Plymouth: An Introduction to Beryl Cook

Beryl Cook is a much adored artist who was never truly accepted by the art establishment.  Her paintings featured everyday people in Plymouth and provide an engaging insight in to the social history of a time and a place.  She often painted people who were effectively marginalised, those everyday, perfectly normal things that just were not documented, as well as those groups that were just generally not seen.  She was an early champion of LBGTQ+ and there is very little documentation of their social groups from this time.  No photographs exist of some of the places she painted.

It's her gentle humour and overwhelming interest in people that really comes through.  Her figures are full figured, generous and full of character.  Her art also featured women and their every day lives.  So much of art is all about men and where women are included, it's often about their beauty, rather than their personality or achievements.  Beryl loved personality.

I grew up very aware of her work.  She was probably my mother's favourite artist and often featured on cards sent to friends.  Growing up, a good family friend would save every Beryl Cook image she came across and place them on the walls of her downstairs toilet.  Greetings Cards, prints or cuttings from a magazine, it didn't matter.  

I think over time, she has been a little forgotten nationally, but Plymouth has never forgotten her.  Celebrating 100 years since her birth, as well as 50 years since the launch of her national profile as an artist, the city has embraced the opportunity to host a retrospective of her work.  The main exhibition is at the Box and features more than 80 of her works.  Four sculptures of loved figures from her paintings have been temporarily placed around the city.  They have been so popular, permission is being sought for them to remain in place until 2029 and two additional sculptures have been commissioned.  Karst gallery has an exhibition featuring artists inspired by Beryl or that feature some aspect of her ethos, such as her generosity or looking at LGBTQ2+ communities.

The hope is that in looking back at her work, not only will it be introduced to younger generations but that it will also take it's rightful place in art history.  Her work should not be dismissed as kitsch.  She honestly and truthfully depicted the community she lived in with great skill.  I think her work could be described as being naïve but I don't think it is at all.  I think it was a conscious choice and a manifestation of the joy and humour she viewed the world with.  

Watching old interviews with her, she was very personable.  She was a perfectly normal British housewife.  She was actually a little introverted and would often be the one sat looking at the action, rather being the centre of it.  She observed with great humour.  

When we went to Plymouth to look at the sculptures, we visited Plymouth Market and there was a stall with two ladies knitting and selling their work.  They were having a laugh, chatting as they knitted.  I could imagine a Beryl Cook painting of them both.  I think we could all use a little of Beryl's perspective.  Choosing joy, choosing to be an optimist and spreading all those positive things really is such a powerful thing.  It is not as if the 80's were all sunshine.  I grew up with the threats of Russia during the Cold War and IRA terrorism.  These are not things Beryl focused on.  She didn't push anyone to the edge of society, instead she held a door and welcomed everyone in.  She saw everyone.

Why wouldn't we want to celebrate her and her vision?  We are so lucky she shared them with us.