'Car Culture,' 2001
DVD Loop (60mins)
Variable
David Cotterrell takes a long view of the political structures that define society yet his poetic manifestations often communicate the intimacy of one-on-one engagement. Critical of Western definitions of historical facts, Cotterrell poses specific questions about the delineation of public territory and classification of personal status. From Shanghai to Hull, Cotterrell's chosen sites and ambitious multi-media interventions force him to challenge his own take on other people's histories and the suitability of academic processes and modes of making in communicating complex ideologies to the wider public.
In 1995, while still an undergraduate at Winchester School of Art, Cotterrell anchored a floating piece of picket-fenced real estate on the river Itchen, advertising sale of the 'property' in the local press. This concise commentary on author and ownership underpins another site-specific work 'Moulding History', which involved wallpapering the external walls of two derelict houses in Vauxhall. Numerous public art commissions have ensured that many of Cotterrell's works have been able to exist in a social context, such as the Birmingham 'Saltley Geyser', a feat of underground engineering that expelled a 100ft, 500 litre jet of water into the air every day at 4pm. Based in London, Cotterrell is represented by Danielle Arnaud.
To see more of David Cotterrell's work on his Your Gallery profile page click here.
Rebecca Geldard
Rebecca Geldard is a freelance writer and critic living in London.
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