Randy Cooper is best known for his stunning wire-mesh “Shadow Sculptures” of the human body. However, on a cold, windy winter day in Santa Fe while waiting for a friend in a modern art gallery, Randy was entranced by the shapes and colors of the abstract work on display. Back in his studio, Randy found a rectangular piece of mesh. Not having a finished sculpture in mind, he began making a single shape in the wire, which led to his creation of his first abstract sculpture. The shape evolved and the wire wanted more, so a new shape was added, and Randy found himself in a creative zone, as his sense of time disappeared. Dinner time came and went, but it did not matter! The sculpture, Abstraction, was completed a few days later, after much refining and the attention to detail that characterizes Randy's work. Deciding upon the colors of the different elements in the sculpture took Randy down new paths, even leading him to take an airbrushing course. In his abstract sculptures, Randy created a new art form, combining his wire mesh, the shadows, the sculpture, and color. He said, "The human form will always be my passion, but the continuous flow of these abstracts gives me a freedom I've not experienced before, and the color adds a dimension that is new and exciting. Besides, it is fun!"