Michael David Cook (born 1953) is an American painter and professor. He is an emeritus professor of painting and drawing at the University of New Mexico. Early life and education Cook was born in 1953 in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. He completed his schooling at Central High School in Bushey, Hertfordshire, England, in 1971. In 1975, he completed his Bachelor's in Fine Arts at Florida State University. A year later, he received his M.A. from the University of Dallas and subsequently went to the University of Oklahoma, receiving his M.F.A. in 1978. Career After completing his graduation in 1978, Cook moved to Illinois, where he joined the School of Art and Design of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign as a visiting artist, where he started working on his nuclear and thermonuclear paintings. He has worked as a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Department of Art and Design at the University of Illinois, Chicago, Visiting Artist at the University of California, Berkeley, and special guest faculty at the San Francisco Art Institute before joining the University of New Mexico as an Assistant Professor and as an Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Technology. Cook developed "Nature and Technology," an intensive field study class as part of the D.H. Lawrence Ranch Workshops, whose structure has been adopted in several department classes. Cook's work has been exhibited in various venues, including The New Museum, New York, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, Art Institute of Chicago, Albuquerque Museum, Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, Museum of Fine Arts in Santa Fe, Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, Chicago, University Art Museum, University of Arizona, Tucson, Museum of Fine Arts, The Museum School Gallery, Boston, Massachusetts, as well as commercial galleries. Exhibitions have received critical attention in The New York Times, Art News, The New Art Examiner, The San Francisco Chronicle, and The Magazine, among others. His work is in several public and private collections. Selected exhibitions Solo exhibitions 1982: Michael Cook, Paintings and Drawings, N.A.M.E. Gallery, Chicago, Illinois, March 1982. 1983: Michael Cook: Paintings and Drawings, The Grayson Gallery, Chicago, Illinois; March 25 - April 26, 1983. 1984: Michael Cook: Paintings and Drawings, The Wenger Gallery, San Diego, California, February 24 - April 2, 1984. 1986: Michael Cook: Suite 71645, Painting and Drawing, Janet Steinberg Gallery, San Francisco, California, April 30 - May 31, 1986. 1989: Michael Cook: Recent and Past Work, University Art Museum, University