Mary Cooke

Artist Bio

I grew up in rural Kildare fascinated by the stars, listening on clear night to the stories, seeing the patterns and joining the dots.

I am a Cork based artist who stills watches the night sky.

Since I returned, I have exhibited in exciting group shows: the Mart curated by El Putnam, Hive Emerging curated by Paul Hallahan and Spare Room curated by Dr Eve Olney.

One Woman shows at: St. Peter’s, Camden Palace, Outlaw Studios in Cork, and Stradbally Art house, Doneraile Park, Signal Art Centre, Aras Inis Gluaire and Watergate Theatre. I have an upcoming solo in Swerve Project Space, Skibbereen.

At Winchester School of Art, I obtained a first class degree in my BA (hon) Fine Art Sculpture. I travelled to USA for my MFA at Bennington College, Vermont and I achieve a first class degree. I received a scholarship at Franconia Sculpture Park Illinois in 2000, where I grappled for 3 months with “rite of passage” several tones of steel and stained glass sculpture which remains on exhibit at Skokie Sculpture Park, Chicago.

I have several sculptures in group shows in New Orleans and SAW. In New York City I was part of a curated group show at A.I.R. I exhibited at several curated the North Bennington Annual show and a curated show Boundaries at Rutland Carving Studio.

I have received several awards including; a Culture Ireland Grant, Cork County Council commission and Art Council Agility Award 2021 and 2022, and an Independent Artist Bursary (Cork City Council).

Artist Statement

From a young child I love the solitude of lying in cold nights staring at the stars. Looking for the patterns, the hugeness of its beauty, joining the dots, searching for old friends, and telling their stories. The joy of seeing the Pleiades (the seven sisters) slipping above the autumn horizon with Taurus and Orion following, tracing their journey across the winter night sky till they finally dip below the spring horizon. Hailing the beginning of a New Year and time to sow the call has been heard for millennia connecting us to our ancient ancestors.

I use my hands and body to feel my way along the story, instinctually finding, examining, exploring, and developing the work, through the use of many rhythmic repetitive processes and materials. Coincidentally I am a hoarder of materials many have been hauled around for 30 odd years awaiting for their moment. My work manifests variously as sculpture, installation, drawing, painting, sound, video and site-specific projects. I am a builder, I construct in wood, steel, paper, fiberglass, cement, fabric, thread, sound and image, etcetera etcetera or the material needs of a story.

Membership: Backwater Artists Network