Emma cc Cook’s practice focuses on drawing and painting, examining the concept of "archaeologies of place" in America. Through her pieces, Cook depicts landscapes that have been stripped of their defining features by capitalism and monoculture and highlights the chaotic nature of archives and how a nation can excessively control its citizens. Her practice is a comprehensive collection of signifiers and materials, including the use of mahogany wood, which has a history of being exploited by colonizing Europeans, and black wool canvases sourced from Europe. Drawing inspiration from Hanne Darboven's Cultural History 1893-1983, Cook uses a combination of historical and personal elements, such as artwork and postcards, to reflect the myth of America. By assembling a representation of America and her connection to it through a mixture of the significant and the insignificant, she incorporates overlooked and memorable items with found objects and elements of American folk art in her paintings.
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