“…to be lost is to be fully present and to be fully present is to be capable of being in uncertainty and mystery”.
—Rebecca Solnit, A Field Guide to Getting Lost
Working within the realm of creative non-fiction, Cooper’s work engages the viewer on an intimate level (one-to-one)—not unlike the relationship between the author and her reader. Beneath the rubric of a specifically Canadian Nature, observations combine fieldwork and footwork moving from the amateur ornithologist, to the idea of north, to her most recent study involving the migratory habits of the retired. This interest in fieldwork has led Cooper to participate in many national and international artist residencies including: Kloster Bentlage in Rheine, Germany, Kala Art Institute in Berkeley, California, Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, The Frans Masereel Center in Kasterlee Belgium, Malaspina in Vancouver and St. Micheal’s Printshop in St. John’s, Newfoundland.
Cooper received her Master of Fine Arts from Cornell University in 2008, specializing in the disciplines of print, film and installation. She also holds a Bachelor of Fine Art and a Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University. She currently teaches in the print department at the Ontario College of Art and Design.
The following is a short excerpt from Cooper’s teaching philosophy:
What if?
I believe in the unexpected as a working methodology—an environment where creative actions are propelled by a confluence of “what ifs”. In this situation, each student is compelled by both the “possibility of” and the “potential for”. The class participates within conditions that support the unknown—an invigorating place where the unimaginable idea becomes the outcome, ideally a place where cross-pollination and engaging discussions happen naturally.