Zinzinnati Ohio USA: The Maps of Courttney Cooper

Intuit is thrilled to exhibit a collection of Courttney Cooper's hand-drawn maps. Considered one of Cincinnati's most talented contemporary artists, Cooper uses a ballpoint pen to draw intricate aerial scenes of his home city.

Cooper's dynamic maps are drawn on repurposed paper collected from his job at a Kroger grocery store, a chain based in Cincinnati. Each map is created completely from memory and frequently incorporates text to supplement detailed drawings. Depicted within the many pen strokes is a unique moment in time, as experienced by Cooper while walking through Cincinnati's neighborhoods. Cooper's work has been exhibited locally, regionally, and nationally, notably at the Cincinnati Art Museum and has been included in Manifest Gallery's National Drawing Catalog.

"The history of maps as art goes back hundreds, if not thousands, of years," explains exhibition curator and Intuit board Vice President Matt Arient. "Courttney Cooper's hand drawn maps of Cincinnati add another layer to this long legacy. Stitched together from various pieces of recycled paper-reminiscent of road maps often stuffed in car doors and pockets-the level of detail Courttney lays out speaks to our innate sense of both memory and place."

Since early 2004, Cooper has been creating his work with Visionaries + Voices, a non-profit organization that provides representation, studio space, supplies and support to more than 140 visual artists with disabilities.