Beryl Cook's Centenary Exhibition: A Vibrant Ode to Everyday Joy
In the world of English art, two contrasting visions often dominate: the idyllic countryside scenes of pastoral beauty or the stark depictions of industrial hardship and urban poverty. However, the late artist Beryl Cook carved out a unique and celebratory niche, capturing the exuberant spirit of working-class life with humour and affection. Now, on what would have been her 100th birthday, her hometown of Plymouth is hosting a major retrospective exhibition titled Pride and Joy, showcasing her distinctive and joyful perspective.
From Guesthouse to Gallery: The Rise of a Self-Taught Artist
Beryl Cook's artistic journey began modestly in Plymouth, where she ran a guesthouse on the historic Hoe waterfront. During the 1970s, she filled the property with her early paintings, which initially displayed a tentative and somewhat messy style. By 1974, however, Cook had found her confident voice. Her signature hallmarks emerged: scenes of drinking, dancing, dressing up, and laughter, populated by characters with plump figures, bursting bosoms, cartoonish dot eyes, and sausage-like noses. This uniformity in her figures, distinguished mainly by hairstyles or outfits, lent them a universal and immediately recognisable quality.
Her breakthrough came in 1975 when an antique-dealing friend offered to sell some of her paintings to free up space. This led to a rapid ascent in the art world, with a show at Plymouth Art Centre that same year, followed by a more prominent exhibition at London's Whitechapel Gallery in 1976. Soon, her work graced magazine covers, she authored children's books, and she was awarded an OBE, cementing her status as a beloved cultural figure.
The Unabashed Celebration of Working-Class Frivolity
Cook's art is renowned for its bawdy, boozy, and knee-slapping depictions of English life. The exhibition features revellers collapsing during karaoke, giggling women spilling out of pubs on hen-dos, and girls in miniskirts playing pool or laughing uproariously at a male stripper. Her paintings portray a world of pints, laughter, and dancing; of pubs, gay bars, and cabarets; where private desires are joyfully lived out in public spaces.
The saucier side of her work includes humorous images of whip-wielding dominatrixes and a wall of self-portraits exploring personal fantasies, such as dancing naked with reading glasses on or smoking in lingerie. Yet, Cook's humour extends beyond the risqué, with witty details like graffiti reading Nigel is a wanker in a bus shelter scene or a rival fan being strangled in the background of a football celebration.
Beyond the Bawdy: Intimate Moments and Emotional Depth
While Cook is celebrated for her exuberant scenes, the exhibition also reveals a more earnest and emotional side to her work. Intimate paintings depict her son and husband felting a shed roof, her granddaughter on a swing, and her daughter-in-law bringing mugs of tea, all captured with gentle smiles and genuine love. These family moments are portrayed without sentimentality, offering a heartfelt counterpoint to her more public-facing works.
The show further explores Cook's artistic inspirations, citing Old Masters like Bruegel and Rubens, and her experiments with sculpture, including painted toilet seats. A companion exhibition at the Karst gallery features contemporary artists like Olivia Sterling, Flo Brooks, and Rhys Coren, whose works share thematic or aesthetic links with Cook's legacy, adding a modern dimension to the celebration.
A Legacy of Body Positivity and Joyful Resilience
At a time when many serious artists focused on the bleakness of working-class life, Beryl Cook offered a refreshing alternative: a body-positive, joyous depiction of everyday England. Her art allowed people from all walks of life—sailors, strippers, gay, straight—to see their experiences reflected in vibrant colour. Her message was simple yet profound: Cheer up, mate, have a pint!
Cook's enduring appeal lies in her belief that the ordinary is extraordinary, that life is filled with laughter, joy, and fun. Her work reminds us that being alive is a precious and fantastical experience, worthy of celebration at every turn. The exhibition Beryl Cook: Pride and Joy runs at The Box in Plymouth until 31 May, offering a fun-filled parade of bouncing bosoms, smirky smokers, and heartfelt moments that capture the essence of her unique vision.
