Today we’d like to introduce you to Diane Cooper.
Diane, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
There have been 3 major events in my artistic life. I had 3 children in 4 years and out of a need for diversion took a drawing class which changed my life. I lived in Japan for 5 years and was very influenced by the Japanese aesthetic. Their appreciation for the imperfect, uneven, and time-worn and their tradition of layering, tying and wrapping in everyday life both in clothing and presentation became part of my art. I was fortunate to become an artist at Jean Albano Gallery and have been one of her featured artists at Sofa Chicago for more than 20 years. My work is often displayed in her gallery.
Has it been a smooth road?
As an artist, you are always experimenting and there are times when you have worked long and hard on a project that isn’t successful. You do learn to move on. Rejection is not uncommon for most artists.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Diane Cooper – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I have worked in mixed media for a long time. About 25 years ago, I began making 12-inch square wall pieces which had no correlation to each other, and liked the idea that each was a piece in itself, but hung together they created a dialogue. I have shown as many as 50 together and they can be hung at random or they can be arranged. I think I may be one of the first artists to do this and now there are many. People liked creating their own work of art by choosing and putting together their favorites.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I have been very lucky to have found people who appreciated my art and also purchased my art. What I do is neither traditional nor contemporary. I began the mixed media and textile work thinking that no one would be interested and I was pleasantly surprised.
Contact Info:
- Address: 680 Lake Shore Drive #1006
Chicago, IL 60611 - Website: dianecooper.org
- Phone: 312-280-8746
- Email: dianecooper2@mac.com
Image Credit:
Tom Van Eynde
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