ARTIST

Cooper Jamieson

I create artworks that probe the phenomenological and digital materiality. I am a research scientist at Caltech and work to develop biotechnologies that enable synthetic biology. Specifically, I engineer non-pathogenic strains of E. coli to produce or chemically recycle all sorts of chemicals of interest - from shampoo to pharmaceuticals. This work is enabled by directed evolution where we expedite the evolutionary process and evolve towards a desired function. Developing living systems for molecular synthesis is sustainable, eco-friendly, and cost-effective; thus, decreasing the consumer price of commodities while creating less environmental impact. Previously, I worked in art conservation - essentially, applied materials chemistry - at the Chinati Foundation in Marfa, Texas. Around this time, I assisted in the fabrication of the permanent installation Untitled (Dawn to Dusk) by Robert Irwin at the Chinati Foundation. I also assisted established artists like Zoe Leonard and Jeff Elrod.