Jeffery Cooper worked as a mathematician for 40 years, but he does not attempt to use mathematically generated curves and shapes in his sculpture. Nevertheless his work in mathematics informs his work in an indirect fashion.
He works in wood because it is always alive, always changing, through shrinking and swelling, darkening from light, and aging by weather when outdoors. He tends to make constructed pieces using the techniques of woodworking rather than carving a single piece of wood. He often constructs visual textures by combining grains and figures in the wood. His sculptures are made to attract the eye and invite the viewer to look at details.
He seeks to make sculptures that have associations beyond those of the physical object, but that do not need extensive explanation.
