kill you, they just irritate the living hell out of you, on the one night when you want a peaceful rest and have to wake up early in the morning.

I just imagine those little flying parasites flying off from feasting on you from head to toe, chuckling with full fat little bellies as they leave you with the itchies. Damn mosquitoes, I hate you, I hate you, you little mofo’s.!

FMCS: How do you kick back and relax when you are not working? Pipe, cigar pancakes?

Creating art hardly feels like work, however the business end is a lot of hustle. To relax I enjoy spending time with my girlfriend, drinking coffee in the morning in peace, checking the surf or am out surfing at Ocean Beach, making friends with sea animals.

FMCS: Let us know your favorite top 5 artists?

That is a tough question. I have so many picks from different movements or isms. I look a lot at abstract painters, as well as academic painters. I might gain a lot of inspiration looking at impressionists and what they did with color and abstract artists for how they handled paint and composition.