Jake Couri

Artist Profile

Jake Couri

Jake Couri (b.1989) investigates the ecological impact of industrial processes and its relation to human consumption through the intermingling of raw and organic substances in his sculptural works. Designed to mimic the function of industrial cold plates, each wall-based work presents itself as a 'futuristic totem’. With compositions based on apparatuses used to collect mineral deposits and patterns found in microfluidics, each work emulates cellular functions of the human body through its complex form and material choice.

Couri focuses on the evolution of various materials including fabricated metal, raw materials such as magnesium and gelatin, and malleable materials like anodized aluminum, to convey a story of the industries that mine our identities. The addition of silicone poured into empty channels conveys our shapeshifting nature, adapting by any means for the sake of survival. These materials are juxtaposed against organic substances such as blue spirulina, kelp, mulberry powder, ashwagandha root, decapsulated brine shrimp eggs, and green lipped mussels, for example, through Couri's meticulous construction techniques. The sculptures both reveal and explore the facets of mining and manufacturing by highlighting the complicated genesis of organic source materials in our contemporary world.

Available Works

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    CV

    Couri's work has been shown at Milan Machinima Festival in Milan, IT, Public Records in Brooklyn, NY, and Superposition Gallery in Los Angeles, CA. He’s completed Artist in Residence programs at NARS Foundation in Brooklyn, NY, Anderson Ranch in Snowmass Village, CO, and Shiro Oni in Onishi, JP. Jake received his MFA with honors from California College of the Arts in San Francisco, CA. He lives and works in New York City.

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    Artist Statement

    I build sculptural objects to examine the relationship between industrial processes, consumption, and their combined ecological effects. Fabricated metal brings into question the extraction of raw material, while malleable materials and their somatic nature reference the industries that mine our identities. Leveraging CGI technologies, I construct digital avatars and environments to further understand virtual realities through the lens of global tourism and consumerism. Gaming worlds draw from both historical and imagined sites, addressing the interchangeable nature of the virtual and its ever-changing conditions.