Austin Cooper was a Canadian-born British artist who began his career as a commercial illustrator. He became widely known in the 1920s and 1930s for his influential poster designs for clients including London Transport and the General Post Office.

In 1943, Cooper left commercial work to focus entirely on painting. In this later phase, he developed a distinctive abstract language informed by his background in graphic design.

Examples of Cooper's later work are held in the collection of the Tate, and the V&A holds examples of his earlier commercial work, reflecting both his contribution to British poster design and his significance as a postwar abstract artist.
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Provenance:

Gimpel Fils
Wenlock Fine Art

Exhibited:

Manitoba, Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba, Austin Cooper: Imponderable Joys, 1993, Cat. No. 35;
London, Gimpel Fils Gallery, Works on Paper, Christmas, 1979, Cat. No. 8;
Rome, Roma-New York Art Foundation, 1961