The Bather

Montana Cooke’s art is a journey through emotion, texture, and narrative, created with a diverse range of mixed media, including acrylic paint, Indian ink, tissue paper, and clay. Her process is marked by a raw physicality, where loose, energetic marks intertwine and evolve across the canvas, reflecting her unfiltered engagement with the world around her. Central to Cooke’s practice is the technique of layering, which not only adds visual depth but also creates a tactile experience for the viewer. These layers seem to pulse with energy, drawing the viewer into the work. Within these layers, powerful, raw figures of women emerge—embodiments of the past, present, and future. These figures are more than representations; they are deeply reflective of Cooke’s personal experiences, emotions, and insights, channeling a range of feelings from vulnerability to strength, and capturing the complexity of the human spirit. Her paintings serve as windows into the intricacies of human experience, inviting the viewer to navigate the emotional landscape she has created. For Cooke, painting is a transformative process that allows her to confront her anxieties, give voice to her subconscious, and explore the dreamlike edges of her imagination. In this way, her work celebrates the eccentric, the unusual, and the intimate—capturing the beauty and complexity of the human condition in all its vivid, unpredictable forms.