Looking at the distorted naked bodies of people and animals, covered with mucus, it is difficult to understand the true purpose of the work. Monica Cook… Her work evokes an ambiguous reaction from the public: some enthusiastically follow the constant updating of collections, while others cannot endure a cursory look at paintings, sculptures or photographs.
Monica Cook was born in the USA (Georgia), in 1974. In 1996, she received her BA in Painting from Savannah. Later, Monica graduated from the High School of Fine Arts in New York, where she currently works.
“I think I’ve always been curious, from the things that have caught my attention for a long time to those that were difficult at first to figure out. questions". Monica looks at the real world with genuine childish curiosity, which in this case cannot be compared with naivety. "The desire to learn something new motivates me, helps me to comprehend new things. The more I learn, the more questions I have. The longer I do art, the further I delve into my roots and childhood. It does not matter whether I comprehend art or life itself, for me these are two of the most sacred places where I can be as honest as possible."
With the help of introspection, Monica is able to create works of art related to the inner essence of a person, while containing many extraneous impulses. "It definitely has to do with the personality of the person, but I would like to talk about the struggle that we all feel within ourselves. This is the struggle of true nobility and resilience against the selfish needs of people, the pursuit of personal goals." Her paintings, sketches and frame-by-frame animations can open your eyes to everything that makes a person a person, but, unfortunately, this sight is not always pleasant.
Some details of the paintings, at first glance, seem slightly surreal, but after a detailed visual analysis, they begin to be taken literally. Drawing primitive reality, Monica opens people's eyes to natural impulses hidden behind human emotions, as well as the ways of their physical expression: in every drop of sweat or saliva, trembling lips or glass gaze.
"While painting, I enter into a relationship with the object. It is very difficult to isolate myself from past experiences and create something new. When a sketch appears in the picture, say, a fish or an octopus, I begin to refine the details until the object will become unfamiliar to me when I can see it in a new light People would like my work to be more understandable, easier to read, but I have a completely different goal, which is to find something magical in worldly life and explore it's further, much deeper."
Judging by the way Monica's work affects the audience, her work can undoubtedly be called a part of art. Looking at one of her paintings, which depicts three women with juicy pieces of watermelon in their hands, it is difficult to understand whether their facial expressions are a symbol of pure, not fake joy, or if it is a grotesque of hedonic greed. The contradictory nature of the works is a confirmation of Monica's talent. She creates polemical pictures, distorting things that are innocent in their original appearance and turning them into defiant works of art.
Monica exposes such aspects of human nature that it is customary not to put on display, and sometimes to carefully hide and keep under constant control. Even she is confused by these feelings, hence the desire to work alone. “I can be both relaxed and shy. Many people look at my work and cannot understand how they came to be. The answer is very simple - we are all too different. I would not want to work with someone in the same room. Moreover, I even find it difficult to imagine. It will take me a long time to come to terms with the situation and feel more comfortable. The creative process is a personal idea that should be hidden from prying eyes."
You can continue your acquaintance with the scandalous artists of our time by watching a series of eccentric portraits by Lilia Mazurkevich
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