Artist's Biography

50% of proceeds from this sale will directly benefit Crescent City, the inaugural production of The Industry, LA’s new home for experimental opera.

A native of Southern California, Mason Cooley lives and works in Los Angeles. His practice approaches its subjects through a constructive metaphysical lens where sculpture and video are actual signs of life and are existent of a physical as well as psychical reality. He has explored these physical and psychical realities in a body of work called American Primitive, a term borrowed from John Fahey. American Primitive is less a reference to known histories and more a creative, pragmatic approach to understanding the peculiar built environment of the American landscape – as image, mental, and physical reality.

Cooley received his MFA from Art Center College of Design in 2000, and is currently represented by China Art Objects in Culver City. In addition, he has exhibited in New York, Germany, Sweden, and England. He is currently Assistant Professor in Foundation Art at California State University, Long Beach and is working on a book entitled, Artful Hunches: Exploring Pragmatist Aesthetics to Consider Complexity Studies in Art Making and Teaching.

Curator's Biography

Crescent City is the inaugural production of The Industry, Los Angeles’ new home for experimental opera. Directed by Yuval Sharon and produced by Laura Kay Swanson, Crescent City is a hyper-opera featuring music by Anne LeBaron and libretto by Douglas Kearney. The Industry commissioned six visual artists – Mason Cooley, Brianna Gorton, Katie Grinnan, Alice Könitz, Jeff Kopp, and Olga Koumoundouros – to create a major new sculptural work for the immersive set of Crescent City. The production runs May 10-27 at Atwater Crossing. 50% of proceeds from the sale of works curated by Crescent City will directly benefit the production.