Randy Cooper
Sculpture
Randy Cooper comes from a family of artists. His mother was a master carver of birds and gunstocks, and one of his sisters is an accomplished painter, sculptor, and author, but it wasn’t until Randy was nearly 50 that he discovered his own penchant for art. His first experience with art education was taking a 6-week course with sculptor Wren Prather-Stroud, and he attended a week-long course with Tuck Langland at the Scottsdale Artists’ School. After working successfully with clay, artificial stone, and bronze, Cooper began to craft intriguing and magical sculptures in wire mesh. Each piece of “shadow sculpture” (forms created in wire screen that cast shadows on the wall) is uniquely created. Randy eschews molds to do all his work with his hands and a few simple, handmade tools. When lit from a light source, the shadows sometimes show more details than the sculpture itself. Cooper’s ability to see the subtleties in the human form makes his work truly stand out. Randy Cooper is a force to be reckoned with amongst America’s contemporary artists. His shadow sculptures have been sweeping the art world for the past few years and highlight countless private collections worldwide.