Will Cotton Discusses Landscape Painting, Process, and Historical Influences in Artcritical Interview

Will Cotton describes his paintings as landscapes, emphasizing scale and viewpoint to create monumental scenes. He references the Hudson River School—Frederick Church, Albert Bierstadt, Thomas Cole—and Claude Monet for their constructed scenery, noting Church's landscaping at Olana in Hudson, New York. Cotton builds maquettes in his studio, using photography and digital tools like Photoshop for color manipulation, while valuing tactile discoveries from materials like chocolate and gingerbread. He cites Dutch 17th-century still life painters for texture and technique, and mentions influences from Bouguereau and pin-up painting for depicting figures. The interview, published on January 22, 2008, explores his process of creating believable fictions through traditional and contemporary methods.