Justin Cooper: Paranormaldise

Justin Cooper is predominantly known for his off-the-wall performances that psychologically challenge both the players’ and viewers’ endurance, as in his first solo show at moniquemeloche in 2006 or more recently during Art Basel Miami in-and-around the pool at the National Hotel in South Beach. However, a long-standing interest in sculpture and drawing has pervaded Cooper’s performances often resulting in dimensional objects that balance between the natural and the manmade. For his 2008 solo show THREAD in Gallery 400 at the University of Illinois Chicago, Cooper used 1 mile of garden hose to create a site-specific installation that functioned as both a drawing in space as well as a set for opening and closing performances. In Paranormaldise, Cooper presents a series of sculptures manipulating mostly ready-made materials from familiar places like Home Depot or the Party Store. As the artist states, his new sculptures spring Athena-esque from a cubicle-constructed notion that investigates the delicate line between vacation and hallucination.