Olivia Gossett Cooper at The Empty Circle
In her solo exhibition Forms of Dynamics at The Empty Circle, Olivia Gossett Cooper brings the unseen forces of everyday life into the spotlight, dissecting the delicate balance between fragility and resilience.
Olivia Gossett Cooper: Forms of Dynamics, installation view, The Empty Circle, Brooklyn
Cooper, whose works traverse themes of motion, power dynamics, and the symbolic meanings embedded in everyday objects, delivers a profound exploration of how the forces of the world—both seen and unseen—manifest in intimate spaces.
The exhibition's core is anchored in Cooper’s distinctive use of found materials, which serve as metaphors for the fragile, ever-shifting dynamics of life. As the artist explains, her works capture the fleeting moments just before these dynamics shift—a dog barking, a protest breaking out—pointing to the way small changes can reshape our worlds in an instant. Her use of materials from the 1990s imbues the work with a sense of nostalgia, drawing the viewer into a place of recognition before transforming that familiarity into something altogether more complex. Objects that once seemed simple—like a spatula or measuring tape—are recast as symbols of deeper meaning: the spatula as a symbol of strength in the home, the measuring tape as a representation of one’s progress in life.
In the first phase of her practice, Cooper reflects on the legacy of Futurism, channeling the intensity and energy of motion found in the works of Umberto Boccioni. Here, her paintings evoke figures poised at the precipice of action, their forms energized and fluid. These works pulse with a vibrant tension, capturing the emotional weight of bodies caught in motion, ready to move yet suspended in a moment of vulnerability. The sense of tension present in these early works translates seamlessly into the stone sculptures that follow, where the artist reinterprets the figures from her paintings into three-dimensional form. These sculptures—solid, yet somehow brittle—speak to the narrative of human interaction and its profound impact on the environment, each piece a snapshot of a moment before inevitable change.
“Each sculpture captures one circumstance and its dynamics, moments before the circumstances could change and the dynamics along with it. The fragile state they are in alludes to the fleetingness of any given dynamic - suddenly it can and usually does change.”
Olivia Gossett Cooper: Forms of Dynamics, installation view, The Empty Circle, Brooklyn
The exhibition takes an introspective turn in its later stages, delving into the domestic sphere. With Leverage, a stark contrast of red, white, and black hues signals the tension between opposing forces, while other sculptures made from household objects—found in scrapyards and online marketplaces—reveal a more personal reflection on the power structures of daily life. Here, Cooper shifts focus to the small, often overlooked dynamics within our homes. Her works interrogate the roles of authority, utility, and intimacy that exist between individuals and their environments. For example, she recounts a recent experience where a bubble wand, used by her sons in an unintentional tug-of-war, became a symbol of opposing forces—a revelation that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. It is in moments like these, she reflects, that she finds new meaning in the most ordinary of objects.
The brilliance of Forms of Dynamics lies in its ability to transform the mundane into the extraordinary. Cooper’s work resists easy categorization, inviting viewers to reflect on how everyday materials—when viewed through the lens of her meticulous and intuitive process—can uncover layers of meaning hidden in plain sight. With a keen eye for the symbolism inherent in objects and a deliberate approach to their transformation, Cooper creates a dialogue between the viewer and the familiar, pushing us to reconsider our assumptions about both the objects we use and the lives we lead.
Through her work, Cooper not only reflects on the fragility of life and the dynamics that govern our interactions but also underscores the resilience of human spirit—whether it is captured in the moment before an object falls or in the quiet strength of the everyday tools that shape our existence. Her art reminds us that even in the most ordinary of objects, there is a story waiting to be uncovered—a story about the power of human connection, the weight of history, and the possibility of change.
Olivia Gossett Cooper: Forms of Dynamics, installation view, The Empty Circle, Brooklyn
Forms of Dynamics is on view at The Empty Circle in Gowanus, Brooklyn, until March 2, 2025.
