The Cocoon Series

E. E. McCollum’s “Cocoon” series takes its name from the mesh body cocoon in which he shrouds his subjects. Originally drawn to the sculptural quality the stretched fabric creates, he then became interested in the transformation of the figure. The body remains visible inside the fabric – limbs, torso, face, hands all recognizable inside the space of the cocoon yet changed, verging toward anonymity and unfamiliarity. Later in the development of the series, McCollum shows more recognizable faces and combines two figures, but the sense of transformation remains. We see the figure through a scrim, and doing so helps us see it anew.