About Laura

photo by Marisa Aragona

Laura Cohen is a photographer, choreographer, educator, performer, and poet, who often incorporates chance operations into a diverse artistic practice.

Photography 

As a photographer, Laura travels extensively to capture "happy accidents" through surrealist double exposures. These incidental parings result from years of using a Canon AE-1, a film camera their mother received as a college graduation gift in 1978.

Dance and Choreography 

Laura's dance compositions rely heavily on improvisation and collaboration to produce choreography for dance films and solo work. After gathering local musicians to improvise and record the score, she then either choses to control or collaborate on the editing process. This helps to shape the footage into surrealist sequences that supersede distinct narrative with visually absorbing atmosphere.

Music

Through improvisational performances with SPOOOKY BOOOGIE, their involvement with performative pop art band Dingbat Superminx, and acting as an organizer of fundraisers for mutual aid, Laura is highly active in the Bay Area DIY music scene. 

Other Arts Involvement 

Laura is constantly expanding an already broad skill set to include neon bending, ikebana, traditional Japanese embroidery, shibori, and taxidermy. As an original member of the AVER Art Collective they frequently collaborate with other artists on films, installations, and other projects. Sometimes Laura may be spotted around San Francisco with a typewriter, advertising free poems to those who pass by.