ART: British Artist Beryl Cook

                         Girls in a Taxi

Dear Gentle Readers,

   While checking by Facebook Author Page for activity, I came across a post from my friend and fellow art enthusiast,

 Elizabeth Monroe, and at first, I was a little taken by surprise.  Was there a photographer following my female family 

members and me around town?  Do I have the dreaded...(gasp)...paparazzi? After all, we are a family of full-sized women. 

Our family reunions look like a Miss Piggy look-alike contest. We are great cooks and we like to have our friends and 

family over for big meals and big laughs.

After I decided this wasn't really us, I found these prints to be delightful and lighthearted.  And fun.  I hope you will enjoy 

these "Ruebens with a sense of humor," Botticellis with a big-bunned sense of humor, Bouchers On Carbos, Montaubans 

Wearing Clothes, I could go on and on...and on. 

Hugs,

Carol  


    The Art Studio

Directly from Wikipedia:

 Beryl Cook,(10 September 1926 – 28 May 2008) was an English artist best known for her original and instantly 

recognizable paintings of people enjoying themselves in pubs, girls shopping or out on a hen night, drag shows or 

a family picnicking by the seaside or abroad – tangoing in Buenos Aires or gambling in Las Vegas. She had no 

formal training and did not take up painting until middle age. She went to Kendrick Grammar School located in 

Reading, Berkshire, England.

Cook was a shy and private person, often depicting the flamboyant and extrovert characters she would like 

to be. She had an almost photographic memory.

Cook started painting when living in Southern Rhodesia with her husband and young son, and     

continued to paint on returning to England during the 60’s, but only began to sell her work in the mid 70’s

She found new material for her work while travelling. Early local scenes expanded those depicting Buenos Aires, 

New York, Cuba, Paris and Barcelona.


The Park

Cook admired the work of the English visionary artist Stanley Spencer, his influence evident in her compositions 

and bold bulky figures, as well as several of her pictures depicting a similarly religious aspect; e.g. Noah, 

The Virgin and Jonah & The Whale. Another influence was Edward Burra, who painted sleazy cafes, nightclubs,

 gay bars, sailors and prostitutes, although, unlike Burra, she did not paint the sinister aspects of scenes. 

She was described by Victoria Wood as "Rubens with jokes". Beryl Cook's work can be seen in context with 

the British tradition of social realist painters and could be described as a twentieth century Hogarth or Gilray, 

although she had a more sympathetic view of the human race. She was, like them above all a social observer. 

In 1979 a film was made about Beryl Cook for LWT's South Bank Show. The TV company Tiger Aspect made 

two half-hour award winning animated films of Beryl Cook's irrepressible women who meet at Plymouth's

Dolphin Pub. Entitled 'Bosom Pals' had an all star cast of voices with Dawn French, Rosemary Leach, 

Alison Steadman andTimothy Spall. They were screened on BBC1 in February 2004.

                                                                                                                          

The Red Umbrella
Beryl Cook was made an O.B.E. in 1995. In 2005 Channel 4 News presented a short film of Beryl and her 

work, she was also the featured artist in The Culture Show in 2006. Beryl Cook's paintings have been acquired 

by Glasgow Museum of Modern Art, Bristol City Art Gallery, Plymouth Art Gallery and Durham Museum. 

The Baltic, Gateshead had a major Beryl Cook Exhibition in 2007, and a full retrospect exhibition was put on 

by Plymouth University after her death in November and December 2008. In 2010 several of Beryl Cook's 

paintings were loaned to Tate Britain for their exhibition 'Rude Britannia – British Comic Art', Bristol City Art 

Gallery and Museum held a retrospective exhibition in 2011.

Cha Cha Cha              

Publications : 'The Works' ( John Murray 1978   ) 'Private View' ( John Murray 1980 ) 'Seven Years and a Day'

 ( Collins 1980 ) 'One Man Show' ( John Murray 1981 ) 'Bertie and the Big Red Ball' ( John Murray 1982 ) 

'My Granny was a frightful bore' ( Chrysalis Books 1983 ) 'Beryl Cook's New York' ( John Murray 1985 )

 'Beryl Cook's London ( John Murray 1988 ) 'Bouncers' ( Gollancz 1992 )'Happy Days' ( Gollancz 1995 ) 

'Cruising' (Gollancz 2000 ) 'Beryl Cook: ' The Bumper Edition ' ( Gollancz 2000 )'The World of Beryl Cook' 

by Jess Wilder & Jerome Sans ( Prestel 2007 ) revised by Jess Wilder in 2008 ( Prestel ) 'Rude Britannia- 

British Comic Art, Catalogue Tate Britain 2010. www.berylcook.co



None of these photos or background articles are mine; nothing is my own work except for the first paragraph.  

All information is from:
www.wikipedia.com
www.berylcook.com
www.amazon.com
www.cheap-r.com
www.berylcookprints.com

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