Barbara Cooper: Green Artist, Green Lifestyle
Folia. Photo credit Eileen Ryan.
Artist Barbara Cooper creates sculptures from sheets of wood veneer that factories have tossed away. She then shapes this discarded material into forms that remind you where the material comes from — trees.
Today when our abuse of the environment is becoming increasingly visible and publicly decried, Barbara’s works, in addition to their visual pleasure, carry a message that says to me: pay attention.
I visited Barbara the other day not just to look at her sculptures but also to document other lesser known aspects of her daily practice. She lives and works in a house built in 1893. Her touch is found all over the house — instead of tearing out and replacing things, she repairs and beautifies what is there.
Kitchen has the original sink. BC built the
cabinet with the black trim and the counter.
Shelves from recylced wood that BC made
for storing vegetables and stuff for recycling.
Barbara is what I would call a green artist, as she is constantly recycling, re-inventing, repairing, and re-using items in her daily life. She fuses art and life in an unusual way that is responsible, poetic, beautiful, thoughtful, and artistic.
BC made a counter top from an old oak table top found in the alley.
I asked Barbara to explain what this way of life means to her, why she goes through the trouble of doing what she does, and if she sees her way of life as a part of her art practice.
Growing up, I was always intrigued by how my father could take apart almost anything and get it to work again. My family also lived with a sense of frugality, which I see as mirroring the efficiency in nature, where there is little waste, and one state of life and material transforms into another. This process of transformation lies at the heart of what my art is.
I find the world of nature truly amazing. I could never invent anything as complex and beautiful as what I find already existing, and where form and function are so perfectly integrated. Out of respect for this amazing and vast system, my goal is to leave as small a footprint as possible. I try to think carefully about how I use resources and try to have a considered sensibility permeate every aspect of my life. To be alive is to be aware of our senses.
Barbara Cooper is represented by Alfedena Gallery.
BC found the chair in the alley and provided a new seat,
and wove the rag rug from old curtains, bedspreads, etc.
Homemade clothes line where laundry is dried whenever possible.
The cobble stone patio was installed by BC, who picked up
stones from Ashland Avenue when the street was dug up.
Hooks made from Cypress knees. The wood
board is a basement wall that was removed.
Kitchen waste given a bit of water from
a barrel that collects rainwater from the roof.
Barrel was orignally from the bourbon industry.
Mixing up kitchen and garden waste for composting
that will turn into fertile soil for the garden.
Raised beds of the vegetable garden is made
with bricks salvaged from torn-down houses.
Garden shed, made with wood taken out of basement when it was re-built.
For more of Barbara Cooper’s artwork, click here ArtStyle Blog Gallery.
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I Love people who can create something from seemingly nothing. I admire their vision to see something new in something old.
I recycle, but not that well. I’ll try to take a lesson. Brava
Inspirational!
Growing up, as Barbara’s daughter, I never appreciated having to sift through garbage for recyclables, hang my laundry out to dry, water the plants, etc… but now I can see it all makes sense. I thank her for teaching me how to live in this world…even if I’m still trying to catch up.
I admire people like Barbara. She´s an example to us all. Thank you Anna mín.
Sigrún
Great article! It is nice to know of someone who thinks like me! My grandmother introduced me to recycling way back when I was a wee child and it has been a part of my life ever since, including my art.
Barbara is definitely a “someone you should know” gal!
My grandmother (1900-2000) never threw out a plastic bag. She would fold them up nicely into a 2″x2″ square and stack them into a saved box. When she went to the store she would always take some with her.They were re-used until worn out. I wish now I had asked her why. My father was the same way with everything. You grow up with people and take for granted what they do. I was never told by either of them that this was the way to live. They were just this way and thought nothing of it. The older generation having lived through the Deperession and post WWII shortage at least it was so in Iceland showed us many creative ways to live a rich life with little means. Barbara reminds me of my ancestors. I am sure many people have many stories about their own families.
Larissa and I, Barbara’s daughters, spent our teenage years fighting to not be like our mom. But now, we strive to live and be like her. We are both so proud of her and her incredible respect for the world.
Thank you for building a wonderful, amazing, natural home for us. And to think-it is in the middle of Chicago!