As part of NEIU, the small art gallery outside of the Fine Arts wing has often been known to showcase student works of art. Be they perfectly placed upon pedestals, or delicately mounted on the walls of the gallery, the process of creating art is often a mystery to gallery visitors.
With the temporary residence of artist Barbara Cooper, students have been exposed to the time consuming and tedious process that is involved in forming and creating priceless art. By working on site, Cooper not only provides exposure to the formation of her artwork; she also leaves herself open for, and encourages, interaction with students.
Entitled Current, Barbara Cooper’s piece is constructed of wood veneer scraps. Having worked with the medium for nearly 20 years, she continues to use wood veneer because of its cycle through nature and society.
It is born as an organic substance, moves through the industry as a product for the consumer, exits the industrial world as a waste product where Cooper obtains it, and is transformed into a “sustenance for the next generation of life.”
Current’s flowing and winding aesthetics reflect the mission statement of the piece’s soon-to-be permanent residence, Read. Learn. Discover. This motto is visually represented with loose lines, fluid curving layers, and a gradually ascending shape.
Following Cooper’s gallery opening at NEIU on Friday, Nov. 17, Current will be separated into two pieces and transported to the south side of Chicago, where it will be displayed in the Avalon Public Library. The massive piece of art, over 10 feet in length, will be suspended from the ceiling of the library’s main corridor by stainless steel cables.
Cooper is especially enthusiastic about this particular piece of art and opportunity to display the process, as well as the final installation, because she recognizes it as an aid to “understanding where we have been and where we might go.”
To view Current, visit Avalon Public Library, located at 8148 S. Stony Island. For more information about Barbara Cooper and her art form, log on to the artist link at www.fassbendergallery.com.