ANDREW COOPER
NELIDA KALANJ
I
n her pastel “Nymph in Movement,” the Croatian artist Nelida Kalanj creates a faceless woman entangled in roots or other sinewy connectors that resemble, overall, an intricate neural network. Yet the union between the woman and her surroundings is seamless; the roots are a part or extension of the woman’s own body. The interconnections between humans and nature are an important sensitivity Kalanj explores in the many works she has undertaken over the past 25 years. In “Dancing Fishes,” the connection between human-made processes—in this case, art itself—and nature is even more apparent. Carrying the spontaneity of a sketch, it remains in the middle of the process of creation and at the same time is in a state of completion.
Public displays of Kalanj’s art have been numerous. Kalanj has had approximately 50 solo exhibitions and many group exhibitions throughout Europe and the world. Her highest honor may have come during the early 1990s when, as civil war raged in then Yugoslavia, Kalanj was called upon by the Presidency of Croatia’s Constitutional Court to exhibit her work for a gathering of foreign delegates. She was called upon by the presidency of Germany’s Constitutional Court to exhibit her work under their patronage. Kalanj lives and works in Rijeka in northwestern Croatia, the city in which she previously studied at the Academy of Fine Art. She is a member of the Croatian Association of Artists (the HDLU) and the Society of Artists in Croatia (LIKUM). Website: http://www.nelidaart.com
Between a Rock and a Place Print 60”x 36”
T
he apportionment of space and time are predominant factors in our ‘being’ and the disruption of these foundations impels us to question and seek to substantiate our presumed reference.”
Through the use of mind-bending sculptural installations, Andrew Cooper explores how the interplay of time and space affects our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. He tackles where reality begins and ends, and when illusion takes over our senses. The skewed perspectives of his concept art challenge our rationality and, in doing so, confront our preconceived notions of Truth. Cooper thereby impels us to examine not just our physical certainties, but also our socio-political discernment.
Having worked as a designer for public architectural works, Cooper grounds his installation art in firm lines, borders, and boxes. They exist as quarters to contain and realms to escape. Although the order provokes a feeling of confinement, intentional distortions suggest that there is always a way out if one is imaginative.
Increasingly, Cooper has turned to the human form in his art. The sculptures of people lend a more naturalistic aspect to his art. Although mainly monochromatic and rigid, the people help to create a narrative in their placement and poses. More so, they reflect our place in society.
The British artist’s work is a study of stark contrasts. Mainly working in a palette of black and white, he scrutinizes time and space; reality and illusion; physical and psychological; right and wrong; nature and technology; and public and private. Film, literature, music, and travel factor into Andrew Cooper’s thought-provoking installations.
Website: http://www.andrewcooper-ma.co.uk
Website: http://www.andrewcooper-ma.co.uk
Nymph in Movement Acrylic on Canvas 30”x 40”