Culture

Artist Beryl Cook dies aged 81

by Jarrett Martineau | May 28, 2008 at 09:08 am

497 views | 10 Recommendations | 4 comments

British artist Beryl Cook, who was known for her comical paintings of people, has passed away at the age of 81.

Beryl Cook, the populist and bawdy painter of a thousand iconic fat women,died at the age of 81 today.
Jess Wilder, co-owner of London’s Portal Gallery, which shows Cook’spaintings, said: “She died peacefully this morning with her family aroundher.”

Cook was known for the vibrant, fun-loving and over-sized characters thatcavorted across her paintings but she was notoriously shy away from thecanvas. She refused to attend her exhibitions and would not even appear atBuckingham Palace in 1995 to accept an OBE.

During a rare interview to celebrate her 80th birthday, Cook told The Timesthat when she died she would like her ashes scattered in Littlewoods, thedefiantly everyday High Street clothing chain.

Her paintings were always popular with the public, but never welcomed by thecultural elite who dismissed her work as seaside postcard slapstick. None ofher works were ever added to the Tate gallery collections.
"I don't mind in the least," she said in 2006. "All I everwanted was for people like me to enjoy my pictures. So I don't worry aboutthe Tate one iota."

1 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend This comment thread is now closed

Amy Judd

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 09:15 on May 28th, 2008

Jarrett Martineau, I like this story. It's good stuff. That's sad - I've seen some of her paintings; they were very unusual and always interesting.

I'm not sure Littlewoods would want her ashes scattered in their shop however!

annaspiv

at 06:25 on May 29th, 2008

An old photo of me with my print of a Beryl Cook painting of three jolly ladies getting on a bus for a night out.
It's got pride of place in my front room.
Beryl was my favourite modern artist.

annaspiv has contributed a photo to this story.

banstead

at 07:43 on May 29th, 2008

In the late 1980s when I was a television producer, I worked with Beryl
on a couple of occasions. We filmed at her house near The Hoe in
Plymouth - and she was as large as life and as much fun to be with as
her characters. And boy, did she have a laugh... it echoed round the
room and hit the rafters! I rememeber her with affection. When we finished filming, she signed a picture for me - the one uploaded here.

Plymography

at 12:09 on May 29th, 2008

"Lego Bob" is my object that I have to take a photo of everyday for the "One Object 365 Days Project" group on flickr.

He was a big fan of her fun paintings that showed the lighter and fun side to his home city of Plymouth. Beryl had lived in the city for many years. Both her work and Beryl where great ambassadors for Plymouth.

She will be sadly missed in the city especially around the Hoe and Barbican areas where a lot of he work was based and she lived.

Plymography has contributed a photo to this story.