School of Art Newsletter Fall 07 vol. 2 issue 1

NOW: Professor Jim Cook

Jim Cook, Associate Professor of 3D Studies, bases his art and scholarly research in the metaphysical dealing with the nature of being, reality, and ultimate substance. He looks to traditional cultural practices that have, over time, developed methods to treat the abstract, both ordinary and profound, as substantially existing. The relationship between contemporary artists and the traditional Asian artists and architects who generate sacred icons and temples has long been a focus of his research.  

Over the years, Cook has conducted field studies in South Asia and documented the development of icons for worship by traditional artists. His research has profoundly impacted his artwork, which is philosophically driven and contextualized to critically examine Western cultural conventions and behavior (often with some humor). Cook’s research takes form as sculpture, video, and installations.

Cook is the recent recipient of the Asian Cultural Council Research Fellowship and will travel to Japan to continue his research in the fall semester of 2009. Specifically, he will explore the formal structures of Noh Theatre and will later incorporate his findings into his video work. Cook will also document Buddhist/Shinto temples and the icons they house.