Alan B. Cohen
Assemblage
Driftwood and junk assemblage
Directions to Studio #21 at 211 White Tail, The Sea Ranch. From Hwy 1: east on Halcyon, north on Deer Trail, west on White Tail.
Studio Hours:
Tour Dates Aug 29-30 & Sept. 5-6
11 am to 5 pm
Closed on Labor Day
My studio is also open year-round by appointment
No public restrooms.
As a Sonoma County based Architect/ Builder for over 40 years Alan B. Cohen has always been attracted to contrasts; new vs. old, rough next to smooth. In his architectural work Alan often incorporated salvaged objects in new buildings, finding that it added character.
His sculptural art fabrications are informed by that aesthetic and start with driftwood, shells, rope, fiberglass, and flotsam & jetsam he finds washed up on Sonoma and Mendocino County beaches. These objects generally speak to him about a direction or suggest an idea. He then transforms these materials in his Sea Ranch or Healdsburg shop. He adds old fishing tackle, rusted wire, vintage tools, brushes, and other up-cycled objects to create birds, ocean creatures, masks and abstract pieces. Some parts are often left rough and unfinished with others sanded and oiled or painted. Some pieces are simple and elegant, others whimsical and fantastical. Over time Alan has added upcycled vintage junk and welded assemblages to his repertoire. Many pieces are mounted on bases of driftwood or live edge slabs milled from local urban trees lost to development. He also utilizes hardwood slabs inherited from his father that were purchased in the 1960’s at sawmills in NJ and Pennsylvania.
Growing up in Princeton NJ, Alan was surrounded by arts and crafts. His father made fine wood furniture influenced by George Nakashima and large mosaic-tile art pieces. His mother was a prolific sculptor producing abstract and figurative pieces in stone, bronze and wood. He built models, was the cartoonist for his high school newspaper and a yearbook photographer. While at the University of Michigan Architecture School Alan worked in construction. Alan’s wife is an accomplished painter and sculptor whose work has been featured in Healdsburg galleries. Since designing and building a home and studio in The Sea Ranch in 2022, Alan has pursued driftwood art fabrications in earnest.
Alan’s fabrications can be found at the Discover Gallery in Gualala, Den Modern in Mendocino, Oli Gallery in Guerneville, the Gallery at Marina Square in Morro Bay, Healdsburg Center for the Arts in Healdsburg, and The Modern Antiquarium in Healdsburg. Alan also participates in Sonoma County Art Trails Open Studio program in October. He was a featured artist in the Winter 2025 Issue of Mark Makers Quarterly. His work can be viewed on his Instagram account: @abcohendriftwood