Ron Cooper: Cars & Bars July 30 - September 4, 2021
Cars & Bars
When visiting Ron Cooper’s Taos studio, one is immediately aware of the artist’s other passion – cars – vintage cars that he races. His 1936 “Black Beauty” Ford five window coupe parked directly in front of the studio is the first attraction even before entering the building. But there is a relationship here – much like Cooper’s art, these beautiful cars, including the two that will be on display in Ron Cooper: Cars & Bars, draw the viewer in with their simple, classic forms, finish-fetish surfaces, and custom detailing. As an early member of the 1960’s California Light and Space Movement, Cooper has long focused on using contemporary materials such as plexiglass, resin, and lacquer to capture and manipulate the perceptual phenomenon of light. His square Light Traps and slender column-like Vertical Bars represent his first experiments with these then-new materials, but while these works were pioneering investigations from his early career alongside other Southern California artists of the time, Cooper has never stopped working with cutting-edge materials, and the Corona Bars, on view in Ron Cooper: Cars & Bars, are just his latest exploration. The title of the series, Corona Bars refers to the artist’s most recent work, created while in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic. This uninterrupted time in the studio was an unusual luxury for Cooper, who has spent years helping to popularize craft Mezcal, with his brand Del Maguey. This time has allowed him to explore an array of contemporary materials. The Corona Bars, share a similar structure to the columns from his Vertical Bars series. With their transparent plexiglass sides, they capture light from all angles, electrifying the synthetic pigments and medium on their faces. And as the light changes throughout the day the colors shift and change, and the surfaces vary between smooth iridescent and highly textured glitter, some even sharing the sensation of water puddling on the surface of one of Cooper’s highly polished car’s paint. Charlotte Jackson Fine Art has hosted several exhibitions with Cooper over the gallery’s 32-year history, but none since 2001. With each new show, an element of surprise has always been present, and the latest body of work in Ron Cooper: Cars & Bars is no exception. Presented alongside a selection of Cooper’s prized classic cars, the Corona Bars invite the viewer into their own exploration of form and surface, and the relationships between hand-made contemporary art and finish-fetish car culture.
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Corona Bar - Water Ring Red, 2021, lacquer and pigment on plexiglass, 84 x 3.625 x 3.625 inches
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Corona Bar - Violet, 2021, lacquer and pigment on plexiglass, 84 x 3.625 x 3.625 inches
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Corona Bar - Japonaiserie, 2021, lacquer and pigment on plexiglass, 84 x 3.625 x 3.625 inches
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Corona Bar - Gold Green Red, 2021, lacquer and pigment on plexiglass, 24 x 3.625 x 3.625 inches
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Corona Bar - Paisley, 2021, lacquer and pigment on plexiglass, 24 x 3.625 x 3.625 inches
The Ten Car, 1916 Ford Speedster Collection of the artist
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Corona Bar - Blue Gold, 2021, lacquer and pigment on plexiglass, 120 x 3.625 x 3.625 inches
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Corona Bar - All Color Water, 2021, lacquer and pigment on plexiglass, 120 x 3.625 x 3.625 inches
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Corona Bar - Red Gold, 2021, lacquer and pigment on plexiglass, 24 x 3.625 x 3.625 inches
Car #13, Stormes Coupe, 1931 Ford Model A Collection of the artist
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Corona Bar - Japonaiserie, Grey Green Gold, 2021, lacquer and pigment on plexiglass, 96 x 3.625 x 3.625 inches
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Corona Bar - Violet Blue Water, 2021, lacquer and pigment on plexiglass, 96 x 3.625 x 3.625 inches
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Corona Bar - Gold, 2021, lacquer and pigment on plexiglass, 96 x 3.625 x 3.625 inches
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Corona Bar - Red Gold, 2021, lacquer and pigment on plexiglass, 96 x 3.625 x 3.625 inches
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Corona Bar - Brown Green Gold, 2021, lacquer and pigment on plexiglass, 24 x 3.625 x 3.625 inches
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Corona Bar - Gold, 2021, lacquer and pigment on plexiglass, 24 x 3.625 x 3.625 inches
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Corona Bar - Green Red Violet, 2021, lacquer and pigment on plexiglass, 24 x 3.625 x 3.625 inches
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Corona Bar - Searching for Blue, 2021, lacquer and pigment on plexiglass, 24 x 3.625 x 3.625 inches
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Early Glossy Bar - Brown Green, 2019, lacquer and pigment on plexiglass, 96 x 3.625 x 3.625 inches
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Corona Bar - Paisley Water, 2021, lacquer and pigment on plexiglass, 24 x 3.625 x 3.625 inches
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Corona Bar - Pale Green Blue Water, 2021, lacquer and pigment on plexiglass, 84 x 3.625 x 3.625 inches
Corona Bar - Water Ring Red, 2021 lacquer and pigment on plexiglass 84 x 3.625 x 3.625 inches RC028 Click to inquire about this work
$22,000
Corona Bar - Blue Gold, 2021 lacquer and pigment on plexiglass 120 x 3.625 x 3.625 in. RC036 Click to inquire about this work
$26,000
Corona Bar - Violet, 2021 lacquer and pigment on plexiglass 84 x 3.625 x 3.625 in. RC027 Click to inquire about this work
$22,000
Corona Bar - All Color Water, 2021 lacquer and pigment on plexiglass 120 x 3.625 x 3.625 in. RC035 Click to inquire about this work
$26,000
Corona Bar - Japonaiserie, 2021 lacquer and pigment on plexiglass 84 x 3.625 x 3.625 in. RC037 Click to inquire about this work
$22,000
Corona Bar - Red Gold, 2021 lacquer and pigment on plexiglass 24 x 3.625 x 3.625 in. RC020 Click to inquire about this work
$8,000
Corona Bar - Gold Green Red, 2021 lacquer and pigment on plexiglass 24 x 3.625 x 3.625 in. RC024 Click to inquire about this work
$8,000
Corona Bar - Japonaiserie, Grey Green Gold, 2021 lacquer and pigment on plexiglass 96 x 3.625 x 3.625 in. RC030 Click to inquire about this work
$22,000
Corona Bar - Paisley, 2021 lacquer and pigment on plexiglass 24 x 3.625 x 3.625 in. RC019 Click to inquire about this work
$8,000
Corona Bar - Violet Blue Water, 2021 lacquer and pigment on plexiglass 96 x 3.625 x 3.625 in. RC033 Click to inquire about this work
$22,000
Corona Bar - Gold, 2021 lacquer and pigment on plexiglass 96 x 3.625 x 3.625 in. RC034 Click to inquire about this work
$22,000
Corona Bar - Searching for Blue, 2021 lacquer and pigment on plexiglass 24 x 3.625 x 3.625 in. RC026 Click to inquire about this work
Corona Bar - Red Gold, 2021 lacquer and pigment on plexiglass 96 x 3.625 x 3.625 in. RC031 Click to inquire about this work
$22,000
Early Glossy Bar - Brown Green, 2019 lacquer and pigment on plexiglass 96 x 3.625 x 3.625 in. RC032 Click to inquire about this work
Corona Bar - Brown Green Gold, 2021 lacquer and pigment on plexiglass 24 x 3.625 x 3.625 in. RC021 Click to inquire about this work
$8,000
Corona Bar - Paisley Water, 2021 lacquer and pigment on plexiglass 24 x 3.625 x 3.625 in. RC025 Click to inquire about this work
$8,000
Corona Bar - Gold, 2021 lacquer and pigment on plexiglass 24 x 3.625 x 3.625 in. RC022 Click to inquire about this work
$8,000
Corona Bar - Pale Green Blue Water, 2021 lacquer and pigment on plexiglass 84 x 3.625 x 3.625 in. RC029 Click to inquire about this work
$22,000
Corona Bar - Green Red Violet, 2021 lacquer and pigment on plexiglass 24 x 3.625 x 3.625 in. RC023 Click to inquire about this work
$8,000
$8,000
$22,000
Born: 1943 in New York City, NY Lives & works in Ranchos de Taos, NM Education: Chouinard Art Institute, Los Angeles, CA Selected Solo Exhibitions: 2021 Ron Cooper: Cars & Bars, Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM In a New Light, Louis Stern Fine Arts, West Hollywood, CA 2015 Ron Cooper, Frankliln Parrasch Gallery, New York, NY (Catalogue) Ron Cooper: Irony & Enigma, 203 Fine Art, Toas, NM (Catalogue) 2012 Nyehaus, New York, NY (Catalogue) 2010 Nadie Es Perfecto, Oaxaca, Mexico 2009 203 Fine Art, Taos, NM 2007 Nadie Es Perfecto, Oaxaca, Mexico 2005 Colectivo Central, Oaxaca, Mexico 2001 Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM Gallery 68, Austin, TX 2000 Collectors Gallery in Taos, Taos, NM 1999 C.A.F.E., Albuquerque, NM 1991 Sena Galleries, Santa Fe, NM 1990 C.A.F.E., Albuquerque, NM Maguire Thomas Partners/IBM, Los Angeles, CA 1989 Pacific Enterprise Corporation, Los Angeles, CA 1988 Sena Galleries West, Santa Fe, NM 1987 Gallery 454 North, Los Angeles, CA 1986 G. Ray Hawkins Gallery, Los Angeles, CA Janie Beggs Fine Art Ltd., Aspen, CO 1985 Neil G. Ovsey Gallery, Los Angeles, CA Wohlert Gallery, Albuquerque, NM The Center for Contemporary Art, Santa Fe, NM Works Gallery, Long Beach, CA 1984 Neil G. Ovsey Gallery, Los Angeles, CA Neil G. Ovsey Gallery, Los Angeles, CA DVS Gallery, Taos, NM 1983 Advanced Art Gallery, Rinconada, NM 1982 The New Gallery, Taos, NM Robin Cronin, Inc., Houston, TX 1981 Peppers Art Gallery, University of Redlands, Redlands, CA Rosamund Felsen Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 1980 Rosamund Felsen Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
1979 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969
La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art, La Jolla, CA The Kitchen, New York, NY Rosamund Felsen Gallery, Los Angeles, CA ACE Gallery, Venice, CA Art in Progress, Munich, Germany Galerie Alfred Schmela, Dusseldorf, West Germany Galerie Folker Skulima, Berlin, West Germany La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art, La Jolla, CA (Catalogue) ACE Gallery, Los Angeles, CA Lo Guidice Gallery, New York, NY Pasadena Art Museum, Pasadena, CA Galerie Schmela, Dusseldorf, Germany Michael Walls Gallery, San Francisco, CA Galerie Schmela, Dusseldorf, Germany Pomona College Art Gallery, Claremont, CA ACE Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Selected Group Exhibitions: 2021 Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM 2014 The Harwood Museum of Art, Taos, NM Orange County Museum of Art, Newport Beach, CA Kayne Griffin Corcoran Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2013 Barbara Mathes Gallery, New York, NY 2012 Pomona College Museum of Art, Claremont, CA (Catalogue) Center for Visual Art, Denver, CO 2011 LA Art Fair, James Kelly Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2010 Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Las Vegas, NV Nyehaus, New York, NY Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, La Jolla, CA (Catalogue) 2009 Harwood Museum of Art, Taos, NM 2008 Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA 203 Fine Art/ Harwood Museum of Art, Taos, NM 2005 Santa Fe Art Institute, Santa Fe, N 1999 Pasadena Art Museum, Pasadena, CA 1997 Anderson Contemporary Art, Albuquerque, NM 1989 Broschofsky Galleries, Ketchum, ID Cirrus Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 1988 G. Ray Hawkins Gallery, Los Angeles, CA Modern Objects, Los Angeles, CA Hand Graphics Gallery, Santa Fe, NM 1987 Santa Fe Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, NM
1986 1985 1983 1982 1981
Palm Springs Desert Museum, Palm Springs, CA The Fine Arts Gallery, College of Santa Fe, Santa Fe, NM Stables Art Center, Taos, NM The Works Gallery, Long Beach, CA Jeffrey Linden Gallery, Los Angeles, CA Ruth Bachofner Gallery, Los Angeles, CA Saint Johns College, Santa Fe, NM The Works Gallery, Long Beach, CA Gallery 454 North, Los Angeles, CA Jeffrey Linden Gallery, Los Angeles, CA New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe, NM The Gallery, College of Santa Fe, Santa Fe, NM Sena Galleries West, Santa Fe, NM Cirrus Gallery, Los Angeles, CA Kron/Reck Gallery, Albuquerque, NM Neil G. Ovsey Gallery, Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA Madison Gallery, Albuquerque, NM Cirrus Gallery, Los Angeles, CA Neil G. Ovsey Gallery, Los Angeles, CA Cirrus Gallery, Los Angeles, CA Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, CA Neil G. Ovsey Gallery, Los Angeles, CA Advanced Art Gallery, Rinconada, NM Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA Pirate Gallery, Denver, CO Conejo Valley Art Museum, Thousand Oaks, CA Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA Fullerton College Gallery, Fullerton, CA Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA San Francisco International Airport, San Francisco, CA Fort Worth Gallery, Fort Worth, TX La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art, La Jolla, CA Lonny Gans and Associates, Venice, CA Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA Memorial Union Art Gallery, University of California at Davis, CA Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA(Catalogue) LA Louver Gallery, Venice, CA (Catalogue)
Rosamund Felsen Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 1980 Baxter Art Gallery, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (Catalogue) Otis Art Institute of The Parsons School of Design, Los Angeles, CA (Catalogue) Rosamund Felsen Gallery, Los Angeles, CA Marian Goodman Gallery, New York, NY 1979 Maggie Kress Gallery, Taos, NM Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara, CA (Catalogue) Tony Shafrazi Gallery, New York, NY Cirrus Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 1978 Camera Works Gallery, San Francisco, CA (Catalogue) Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA Stadtlische Kunstalle, Dusseldorf, West Germany; traveled to New York and Jerusalem (Catalogue) 1977 Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA (Catalogue) 1975 California State University, Long Beach, CA (Catalogue) 1974 Junior Arts Center, Los Angeles, CA Lang Art Gallery, Scripps College, Claremont, CA Museum of Contemporary Art, La Jolla, CA 1972 Art in Progress, Zurich, Switzerland Betty Gold Fine Prints, Los Angeles, CA ACE Gallery, Vancouver, BC, Canada Albright-Knox Art Galleries, Buffalo, NY Mizuno Gallery, Los Angeles, CA Kassel, West Germany The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY; traveled to five venues throughout the United States and Canada (Catalogue) Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth, New Zealand Friends of Contemporary Art, Denver, CO San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA (Catalogue) Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA The Edmonton Art Gallery, Edmonton, AB, Canada; traveled to two venues in the United States and Canada (Catalogue) 1971 Pasadena Art Museum, Pasadena, CA 1970 The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL (Catalogue) Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH (Catalogue) The Douglas Gallery, Vancouver, BC, Canada Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL 1969 Newport Harbor Art Museum, Newport Beach, CA (Catalogue) Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY (Catalogue) Kunsthalle, Dusseldorf, West Germany (Catalogue) Reese Palley Gallery, San Francisco, CA West Side Center, Los Angeles, CA
1968
Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA Marion Koogler McNay Museum, San Antonio, TX University of California Art Gallery, La Jolla, CA (Catalogue) Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR Seattle Art Museum Pavilion, Seattle WA M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco, CA Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery (Catalogue) Noah Goldowsky Gallery, New York, NY Hansen Fuller Gallery, San Francisco, CA Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY (Catalogue)
Selected Collections: Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NM Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH Art Gallery of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL Atlantic Richfield Corporation, Los Angeles, CA Bank of Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills, CA Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, France Fort Worth Art Museum, Fort Worth, TX Kaiser Wilhelm Museum, Krefeld, Germany La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, La Jolla, CA Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, NM Neue Galerie, Aachen, Germany Newport Harbor Art Museum, Newport Beach, CA Security Pacific National Bank, Los Angeles, CA Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands University Art Museum, University of California, Berkeley, CA University of Redlands, Redlands, CA Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY Awards: 1980 National Endowment for the Arts, photography 1971 Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Theodoran Award and Fellowship 1970 National Endowment for the Arts, painting 1968 Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Young Talent Award
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