An in-depth look at the work and career of this fascinating artist, who is having a profound impact on contemporary painting

Nigel Cooke is known for his complex paintings, which thematically explore the meeting point between creative labour, consciousness, art history, consumer culture, and nature. Primarily centred on meticulously painted, large-scale urban landscapes, which he calls 'hybrid theatrical spaces', Cooke's work employs disparate styles, often integrating trompe l'oeil miniature rocks and trees with backdrops of graffiti-marked buildings, to create scenes conveying obscure and macabre narratives. This survey of Cooke’s career to date explores the artist's style, approach, and impact on contemporary art and includes his very latest works, completed shortly before publication.

Darian Leader is a writer and psychoanalyst and a founding member of the Centre for Freudian Analysis and Research.

Tony Godfrey is a writer, curator, and researcher.

Marie Darrieussecq is a novelist currently teaching at the University of Rhode Island.

Nigel Cooke is represented by Pace (London, New York, Hong Kong, Beijing) and Blum & Poe (Los Angeles).