Paula Cooper Gallery

History

Predecessors

Cooper ran her own space, the Paula Johnson Gallery, from 1964 to 1966, where Walter De Maria launched his first solo show in New York. She worked for Park Place Gallery from 1965 to 1967, a co-operative gallery of five painters and five sculptors, including Mark di Suvero, Leo Valledor, Robert Grosvenor, and David Novros.

1968–1975

According to The New York Observer: "The history of Paula Cooper Gallery is, in many ways, the history of the New York art world." Cooper opened the first gallery at 96 Prince Street with $4,400 in October 1968.

“I didn’t like uptown,” Ms. Cooper told The Observer. “I thought it was just little shops. I looked downtown. And people told me that I was crazy to open there. That no one would go there.” The gallery opened with an exhibition to benefit the Student Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam, working alongside Veterans Against the War; proceeds of sales were split 50-50 between the artists and the committee. The exhibition featured LeWitt’s first wall drawing, and included works by Carl Andre, Jo Baer, Dan Flavin, Donald Judd, and Robert Ryman. That show is now widely recognized as seminal in the development of a new generation of rigorous and challenging work.

By 1975, the neighborhood had been renamed SoHo, and included 83 other art galleries.

1996–today

Cooper bought a building at 534 West 21st Street in 1995, and subsequently relocated the gallery to Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood in 1996. The initial round of renovations was overseen by the architect Richard Gluckman. Critic Michael Kimmelman, reviewing a Carl Andre exhibition, wrote in The New York Times: "The news here is how good Paula Cooper's new gallery looks: the main room is like a big chapel. Too bad for SoHo, which Ms. Cooper, one of its pioneering dealers, recently abandoned to the hordes of retail stores."

In 2007, Paula Cooper gave the extant records of Park Place, dating from 1966 to 1967, and the early records of the Paula Cooper Gallery, from 1968 to 1973 to the Smithsonian Archives of American Art.

In 2013, Paula Cooper Gallery opened two pop-up spaces, in a former auto parts shop at 197 10th Avenue, near 22nd Street, as well as on the ground floor of 521 West 21st Street. In 2018, the gallery temporarily moved its headquarters to a 9,000-square-foot space located at 524 West 26th Street due to construction in an adjacent building.

In 2021, Paula Cooper Gallery opened a space in Palm Beach, Florida.

''The Clock'' (2011)

In February 2011, Christian Marclay's twenty-four-hour multi-visual exhibit The Clock was exhibited in the gallery space. The Clock had recently received the Golden Lion award at the 54th Venice Biennale.

Art critic Roberta Smith wrote in The New York Times: "It is ensconced in a theaterlike installation at the Paula Cooper Gallery in Chelsea, where it should not be missed...The presentation at the Paula Cooper gallery reiterates the synthetic nature of The Clock. The combination of carpeted floors, walls hung with velvet curtains and a dozen long couches lined up in four rows, with the screen high and large on the wall, evocatively conflates living room, screening room and movie theater, while even hinting at drive-in movies (the couches as parked cars)."

In The New York Observer, Michael H. Miller wrote: "[When] Ms. Cooper exhibited Christian Marclay’s 24-hour paean to cinematic history, The Clock, for several weekends, the gallery stayed open 24/7 and a line stretched around the corner into the early hours of morning...Models mingled with art handlers. Reporters and rival dealers waited patiently amongst the late-night swell of people."

Artists

The gallery is primarily known for the Minimalist and Conceptual artists it has represented and whose careers it helped launch, including:

• Tauba Auerbach
• Jonathan Borofsky
• Céleste Boursier-Mougenot (since 1999)
• Cecily Brown
• Sophie Calle
• Mark di Suvero
• Sam Durant
• Ja'Tovia Gary (since 2019)
• Robert Gober
• Hans Haacke
• Ralph Lemon (since 2021)
• Eric N. Mack (since 2021)
• Christian Marclay
• Justin Matherly (since 2012)
• Walid Raad
• Rudolf Stingel
• Kelley Walker
• Meg Webster

In addition to living artists, Paula Cooper Gallery also handles the estates of the following:

• Terry Adkins (since 2021)
• Carl Andre (since 1978)
• Jennifer Bartlett (since 2018, together with Marianne Boesky Gallery)
• Bernd and Hilla Becher (since 2018)
• Sarah Charlesworth (since 2018)
• Luciano Fabro (since 2021)
• Donald Judd
• Sol LeWitt
• Elizabeth Murray

Paula Cooper Gallery has in the past represented the following:

• Lynda Benglis
• Charles Gaines
• Robert Grosvenor (–2023)
• Zoe Leonard
• Sherrie Levine (1998–2015)
• Joel Shapiro (–1992)

Recognition

In 2015, Paula Cooper was awarded France’s Order of Arts and Letters, the country’s highest distinction for contributions to French arts and culture.

References

References

1. Smith, Roberta. (November 26, 1993). "Art in Review". [[The New York Times]].
2. "About the gallery-- from the Paula Cooper Gallery website".
3. Loos, Ted. (2021-04-16). "Art of the Dealer: Paula Cooper Shores Up Her Legacy". The New York Times.
4. Gareth Harris (November 30, 2018), [https://www.ft.com/content/605b881a-ef2c-11e8-89c8-d36339d835c0 Dealer Paula Cooper on 50 years in the New York art world] ''[[Financial Times]]''.
5. (2012-08-02). "Paula Cooper - Interview Magazine". Interview Magazine.
6. (2016-10-11). "My Life in Pictures: Paula Cooper". The New York Times.
7. [https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/16/arts/design/paula-cooper-gallery.html NY Times, ''Art of the Dealer:Paula Cooper shores up her legacy'']
8. Miller, M. H.. (2011-09-14). "Clock Stopper: Paula Cooper Opened the First Art Gallery in SoHo and Hasn’t Slowed Down Since".
9. [http://www.paulacoopergallery.com/exhibitions/540 Répétition II, February 23 – March 23, 2013] Paula Cooper Gallery, New York.
10. Michael H. Miller, "Clock Stopper: Paula Cooper Opened the First Art Gallery in SoHo and Hasn’t Slowed Down Since," ''The New York Observer'', September 13, 2011.
11. M.H. Miller (8 September 2022), [https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/08/t-magazine/paula-cooper-gallery.html A Storied New York Gallery Comes Home] ''[[T (magazine). T: The New York Times Style Magazine]]''.
12. M.H. Miller (8 September 2022), [https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/08/t-magazine/paula-cooper-gallery.html A Storied New York Gallery Comes Home] ''[[T (magazine). T: The New York Times Style Magazine]]''.
13. Michael Kimmelman, "Art In Review: Carl Andrew," ''The New York Times'', November 15, 1996.
14. Carol Vogel (September 19, 2013), [https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/20/arts/design/another-cubist-gift-for-the-met-and-new-art-at-metrotech.html Another Cubist Gift for the Met, and New Art at MetroTech] ''[[New York Times]]''.
15. Alex Greenberger (June 12, 2018), [https://www.artnews.com/art-news/market/paula-cooper-gallery-to-temporarily-relocate-headquarters-to-west-26th-street-10475/ Paula Cooper Gallery to Temporarily Relocate Headquarters to West 26th Street] ''[[ARTnews]]''.
16. Tess Thackara (1 December 2021), [https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2021/11/30/can-palm-beach-last-as-an-art-market-hub Can Palm Beach last as an art market hub?] ''[[The Art Newspaper]]''.
17. M.H. Miller (8 September 2022), [https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/08/t-magazine/paula-cooper-gallery.html A Storied New York Gallery Comes Home] ''[[T (magazine). T: The New York Times Style Magazine]]''.
18. "La Biennale di Venezia - Christian Marclay".
19. Roberta Smith, ''As in Life, Timing Is Everything in the Movies," ''The New York Times'', February 4, 2011.''
20. Barbara A. MacAdam (30 April 2015), [https://www.artnews.com/artnews/news/french-pavilion-artist-celeste-boursier-mougenot-teaches-the-world-to-sing-4036/ French Pavilion Artist Céleste Boursier-Mougenot Teaches the World to Sing] ''[[ARTnews]]''.
21. Mary Kaye Schilling (October 11, 2016), [https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/11/t-magazine/art/paula-cooper-art-gallery-life-pictures.html Conceptual Art’s Most Ardent Fan, 50 Years In] ''[[T (magazine). T: The New York Times Style Magazine]]''.
22. Jason Farago (October 30, 2018), [https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/30/arts/design/paula-cooper-gallery-50-years-review.html A Discreet Jubilee for a Groundbreaking Chelsea Gallery] ''[[T (magazine). T: The New York Times Style Magazine]]''.
23. Brian Boucher (24 May 2012), [https://www.artnews.com/art-in-america/features/documenta-marian-goodman-58849/ Marian Goodman Artists Big Winners in Kassel] ''[[Art in America]]''.
24. Claire Selvin (June 3, 2019), [https://www.artnews.com/art-news/market/paula-cooper-gallery-jatovia-gary-12665/ Paula Cooper Gallery Now Represents Ja’Tovia M. Gary] ''[[ARTnews]]''.
25. [https://observer.com/2012/09/which-new-york-gallery-represents-the-most-warhol-ian-artists/ Numbers: Which New York Gallery Represents the Most Warhol-ian Artists?] ''[[New York Observer]]'', September 7, 2012.
26. Maximilíano Durón (31 October 2024), [https://www.artnews.com/art-news/market/ralph-lemon-paula-cooper-gallery-representation-1234722559/ Ahead of MoMA PS1 Survey, Ralph Lemon Joins Paula Cooper Gallery] ''[[ARTnews]]''.
27. Tessa Solomon (November 23, 2021), [https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/eric-n-mack-joins-paula-cooper-gallery-1234611162/ Eric N. Mack, Maker of Monumental Fabric Installations, Joins Paula Cooper Gallery] ''[[ARTnews]]''.
28. M.H. Miller (August 29, 2012), [https://observer.com/2012/08/justin-matherly-joins-paula-cooper-gallery/ Justin Matherly Joins Paula Cooper Gallery] ''[[ARTnews]]''.
29. Brian Boucher (24 May 2012), [https://www.artnews.com/art-in-america/features/documenta-marian-goodman-58849/ Marian Goodman Artists Big Winners in Kassel] ''[[Art in America]]''.
30. [https://observer.com/2012/09/which-new-york-gallery-represents-the-most-warhol-ian-artists/ Numbers: Which New York Gallery Represents the Most Warhol-ian Artists?] ''[[New York Observer]]'', September 7, 2012
31. [http://www.artfacts.net/en/institution/paula-cooper-gallery-1518/overview.html Artfacts.net: Paula Cooper Gallery]
32. Alex Greenberger (October 18, 2021), [https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/terry-adkins-estate-paula-cooper-1234607364/ Paula Cooper Takes on Estate of Terry Adkins, Who Blurred Boundaries Between Art and Music] ''[[ARTnews]]''.
33. Alex Greenberger (November 20, 2018), [https://www.artnews.com/art-news/market/jennifer-bartlett-now-represented-marianne-boesky-gallery-paula-cooper-gallery-11375/ Jennifer Bartlett Is Now Represented by Marianne Boesky and Paula Cooper Galleries] ''[[ARTnews]]''.
34. Alex Greenberger (November 9, 2018), [https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/estate-bernd-hilla-becher-heads-paula-cooper-gallery-11318/ Estate of Bernd and Hilla Becher Heads to Paula Cooper Gallery] ''[[ARTnews]]''.
35. Angelica Villa (September 2, 2021), [https://www.artnews.com/art-news/market/luciano-fabro-estate-paula-cooper-gallery-1234602880/ Paula Cooper Gallery to Represent Estate of Arte Povera Artist Luciano Fabro] ''[[ARTnews]]''.
36. Alex Greenberger (January 14, 2019), [https://www.artnews.com/art-news/market/pace-gallery-now-represents-lynda-benglis-11684/ Pace Gallery Now Represents Lynda Benglis] ''[[ARTnews]]''.
37. Andy Battaglia (August 11, 2018), [https://www.artnews.com/art-news/market/charles-gaines-now-represented-hauser-wirth-10787/ Charles Gaines Is Now Represented by Hauser & Wirth] ''[[ARTnews]]''.
38. Alex Greenberger (23 January 2023), [https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/robert-grosvenor-leaves-paula-cooper-1234654706/ Minimalist Sculptor Robert Grosvenor Leaves New York’s Paula Cooper Gallery After More Than 50 Years] ''[[ARTnews]]''.
39. Alex Greenberger (August 2, 2017), [https://www.artnews.com/art-news/market/sherrie-levine-is-now-represented-by-xavier-hufkens-8777/ Sherrie Levine Is Now Represented by Xavier Hufkens] ''[[ARTnews]]''.
40. (2015-12-04). "Carl Andre, Paula Cooper Get French Honor - artnet News". artnet News.