Eleanor Cooper
Frank's House, 2023
Pressed dried flowers and food wrappers collected from the hedge outside Frank Sargeson's house, resin, painted plywood 300 x 300 x 1150 Exhibited as part of Nova (2023) at Sumer. Image courtesy of Sumer and the artist.
Proton Room, 2016
Pigment ink on Ilford Cotton Rag 660 x 500 (aluminium frame with AR70 glass) Edition 1 of 5 + 1 AP
Comet, 2023 Laminated plywood and sand
1400 x 1200 x 150 Image courtesy of Sumer and the artist
Bouquet, 2020. Blue Oyster Gallery. (installation view)
Bō (fighting staff for working among rāpoka sea lion colonies), 2020 Hand-planed and carved American white oak, charcoal, gesso, epoxy resin, made to the dimensions of an Okinawan karate bō staff, ornamented with sub-antarctic bladder kelp. 1800 x 40
Hone House & Iceberg (I), 2025
Hone House, 2025 3D-printed resin, shells from Kākā Point 300 x 160 x 100
Rain Talk, 2025 (installation view)
Rain Talk (IV) & Rain Talk (V), 2025 Laminated wood and sand.
1030 x 460 x 170 & 650 x 330 x 150
Rain Talk (IV), 2025 (detail)
Needles, 2019 Silver gelatin photogram of Pinus radiata needles, collected from early imported specimens grown by Governor George Grey on Kawau Island; aluminium frame 610 x 510
Untitled (twig mobile), 2025 Twigs and harakeke
Untitled (twig mobile), 2025 Twigs and harakeke
Eleanor Cooper is an artist who likes wild places and their stories. Her work explores natural and cultural history, ecology and language. Originally from Tāmaki Makaurau, she lived aboard a small yacht for two years and has recently moved ashore to Porirua to plant a garden.
Exhibitions include: A Fire that Blackened the Rocks at Te Atamira (2024), Shipwreck at Paper Anniversary (2023), They covered the house in stories at Te Tuhi (2021), The rustling wind reminds me of life on Earth with Xin Cheng at Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū (2021), Greywater at Mokopōpaki (2020), Bouquet at Blue Oyster (2020), They say this island changes shape at The Physics Room (2016) and Herme’s Lack of Words at Artspace Aotearoa (2013, Group Show).
Cooper holds a Master of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Auckland.