Coop
Painter and photographer
What do you make?
Sometimes I make art, mostly I just try to avoid boredom. I've been
drawing and painting since I was a child, and making a living from it since I was a teenager.
I picked up a camera again after 20 years away from photography, and now I seem to be doing that a lot too. The photography seems to be feeding back into the painting now, which is something I did not
expect, but a positive result nonetheless.
Where else on the web can we find you?
Where I sell stuff
My fine art site
My blog
My flickr page
Model Mayhem
What did you dream about last night?
I sleep like a corpse, and rarely remember my dreams. My wife has
quite wild and vivid dreams, so much so that I asked her to stop
telling me about them, as I am uneasy about sleeping next to an insane person.
What inspires you?
Everything. One reason I got back into photography was to document all the things in the world that interest and inspire me. Lately, I just got back from 2 weeks spent in Mexico, racing in the 2008 La Carrera Panamericana, a seven-day vintage rally race across Mexico. It was very inspiring. Mexico is a beautiful, beautiful country, every inch of it.
What else inspires me? Beautiful women, architecture, hot rods,
motorcycles, (and other mechanical contrivances built with equal
concern for aesthetics and function) great art, music, film, food, and
single malt scotch.
Where do you live and what do you like about it?
I've lived in Los Angeles for many years now. I love L.A. It really is
a magical place, the nexus of most of my interests - film, art, and
automobiles. Contrary to stereotype, everyone here seems to be doing something creative and interesting. There is a palpable energy here that is an excellent motivating force. Plus, the weather is always nice.
I just went out to the Salton Sea, a place that i had never been in
all the time I've lived here, only to find yet another weird magical
inspiring place. My friend Pete says that L.A. will always reward you for paying attention.
What is your biggest fear?
I'm not sure. Fear doesn't really motivate me that much. Fear of
being bored, I guess.
Name a few of your favorite movies \ books \ websites \ bands:
Movies: La Dolce Vita, Barry Lyndon, Topsy Turvy, Faster Pussycat!
Kill! Kill!, The Big Lebowski, The Boxer's Omen, Lisa & The Devil,
Danger! Diabolik
Music: Everything, but particularly Hank Williams, The Carter Family, The Ramones, Ornette Coleman, The Faces, and anything produced by Lee "Scratch" Perry or Serge Gainsbourg.
Books : The Magic Christian, Lolita, Snow Crash, Valis.
What are you really good at? What are you really bad at:
I'm pretty good at what I do for a living, a decent rally race navigator, mildly proficient at working on cars and other mechanical devices, and have absolutely zero musical aptitude whatsoever.
What is your favorite thing to eat?
Sushi or Carne Asada tacos.
How would you like to be remembered?
I won't really care, being dead and all.
What is the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you?
Certainly nothing that I would care to relate in public!
Anything else you would like to say:
Do what you enjoy doing, and tell everyone who would have you do
otherwise to fuck right off.