Wilson Cooper was born at Coombs, Suffolk, UK on 25 April, 1912 and came to Queensland with his family at a young age. He studied drawing subjects with Martyn Roberts and commercial art with William Bustard at the Central Technical College 1927-30 but was largely self taught as an artist. He worked as a commercial artist in Brisbane 1931-37 before being employed as a cartoonist at The Telegraph in 1937, where he also produced the paper’s comic strips. He married Mavis (Mae) Annie Euston on 10 November 1937; a son (Wilson) and three daughters (Margaret, Anne and Marion) were born. He served with the Australian Imperial Forces 1941-44 before returning to The Telegraph where he was employed until 1958. Subsequently he worked as an illustrator, animator and graphic designer before being appointed Instructor and later, Senior Instructor and Officer-in-Charge, Visual Communications at the Queensland College of Art 1969-76. Cooper exhibited watercolours with the Brisbane Group of Artists 1948-53, Half Dozen Group of Artists 1951-61 and the Marburg Art Group. He was a founding member of the Queensland Society of Sculptors in 1968 (President 1971-73) and thereafter largely focused on the production of sculpture. He organised the first tour of sculptures to several towns in south-western Queensland in 1984. He died Brisbane 15 July 1998 and was survived by his family.
His life and career are documented in the standard Australian art reference books.
Apart fron the exhibitions noted below others were held at venues in Toowoomba, Lismore, Casino and Rockhampton. Group exhibitions include: Royal Queensland Art Society 1934 and 1948; Exhibition of Queensland Art 1951; Half Dozen Group of Artists 1951-61 (paintings), 1981-83, 1988 (sculpture); Dunlop Art Contest 1955; Queensland Artists of Fame and Promise 1956; Redcliffe Art Contest 1957-69; Queensland Centenary Eisteddfod 1959; Warana-Caltex Art Prize 1962-73; L. J. Harvey Memorial Prize for Drawing 1967; Queensland Society of Sculptors 1970-c.1987; Pedersen Prize, Queensland Art Gallery 1980.
Research Curator, Queensland Heritage, Queensland Art Gallery
- Writers:
- Cooke, Glenn R.
- Date written:
- 2000
- Last updated:
- 2007
