Featured Exhibitions

Aphrodisiac

Dominic Cooper

R.A.T.

08/05/2026 - 17/05/2026

Installation view, Aphrodisiac, Dominic Cooper, R.A.T., 2026

Untitled, Ply, acrylic, CLS, wood screws, Dominic Cooper, 2026

Dominic Cooper, Untitled, Cedar, wood glue, gloss paint, dowel, fixings, 2026

Dominic Cooper, Untitled, MDF, ply, CLS, spray paint, chrome, inkjet on paper, PVA, nails, tin foil, eyelets, metal wire, acrylic (frosted), sealant, cylindrical tube, jute rope, deionised water, xanthan gum, fluorescent pink powder pigment, red poppy, lily, red rose, edelweiss, iris, daisy, bear’s breech, tulip, saxifrage, red carnation, rue, cyclamen, mimosa, plum, sunflower, chamomile, flax, 2026

Aphrodisiac
Dominic Cooper
R.A.T
08.05 – 17.05.2026

i. The formation of ideas presented in these works coincided with a prolonged bout of insomnia, which lasted for several months. I consider this period an omen.

ii. An elegy is a mournful, melancholic or plaintive poem, commonly written to be a funeral song or lament for the dead.

iii. A line of Lara Croft dolls, modelled on star Angelina Jolie, were produced to coincide with the release of the movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001). There were five different Laras to collect, one of which had an aqua green bra painted on underneath her combat gear.

iv. Edelweiss is a show tune written by Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II for the Broadway musical The Sound of Music (1959). Tomorrow Belongs to Me is a song from the Broadway musical Cabaret (1966) and was written and composed by John Kander and Fred Ebb.

Both songs have acquired a perceived historical authenticity which has led to widespread misconceptions – the former is often mistaken to be the Austrian national anthem, while the latter has been adopted by neo-fascist groups across Europe and the United States.

v. Potpourri (pot pourri : “rotten pot”) is primarily used to mask unpleasant odours.

vi. My Mum describes a game played on the schoolyard as a young girl, named “All in the Game of War’. It consisted of forming a sideways marching line, repeatedly chanting the game’s title, and tripping each other up.

vii. I once visited a house in rural France in the summertime. I was told that the house had been seized by Nazi soldiers during the occupation. A disconcerted guest remarked that there was a large mural, in a room I never entered, which seemed to watch him as he slept.

The host explained that he had painted her for his teenage son.

Works list:

Untitled
Ply, acrylic, CLS, wood screws

Untitled
MDF, ply, CLS, spray paint, chrome, inkjet on paper, PVA, nails, tin foil, eyelets, metal wire, acrylic (frosted), sealant, cylindrical tube, jute rope, deionised water, xanthan gum, fluorescent pink powder pigment, red poppy, lily, red rose, edelweiss, iris, daisy, bear’s breech, tulip, saxifrage, red carnation, rue, cyclamen, mimosa, plum, sunflower, chamomile, flax

Untitled
Cedar, wood glue, gloss paint, dowel, fixings

Untitled
White handkerchief (torn)

The gallery and its contents will be purged on the evening of Friday 15 May, with the assistance of a sound piece composed and performed by Rob Smith, in collaboration with the Artist.

This exorcism will be closed to the public, though it is important that all are aware of its occurrence.

Photo credit: Matilda Reid / R.A.T

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