Pace Prints is pleased to present an exhibition of new monoprints, editions and paper sculptures by Will Cotton, his second solo exhibition with Pace Prints. The artist created this body of work at the Pace Paper studios in Brooklyn, New York. The exhibition will be on view October 25—November 30, 2013, and an opening reception will be held Thursday, October 24, 6-8pm.
Will Cotton is well known for his paintings of luscious and decadent Utopian landscapes, an ongoing exploration of desire and indulgence. Cotton does not mock our desires, but celebrates our attractions, and relishes how we are drawn to gluttony and beauty. The figures populating his abundant landscapes exist in a state of satiation, where all desires are fulfilled all the time.
Recently, Cotton has begun creating items of clothing designed specifically for the fictional space his characters inhabit. These confectionary costumes have taken on a new role as a focal point in this exhibition.
Several of the new works grew out of a project Cotton created for New York Magazine, in which the artist made, or converted, items of clothing and accessories specifically to be worn in a candy paradise.
Also on view are a group of cast paper cake sculptures, a three dimensional depiction of baroque excess. The piles of pastel buttercream cakes draw an unlikely parallel between modernist sculpture and exuberantly decorated pastry.
Cotton received his BFA from Cooper Union, New York, and also studied at the New York Academy of Art. His work has been exhibited throughout the United States and Europe including the San Francisco Museum of Art; the Seattle Art Museum; the Kunsthalle Bielefeld, Germany; the Hudson River Museum; the Triennale di Milano, Italy; the Musee Marmottan Monet, Paris and the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Havana. Cotton is represented by Mary Boone Gallery, New York, NY. The artist currently lives and works in New York, NY.