LEONARD COHEN: Global Icon: Review By Polly Guerin

Leonard Cohen 

INTRODUCING THE GLOBAL ICON, LEONARD COHEN. To those of you who are unfamiliar with the this multi-dimensional artist, Leonard Cohen (1934-2016) contributed a vast artistic achievement during his inspiring life. 

        He was a world renowned novelist, singer/songwriter and inspired generations of writers, artists and musicians. A charismatic man with extraordinary talent, he was a poet of the imperfection of the human condition, giving voice to what it truly means to be fully alert to the complexities and desires of both body and soul. For decades he tenaciously supplied the world with melancholy and urgent observations on the state of the human heart, in songs such as "Suzanne," "Bird on the Wire," and "Hallelujah."       With equal parts gravitas and grace, Cohen teased out a startlingly inventive and singular language, depicting both an exalted spirituality and an earthly sexuality. His interweaving of the sacred and the profane, of mystery and accessibility, was such a compelling combination it became seared in our collective memories. 
     A man of exceptional forward vision his life and his legacy is presented in a contemporary art
exhibition and tribute to the imagination  and legacy of  this global icon from Montreal, Canada.   

Listening to Leonard Cohen Music

 The breathtaking exhibition is on view at THE JEWISH MUSEUM through September 8, 2019 and organized by the Musee d'art Contemporain de Montreal (MAC).                          LEONARD COHEN: A CRACK IN EVERYTHING includes commissioned works by a range of international artists who have been inspired by Cohen's life, work and legacy, including Kara Blake, Candice Breitz, Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, Christophe Chassol, and many other notables. The exhibition also includes a video projection showcasing Cohen's own drawings, as well as an innovative multimedia gallery where visitors can hear covers of Cohen's songs by musicians such as Lou Doillon, Feist, Moby, The National with Sufjan Sevens, among others. Listening to Leonard Cohen music is a multimedia component with sound recordings of Cohen's compositions.
     Among the large scale, immersive works in the exhibition is Passing Through (2017) by
George Fok.  The work celebrates Cohen's singular voice, his music, his charismatic persona and hi inimitable stage presence.  Drawing on a vast archive of audiovisual material, Fok pays tribute to Cohen's monumental five-decade-long-career as a singer/songwriter and performer. Visitors
experience an extraordinary time-travel journey through a collage of collective memories, musical moments, and emotions that have enchanted generations of fans around the world. 

Don't miss Ari Folman's DEPRESSION CHAMBER (2017) which allows one visitor at a time into a darkened room, where they are confront by the demons of depression, a theme that can be traced throughout Cohen's body of work  After the visitor lies down, Cohen's "Famous Blue Raincoat" plays while the song's lyrics are projected on the walls, slowly morphing into letters and ions that symbolize Cohen's multifaceted thematic universe.
     There is brilliant entertainment here and many more artist installations inspired by Cohen's oeuvre. Several programs may interest including "Who Shall I Say is Calling?" A Night of Covers June 20 at 8 pm. From studying Kabbalah to infusing his songs with lyrics that incorporate Hebrew prayer, Cohen demonstrated  profound connection to his Jewish identity. Visit www.the jewishmuseum.org for registration details.
       Ta Ta Darlings!  This is by far out of the realm of the norm, such inspiration and nostalgia, plan to spend the day. Fan mail welcome at pollytalknyc@gmail.com. Visit-ha Polly's other Blogs
at www.pollytalk.com and click on the links to visionary men, women determined to succeed, fashion and even poetry in the left hand column.