'‘the best ornithological illustrator alive’
David Attenborough
'In the work of artist William T. Cooper, platypuses swim in green underwater worlds, waves throw up blankets of spray, embers glow in the aftermath of a bushfire, a Thylacine emerges from the shadows, sniffing the air. But it is his paintings of birds which set Cooper apart—his raucous cockatoos, colourful parrots, animated turacos and flamboyantly displaying birds of paradise. Often placed in meticulously studied landscapes, these intricate bird portraits reveal Cooper’s close observation not only of his subjects’ appearance, but their habits, poses and behaviour.
'In this biography, Penny Olsen traces the path of Cooper’s life and art—from his childhood spent in the bush, to his teenage years as an apprentice taxidermist at Carey Bay Zoo and, later, to his work as a window dresser and landscape artist. She documents his fruitful partnership with wife and collaborator Wendy Cooper and his extensive travels in Australia and abroad in pursuit of his subjects. Olsen’s commentary reveals the development of an artist and the trajectory of a life, while extracts from Cooper’s extensive field notebooks give an insight into his interests and processes.
'Illustrated with photographs, paintings and sketches, and includes a portfolio of bird and landscape paintings that have never before been published. ' (Publication abstract)
'This sumptuous book, written by ornithological research scientist and natural history author Penny Olsen, celebrates the life and work of natural history artist, William T. Cooper (1934–2015), described by David Attenborough in his ‘Foreword’ as ‘arguably one of the greatest of all bird artists’ (2014: viii). This is a big claim, since Attenborough includes Cooper among the significant bird artists of the past, such as John Gould (1804–81) and John James Audubon (1785–1851), as well as contemporary artists. Does the book validate this assertion?' (Introduction)
'This sumptuous book, written by ornithological research scientist and natural history author Penny Olsen, celebrates the life and work of natural history artist, William T. Cooper (1934–2015), described by David Attenborough in his ‘Foreword’ as ‘arguably one of the greatest of all bird artists’ (2014: viii). This is a big claim, since Attenborough includes Cooper among the significant bird artists of the past, such as John Gould (1804–81) and John James Audubon (1785–1851), as well as contemporary artists. Does the book validate this assertion?' (Introduction)
