John Cohen was an American photographer, filmmaker, and musician whose work grew from a deeply personal interest in artists, musicians, and traditional culture. Beginning in the 1950s, he chose to work outside commercial photography, focusing instead on subjects that held personal meaning for him. His photographic travels took him from New York’s creative circles to Appalachia and the Andes, where he documented traditional musicians and communities in their everyday environments.
Cohen’s photographs were exhibited widely, published in books with Steidl, and used on album covers and in film and television productions. His photographic practice also informed his work as a filmmaker and educator. In 1972, he founded the photography program at Purchase College, SUNY, where he taught for twenty-five years. His work is held in numerous public collections, and his photographic estate is represented by L. Parker Stephenson in New York.