In Variation explores the boundary between minimalism and conceptual abstraction, creating a refined dialogue between painting, materiality, photographic collage, and space. Cooper’s large-scale compositions are defined by a restrained palette of natural linen, black, white, and tan—an homage to materiality and subtle tonal variation. The muted color scheme underscores the raw, unmediated essence of her materials, emphasizing the tactile quality of the canvas itself as an integral element of the visual experience. In this way, her works resonate with the minimalist tenet of “truth to materials,” inviting viewers to confront not only the image but the physical surface on which it unfolds.
A defining characteristic of Cooper’s practice is her rejection of fixed orientations. Her canvases can be displayed in multiple ways, disrupting traditional hierarchies of top and bottom, left and right. Some works are designed to be rearranged, enabling endless iterations and interpretations, where form continuously unfolds in dialogue with its environment. This fluidity transforms each installation into a dynamic exploration of balance and perception, reinforcing the impermanence and evolving nature of the paintings, while inviting viewers to experience the work as a living process and collaborative visual experience.
About the Artist
Shalee Cooper is an interdisciplinary artist based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Having studied and instructed photography at the University of Utah, Cooper draws inspiration from her background in working with light as a medium, and is influenced by curatorial practice. She is passionate about the arts and community, having contributed as a juror and curator for multiple national exhibitions, as the former photo editor of 15 Bytes Magazine, and as the current director and curator at Modern West Fine Art Gallery. Cooper has lived and worked in London, Paris and Amsterdam, is featured in numerous private and public collections, and has exhibited her work extensively, including at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, the Southern Utah Museum of Art, Ogden Contemporary Arts, and Modern West Fine Art. She considers creating, curation, and collaboration equally important cornerstones of her practice. www.modernwestfineart.com/cooper-shalee
Shalee Cooper is represented by Modern West Fine Art.