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The Arts Intel Report

Will Cotton: Between Instinct and Reason

Will Cotton

May 7 – June 28, 2025
293 10th Avenue, New York City, NY 10001, United States

“I used to do this a lot with real cakes, but of course that’s a very temporary situation.” Will Cotton, now 60, may have stopped using actual baked goods but his creations are still just as sweet. Cotton’s art confronts desire through a utopian depiction of mythical creatures—cowboys, unicorns—and seductive confections such as candies and meringues. Now mermaids have appeared in his canvases, powerful creatures irresistible to men and as happy to kill them as to kiss them. —Henry McGrath