Lynne Cohen

Lynne Cohen (July 3, 1944 – May 12, 2014) was an American-Canadian photographer.

Born in Racine, Wisconsin, Cohen was educated in printmaking and sculpture at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, and in Ann Arbor and Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan. She studied for a year at the Slade School of Fine Art in London.

Cohen lived and worked in Canada since 1973, initially in Ottawa, and in Montreal since 2005.

She taught and provided workshops at several institutions, primarily Eastern Michigan University (1968-1973), Algonquin College (1973-1975), and the University of Ottawa (1974-2005). Cohen has exhibited widely and held artist's residencies across North America and Europe.

In 2005, she was the recipient of the Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts.

Cohen was known for her photographs of domestic and institutional interior spaces, which have included living rooms, public halls, retirement homes, laboratories, offices, showrooms, shooting ranges, factories, spas, and military installations. Despite this interest in living and working spaces, Cohen's photographs are usually devoid of human presence. She photographed using an 8 x 10" view camera, allowing her to capture great detail, and create very large prints. Her work has been published in catalogues such as Occupied Territory (1987) and No Man's Land (2001).

Lynne Cohen died of lung cancer at the age of 69 on May 12, 2014, in the palliative care unit at McGill University Health Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. In accordance with her personal wishes, no funeral service was held.

• 2016: Almas Gemelas. Museo Universidad de Navarra in Pamplona, Spain.
• 2012: Lynne Cohen: Nothing Is Hidden. Design Exchange, Toronto
• 2011: The Rencontres d'Arles Discovery Award laureate. France.
• 2006: Camouflage, Aalst, Ottawa, Toronto, Frankfurt
• 2002: No Man's Land. National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa.
• 1990: Living Evidence: Lynne Cohen, Roger Mertin. Presentation House Gallery, Vancouver