Ethan Cook

Ethan Cook’s sewn and woven works use repetition to explore how failure might be more of a symbiotic accompaniment to perfection. He weaves his own canvas on a loom, and juxtaposes it against store-bought canvas in abstract arrangements. Using simple geometric shapes and a muted, limited color palate, his works are nourished by structural simplicity. The snags and inconsistencies allow these works to reach beyond the tropes of Modernism. Recurring identical compositions redefine the abstract picture plane and link it to time rather than conceptual vigor. He also makes sculpture that similarly addresses the aesthetic worth of execution over function or design. Cook seeks to have his materials perform upon the picture plane rather than rely upon his intervention for activation.

Cook has exhibited at National Museum of Capodimonte, Naples, Italy, Chelsea Art Museum, New York, and the Brucennial 2012 in New York. He shows regularly at international galleries as well.