...Actually, he is a Korean Buddhist monk, and he is called only by his title, Sunim, which means teacher.* Arthur Cohen knows him by no other name.

The two met one night almost a year ago. A friend of Arthur's son had had a little bit too much to drink, and found himself in a bad way, late at night and alone on the street in Soho. Sunim had come to his aid, as Arthur tells it, "like the Lone Ranger," and brought him to the safe haven of Arthur's nearby loft. Soon, Arthur's son was visiting with Sunim regularly, and Arthur himself was intrigued. Read the artist's account

At the time, Arthur was making comedic paintings about his struggle to get his 'aging' body into shape, in a follow-up exploration of the themes he developed in "The Avenger," his last solo show with Jack the Pelican, in 2005. In these works and in the gallery, you'll have the opportunity to see the husky climbing rope that he bolted to his studio ceiling and use to measure and dramatize his painful efforts at getting fit.

You'll also get to see gorgeous portrayals of Sunim.



We all have the son to thank for that. Not long after he began to bond with Sunim, he began telling him about the work. The monk was intrigued, and asked to pay him a studio visit.

Sunim is in great shape. Long daily walks and yoga see to that. And, when he entered the studio, he asked to have a go at the rope. It goes without saying that he was a natural, perfectly at home; and he put Arthur to shame.

One climbed, then the other. Things were beginning to get interesting. Soon, the New York Jewish artist (devoted to Borscht Belt humor) and the Korean monk (with a preferencs for koans) were playing together regularly, and Arthur asked Sunim if he could document it all. The result is these monumental paintings on display at Jack the Pelican.

On one level, this show, entitled "Now What?," is the coming together of two very interesting men from two very different back grounds, both 'teachers, in their respective fields. It is fascinating to see them learn from each other.

On another level, not to be taken for granted, it is the mastery and accomplishment of an artist who has been struggling with the intricacies of painting for 35 years, since he first appeared in the Whitney Biennial in 1973, to make a truly great painting.

Bravo to Arthur Cohen! He's done it. The paintings are breathtaking and brutally honest. Come see them and you will not be disappointed.