Ethan Cook

Ethan Cook is a Brooklyn-based contemporary and process artist best known for his large-scale canvases of unmodulated color blocks that he partially weaves himself.[1] Cook creates work with the appearance of a traditional, nonobjective painting; however, his work does not contain any paint, only carefully woven fabric.[2][3] Cook's process work has been likened to the work of Abstract Expressionists Mark Rothko and Agnes Martin, and his art has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, Architectural Digest and Interview Magazine, among other publications.[4][5][1][6][7]

Ethan Cook
NationalityAmerican
Known forcontemporary art, abstract art, process art

Personal life

Cook and his partner, Wray Serna, divide their time between their Clinton Hill apartment and their country home in the Catskills.[6][8]

Bodies of work

Woven Canvases, 2012-ongoing

In 2012, Cook began his series of large-scale monochrome works on canvas with minimalist blocks of unmodulated color.[9] Each canvas is a hybrid product of both store-bought machine-made canvas but also canvas that Cook wove himself using a hand loom.[4] The duality of his process creates a dichotomy between craft and machine, perfection and imperfection, consistency and inconsistency and expansion and intimacy.[7][10] These works share the aesthetic of paintings, yet are not made from paint, instead exploring the quiet subtlety of fabric itself.[5][6] Cook celebrates the humble, traditional practice of weaving while also modernizing the technique through his use of scale, process and public exhibition.[9]

Devotional Objects, 2015

In this series, Cook fabricated large-scale relief sculptures from fiberglass of everyday objects. The artist found his inspiration from common bric-a-brac figurines—such as The Virgin Mary, cherubs and angels—that are culturally embedded with devotional significance.[1] Cook re-interprets often overlooked household tchotchkes by altering their scale and materiality and re-contexting them to an exhibition environment.[1][11][12]

Auction and exhibition history

Cook has a robust exhibition and auction history throughout the United States and Europe.[10] He has sold work at international auction houses Phillip's, Sotheby's and Christie's, and on the online auction platform, Artsy.[13][14] In 2014, Cook's handwoven works were featured in a group show at the Sadie Coles Gallery in London.[11] In 2019, the artist showed work at the annual Art Brussels fair in Belgium, a fair that spotlights unconventional process and materials.[15][16]

References
  1. Wilkinson, Isabel (2015-10-08). "Turning Tchotchkes Into Fine Art". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-09-20.
  2. "Most Wanted: Ethan Cook's Colorful Canvases". W Magazine | Women's Fashion & Celebrity News. Retrieved 2020-09-20.
  3. "Ethan Cook". Artspace. Retrieved 2020-09-20.
  4. Bacon, Alex (2014-04-02). "ETHAN COOK: Problem In Chair Not In Computer". The Brooklyn Rail. Retrieved 2020-09-20.
  5. "Review: Ethan Cook's paintings are not paintings. Or are they?". Los Angeles Times. 2018-07-31. Retrieved 2020-09-20.
  6. Gassmann, Gay. "Ethan Cook's Home Is Just as Vibrant as His Artwork". Architectural Digest. Retrieved 2020-09-20.
  7. "Ethan Cook Spins a Yarn". Interview Magazine. 2014-03-03. Retrieved 2020-09-20.
  8. Goodman, Wendy. "Inside an Airy, DIY Renovation in the Catskills". The Cut. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
  9. "Ethan Cook: Works for Sale, Upcoming Auctions & Past Results". Phillips. Retrieved 2020-09-20.
  10. "Ethan Cook | Widewalls". widewalls.ch. Retrieved 2020-09-20.
  11. "Ethan Cook, Sam Falls, Emanuel Röhss, Tris Vonna-Michell "T293-in-residence" at Sadie Coles HQ, London •". Mousse Magazine (in Italian). 2014-05-23. Retrieved 2020-09-20.
  12. "ETHAN COOK "FIELDS" — I DO ART". IDOART.DK (in Danish). Retrieved 2020-09-20.
  13. "Ethan Cook | artnet". artnet.com. Retrieved 2020-09-20.
  14. "Ethan Cook (B. 1983) , Untitled (Begin in one corner)". christies.com. Retrieved 2020-09-20.
  15. "Art Brussels Weaves a Spell as Galleries Cash in on the Textile and Tapestry Trend". Observer. 2019-04-26. Retrieved 2020-09-20.
  16. "INSIGHTS | SOLO presentations at Art Brussels 2019". artbrussels.com/en/. Retrieved 2020-09-20.
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