Letters of America: Robert Cottingham’s alphabet finds a home at OSU

Letters of America: Robert Cottingham's alphabet finds a home at OSU

Tuesday, November 11, 2025

Media Contact: Amy Juarez | OSU Museum of Art Marketing and Communications | 405-744-2783 | [email protected]

"Robert Cottingham: An American Alphabet" will open at the Oklahoma State University Museum of Art on Nov. 18.

The exhibition features 26 works by the artist Cottingham, a keen observer of the built environment who playfully constructed the alphabet from photographs he captured of city life. By using hidden angles, shadows and cropped inspirations, Cottingham was able to transform seemingly mundane features into renowned works of art.

Cottingham turned to often-overlooked elements, such as graffiti, advertisements and buildings, for inspiration. By using a long-focus telephoto lens, Cottingham captured various signs and faraway imagery. He then cropped up the images to extract specific letters and used graphite, gouache and oil to create individual artworks. Together they form "An American Alphabet," a collection of 26 letters that is part of the OSU Museum of Art's permanent collection.

Carla Shelton, assistant director at the OSU Museum of Art, curated the exhibition. Shelton has worked at the museum since the pieces were donated by the late Tulsa collector, George R. Kravis II, in 2018. She has worked closely with the collection, so she knows firsthand how fantastic the works are in the collection.

"I think the exhibition has contemporary relevance as we consider what should and shouldn't be preserved for the sake of historical memory, and who gets to make those decisions," Shelton said. "For example, historic buildings are often replaced by modern ones that may be more energy efficient and accessible, but what do we lose in the process? Even a business updating or returning to a historic logo raises similar questions about change, identity, and what and how we choose to remember."

Although each work stands strongly on its own, seeing the entire alphabet presented together offers a powerful look at Cottingham's exploration of typography and American culture.

With this series, Cottingham asks visitors to re-examine the rush of imagery that assaults their senses and that they must parse for meaning. In returning to the foundation of language, both visual and verbal - the alphabet, he reminds viewers of the power of paying attention to even seemingly insignificant aspects of daily life.

"Robert Cottingham: An American Alphabet" will be on view from Nov. 18, 2025 to Feb. 14, 2026.

For more information on the exhibition, education opportunities and general museum information, visitmuseum.okstate.edu.

Funding for this season is provided by Marilynn and Carl Thoma, Lou Watkins and the OSU Museum of Art Advocates.  

Story By: Ashton Miller | [email protected]