COOPER - WILD LIFE: GSTAAD

 Maddox is delighted to welcome the American artist Cooper to Gstaad for his second solo show, ‘Wild Life’, opening on July 15th 2023. Following the sell-out success of his debut exhibition in London, Cooper is taking his uniquely joyful depictions of everyday life to the picturesque Swiss resort. Encompassing 17 canvases, three drawings and a set of nine tondos, this new body of work is a fresh and playful take on a destination his audience knows well. 

No one approaches the genre of still-life quite like Cooper, who reimagines scenes of domesticity – a table laid for lunch, a picnic in the snow – and infuses them with an irrepressible sense of fun. With his shift in focus to Gstaad, the artist’s use of colour and pattern has become even more wild, joyous and free. Transporting the viewer to a blissful alternative universe that is alive with colour, he has expanded his kaleidoscopic palette with saturated yellows, pinks and oranges and explored a series of vibrant, new patterns that radiate positivity.    

Born and based in Indiana, Andrew Cooper, now widely known just as Cooper, moved to Miami straight out of art school after being headhunted by a record label. Determined to pursue a career in art, he relocated to Los Angeles, where his wildflower murals splashed on the side of buildings caught the eye of brands including Coach NY, Adidas and Vans, leading to a series of high-profile collaborations. Returning to his roots, in 2020 he moved back to Indiana to establish a studio where he could be completely free to create.  

Part of a new generation of exiting, new contemporary painters who are bringing everyday domesticity to high art, the objects in Cooper’s works represent the joy he finds in the minutiae of life. From vintage record players and speakers – a recurring theme in his work – and books piled high on pieces of mid-century furniture to the plants he surrounds himself with in his studio, his subject matter is always highly personal – an amalgamation of memories of the past, together with dreams and aspirations of the future.  

The profusion of books in Cooper’s studio are all art related, and during the creation of his ‘Wild Life’ paintings, they were a constant source of inspiration. The super-bright works of David Hockney; the childlike flow and energy of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s paintings; the rich tableaus of Hilary Pecis; Danny Fox’s wild interpretations of lived experiences – all helped shape Cooper’s vision for the exhibition.

Cooper made his debut with Maddox at its Westbourne Grove gallery in 2022. ‘Wild Life’ is his second solo show with Maddox.