‘Radical and joyous’: Beryl Cook show aims to prove she was a serious artist

Major retrospective in Plymouth, her adopted city, presents her as a skilful chronicler of social transformation

In her lifetime Beryl Cook’s colourful, vibrant paintings tended to be dismissed by most critics as mere kitsch or whimsy.

A major retrospective of Cook’s work opening in her adopted city of Plymouth at the weekend makes the case that she was a serious, significant artist who skilfully chronicled a tumultuous period of social transformation.

“This is absolutely a moment for Beryl Cook,” said Terah Walkup, the curator at the Box, where the finishing touches are being put to the Pride and Joy show. “It’s so exciting – the place is awash with colour.” Like many staff members, Walkup was wearing an item of leopard-pattern clothing as she worked on the exhibition, a nod to a favourite Cook motif.

“Beryl Cook wasn’t painting caricatures,” she said. “She was documenting communities and identities that were actively marginalised with affection, mastery and honesty. Her work from the 1970s to 2000s captures working-class joy, body positivity, and queer culture.”