Ian Cooper (artist) explained

Ian Cooper
Birth Place:New York City, U.S.
Years Active:2017–present

Ian Cooper (born 1978) is an American visual artist,[1] film producer, and academic,[2] best known for his collaborations[3] with Jordan Peele; he currently serves as creative director of Peele's Monkeypaw Productions.[4]

Career

Visual Art

Cooper has had solo exhibitions in galleries and museums throughout the United States and abroad. His "mixed-media sculptures"[5] have been written about in The New York Times,[6] Artforum,[7] among others. His work is held in the permanent collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art[8] and the Pérez Art Museum.[9]

Cooper's art has been described as "obsessed with the dark side of adolescence and with how the transition from youth to adulthood is acted out in a variety of aesthetic statements."[7] Cooper's sculptures of "institutionalized surfaces"[10] "filtered through the aesthetics of his 1980s childhood, pervert the forms and features of K-12."[10] Works have featured references to ballet barres,[5] institutional projection screens,[5] and a "penetrated matador's cape."[5] Writing about his work, Artforum critic Alex Javonovich stated that Cooper's sculptures are "sensuous yet sterile" and "frantic and batty."[11]

Cooper's artistic style can be seen reflected in his film work, and themes and elements from his exhibiting art career have appeared in his contributions to films, including ballet barres[5] in scenes from Jordan Peele's Us.

Film

In 2017, Cooper was brought on as the Creative Director[4] of Monkeypaw Productions, as well as becoming Jordan Peele's producing partner.[12] Since joining the company, Cooper has produced the following feature films: Peele's 2019's Us; Nia DaCosta's Candyman (2022); and Peele's 2022 film Nope.

Feature Films:

Us

During filming, Ian Cooper went to great lengths[13] to ensure key plot points weren't leaked early, in one instance telling passersby that the crew was filming a Verizon commercial.

Candyman

Cooper spoke highly about the unity of the cast and crew throughout the filming process.[14] Reviews of the film praised the writing,[15] directing,[16] and social critiques[17]

Nope

While few details have been released about Monkeypaw's latest film Nope, the teaser announcement[18] included a released date of July 22, 2022. It has been confirmed[19] that the cast will include Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, and Steven Yeun. Cooper is credited on the film as a producer.

Academia

Before entering the film world, Ian Cooper was on the sculpture faculty at New York University's Steinhardt School Department of Arts & Arts Professions from 2005 to 2017. Cooper also served as the lead faculty of the Senior Studio Program and was the program coordinator for the Senior Honors Studio program[20] across the first three years of its inception. During his tenure at NYU, Cooper co-created the NYU Curatorial Collaborative[2] which remains a capstone experience to the thesis program, as well as a cross-departmental program that unites a select group of curatorial graduate students from The Institute of Fine Art[21] with a group of jury-selected undergraduate visual artists from the Steinhardt Studio Art program. The initiative "fosters interdisciplinary teamwork that prepares both the artists and art historians for future projects in their respective fields"[22] and results in a series of exhibitions annually, held at the 80WSE Gallery.[23] Cooper also partnered with artist Sara Greenberger Rafferty to teach a Cartoon Logic course at Michigan's prestigious Ox-Bow School of Art.[24] [25]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ian Cooper | Artist Overview | MutualArt. www.mutualart.com.
  2. Web site: Senior Studio Program Coordinator. 29 September 2023.
  3. Web site: Following Oscar Nomination For 'Minari', Steven Yeun Eyes Jordan Peele's New Film At Universal. Justin. Kroll. April 1, 2021.
  4. Web site: Monkeypaw Productions. 2021-11-22. www.monkeypawproductions.com.
  5. Web site: IAN COOPER – OFF/OFF : HALSEY MCKAY GALLERY. 29 September 2023.
  6. News: ART IN REVIEW; 'The Worst of Gordon Pym Continued'. Roberta. Smith. The New York Times . November 16, 2001.
  7. Web site: Ian Cooper at CUE Art Foundation. www.artforum.com. May 4, 2005 .
  8. Web site: Whitney Museum of American Art. whitney.org.
  9. Web site: PAMM | Pérez Art Museum Miami. www.pamm.org.
  10. Web site: Halsey McKay Gallery. www.artforum.com. October 23, 2015 .
  11. Web site: Ian Cooper. Alex. Jovanovich. 23 October 2015. 29 September 2023.
  12. Web site: Ian Cooper. 2021-11-22. Produced By Conference. en-US.
  13. Web site: How Producers on 'Irishman,' 'Once Upon a Time' and 10 More Best Picture Contenders Overcame Their Biggest Challenges. T. H. R.. staff. . November 11, 2019.
  14. Web site: Candyman - Ian Cooper - producer. August 19, 2021 . www.youtube.com.
  15. "Candyman," Reviewed: A Sequel That Cuts Far Deeper Than the Original. August 26, 2021. The New Yorker.
  16. News: 'Candyman' Review: Who Can Take a Sunrise, Sprinkle It With Blood?. Manohla. Dargis. The New York Times . August 26, 2021.
  17. Web site: 'Candyman' Review: A Slasher Movie with a Sharper Social Edge Than the Original. Owen. Gleiberman. August 25, 2021.
  18. Web site: Jordan Peele Unveils Next Horror Film 'Nope' With Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer and Steven Yeun. July 22, 2021.
  19. Web site: Jordan Peele's next movie will be called 'Nope'. NBC News. July 22, 2021 .
  20. Web site: Mark Your Calendars! Upcoming Events at the IFA – IFAcontemporary. 29 September 2023.
  21. Web site: The Institute of Fine Arts, NYU. ifa.nyu.edu.
  22. Web site: Home . nyucuratorialcollaborative.org.
  23. Web site: 80WSE Gallery. 80WSE Gallery.
  24. Web site: Ox-Bow. Ox-Bow.
  25. Web site: 2016 Summer Catalog. squarespace.com. 29 September 2023.