Daniel Allen Cohen, AKA @thisisaddictive is a Los Angeles-based emerging artist whose work depicts an oft tongue-in-cheek commentary on American youth culture. Cohen combines painting, wood, acrylic, metal work, graphic design and digital art to convey his fiction or factual-based narratives. Cohen versatility as an artists pushed him to experiment with color-changing paints and transferring inks from paper to the surface of his art pieces. Cohen sees that there’s still uncharted territories which drives the possibility of doing something that hasn’t been done before.
“If I have evoked happiness and created a channel for someone to enjoy their environment, I consider my job done. Being an artist isn’t about economics for me, which is why my logo is a reversed dollar sign. It’s about putting a smile on someone’s face.
I’m not a violent person, but let’s be real—who doesn’t like weapons? There’s something gratifying about the taboo. We’re inherently attracted to the forbidden fruit. Ultimately, the power in crafting a narrative—fictitious or factual—motivates me to create. In many cases, my work is an answer to, ‘What if?’ What if Mickey and Minnie were legitimate people today? They’d be Dom drinking, Louis Vuitton dotting heirs of an empire. That’s how the Ritzy series was conceived.
I try to find methods and materials that provide a unique depiction. This notion led me to experiment with color-changing paints and transferring ink. I suppose I like to think that there are still uncharted territories and I’m driven by the possibility of doing something that hasn’t been done before. When it comes to medium, I’m constantly trying to push past the canvas. As a result, I incorporate paint, wood and metal work, acrylic, graphic design, airbrushing, digital art, and technical machinery in my pieces.”
-Daniel Allen Cohen
