Guy Cooper’s life is a dichotomy between art and science, as an award-winning multi-instrumentalist musician, sculptor, music producer, composer, manager & music publisher for his studio Serotonin Productions and record label Human Records. Through his studio and label on the Gold Coast over the last 20 years, Guy has composed over 400 tracks, produced over 1600 songs and sold over 9 million records, he has 3 gold records, 6 Australian Music Awards, 4 QLD music awards, 4 Gold Coast music awards, and has produced songs that have won a Latin Grammy and a couple of Aria’s.
He has performed on stage as an artist around Australia countless times and throughout Japan and Europe. He currently performs live in 3 bands, having just finished a 13-show tour in Japan, mo-hawk up, with his punk band Charlie Rebel and an upcoming Japan tour including a stop at Surfers live Festival with his partner Lou from Banks of the Beautiful. He spends most of his week when not on stage, running his studio and label, lecturing and sculpting.
Guy lectures in music production and major projects at SAE Brisbane and entrepreneurial arts at Griffith University’s Bachelor of Creative Industries. He has an honours degree in popular music from the Conservatorium of Music, a physics degree in Astrobiology and his masters in creative industries focused on sculpture. He is passionate about the ability of public art to create a conversation on the environment. He is also currently starting his PHD in Creative Arts and Physics.
In 2017 he was battling cancer and instead of burning in flames, he became the fire, walked out of Robina hospital after a treatment, bought a mig-welder and built a 1.3 tonne, 12m, kinetic wind harp shaped like Migaloo the white whale and based on the detailed whale song. The sculpture won the people’s choice award and environmental awareness award at the 2017 Swell Sculpture Festival and he recently followed this up and exhibited a giant, kinetic, solar-powered, functioning music box, calling on Poseidon, god of the sea, to come and stop the proposed Adani mine. Both musical kinetic sculpture/instruments were also used to compose songs with over 60 local musicians and raising over $10,000 for Sea Shepard Australia and Gold Coast #StopAdani.
Guy has a detailed and technical creative mind for both his music and art. He is very dedicated and extremely hard-working, an inspirational teacher and mentor to the 100’s of artists that work for him, are students of his and engage as interns for his businesses. A member of NAVA and QLD Sculptors he has spent 2019 working on sculpture commissions for Earth Frequency Festival, Nerang Botanical Bazar several private pieces. An arts leader on the Gold Coast he is currently on the RADF board, music board and was selected as one of 10 participants and the only sculptor in the Generate GC arts program for 2019-2021.
2020 SWELL ARTWORK – Guardians of the Gold Coast, Guy Cooper
Our city houses many guardians, the protectors of our people, the unsung heroes of the Gold Coast. From the lifeguards at the beach to the firefighters protecting our homes, the social workers helping those most in need and the police guarding the safety of our community. This sculpture honours the medical staff of Gold Coast Health and the sacrifices they make, expressing my appreciation and respect to the nurses, doctors and hospital staff that save our lives every day, the Guardians of the Gold Coast.
Come and see for yourself at SWELL Sculpture Festival, Pacific Parade, Currumbin 11-20 September.