Modified

Copied Michael Cooper, Modified, 2010, painted hard maple, steel, aluminum, pneumatic system, engine, and mechanics, 30 3⁄8 × 48 × 68 1⁄2 in. (77.2 × 121.9 × 174.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Bannus and Cecily Hudson, 2022.18, © 2008, Michael J. Cooper

Artwork Details

Title
Modified
Artist
Date
2010
Location
Dimensions
30 3⁄8 × 48 × 68 1⁄2 in. (77.2 × 121.9 × 174.0 cm)
Copyright
© 2008, Michael J. Cooper
Credit Line
Gift of Bannus and Cecily Hudson
Mediums
Mediums Description
painted hard maple, steel, aluminum, pneumatic system, engine, and mechanics
Classifications
Subjects
  • Architecture — vehicle — automobile
Object Number
2022.18
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2022.18

Artwork Description

Michael Cooper transforms commonplace objects into fantastical contraptions with a remarkable blend of innovation, humor, and impeccable craftsmanship. In the California hot rod culture that pervaded Cooper’s youth, enthusiasts relied on such ingenuity to modify cars for racing. This influence is evident in Cooper’s works, which range from abstract sculptures, many with moving parts, to fully operational vehicles such as this one. Modified, a “high speed Adirondack chair,” can be driven up to an astonishing sixty miles per hour. Not content to stop there, Cooper also incorporated pneumatics, or compressed air, to lower the seat six inches for riding or raise it six inches for “cocktail position.”