The Eternal Present
Eye Zen Archival Services Latest Project: Preserving the Archive of Paul Cotton/aka Adam II.
The work of conceptual artist Paul Cotton/aka Adam II defies simple categorization. As an archivist working intimately with his collection, I've found myself increasingly drawn to both his artistic vision and unwavering convictions. This blog post shares my experience working with this remarkable artist and his legacy.
“The body is an envelope for the breath”
-Paul Cotton/aka Adam II
Cotton is a multi-disciplinary conceptual, installation, and body artist whose major works span from 1965 through the 1990s. His art explores the concept of "eternal presence" in the here and now, primarily utilizing the live nude body—often his own—as his medium. He views the body as an envelope for the breath and a vessel for life force. I interpret his work as an intervention challenging our society's double standard: appreciating the nude body in art while rejecting it in real life.
Deeply influenced by the Berkeley Free Speech Movement of the 1960s-70s and humanity's first moon landing, Cotton gained international recognition for his large-scale sculptures activated through live performance. His projects explore existential themes through various archetypal figures, particularly Hermes, and engage directly with philosopher Norman O. Brown's seminal works Love's Body and Life Against Death.
Cotton's work often employs humor and textual references through prophetic puns, prose, and poetry to address complex philosophical and existential questions of the postmodern era. His piece The Random House Converter, a series of five sequential frames, deconstructs traditional painting's picture plane, offering a lens through which to examine the illusory framework of contemporary life.
The companion piece, The Astral-Naught Rabb-Eye, features a Hermes-inspired messenger in a hermaphroditic rabbit suit bearing a caduceus and other symbolic elements—all designed to awaken contemporary society from its metaphorical slumber.
His work has been extensively documented and featured in numerous group exhibitions, including Harald Szeemann's groundbreaking show When Attitude Becomes Form, Kunsthalle, Bern Switzerland (1969). Some highlights were also Documenta 5, Kassel, Germany, (1972); State of Mind: New California Art Circa 1970,(BAM/PFA, 2012), and Out of Actions (MOCA Los Angeles, 1998). The themes he explored—particularly regarding bodily autonomy and governmental control—remain startlingly relevant today.
Currently, I am working to preserve and protect this remarkable archive for future placement in an appropriate repository. We need to raise $15,000 to properly process and preserve this important collection. These funds will be used to:
Provide equitable wages for myself and a paid intern to process and catalogue over 50 boxes of materials
Digitize a vast array of media including VHS videos, 35mm slides, photographs, and audio tapes
Document and preserve large sculptural works and ephemera
Remediate damaged items and preserve materials vulnerable to decay
Create a comprehensive digital archive and website documenting his work and legacy
Facilitate the placement of the collection in an appropriate institutional repository for long-term preservation
You can support this effort through:
Tax-deductible donations via [Insert Link]
Direct contributions through Venmo [Insert Handle]
Questions or inquiries through our contact page
I'll be sharing more about Paul Cotton/aka Adam II's life, art, and the archival process through regular updates as I continue working with him in his studio. Stay tuned for future posts documenting this important preservation project."
Thank you for your support,
Seth
