A leading gallery has issued a public plea to art collectors for help in recovering original works by Beryl Cook – one of Britain’s best-loved painters – so they can be included in a new exhibition.
The show will bring together the world of Cook and Finnish artist Tom of Finland – real name Touko Valio Laaksonen – for the first time, exploring the playful and political side of their work.
But since the whereabouts of many of Cook’s paintings are still unknown after they entered personal collections, Studio Voltaire is keen to hear from any owners of original artworks that they could loan.
In particular, it is looking for Cook’s depictions of larger-than-life women carousing in nightclubs, eating in cafes or enjoying ribald hen parties, which were often rendered in graphic and colourful forms.
The painter, who came to prominence in the mid-1970s, is renowned for her exuberant style and depictions of everyday life. Her work chronicled the social milieu of the areas she lived in and visited, notably Plymouth, and was both celebratory and provocative.
Meanwhile, Tom of Finland’s pioneering depictions of homosexual machismo in his images of bikers, cowboys, labourers – as well as uniformed soldiers and sailors – broadly represented queer, leather and muscle communities.
“Both artists commanded avid fanbases, and since Cook came to prominence in the mid-1970s, thousands of people have experienced her work through reproductions, prints, postcards and calendars,” said Joe Scotland, director of Studio Voltaire.
“However, many of Cook’s original paintings entered private collections during her lifetime, and have not been publicly exhibited since. There are now limited records of their whereabouts.
“We would love to hear from anyone who has an original painting and is open to loaning work for the exhibition, particularly Cook’s inimitable depictions of women – confident, defiant and joyous.”
Opening on 15 May, the exhibition, titled Beryl Cook/Tom of Finland, explores the artists’ interconnected ideas surrounding gender, sexuality, taste and class. Both their works – Tom of Finland’s drawings of gay men proudly revelling in their sexuality, and Cook’s camp paintings of women commanding spaces – celebrated pleasure and denied shame.
Tom’s have helped fuel liberation movements and influenced cultural figures including the Village People, Freddie Mercury, Jean Paul Gaultier and the photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.
The exhibition will include materials that have never before been seen by the public, including fanmail, preparatory sketches, source photography, and early publications and merchandise that illuminate the artists’ working processes.
Though both artists had their first solo exhibitions in the 1970s, their work has been more frequently displayed and distributed outside the gallery and museum systems, which helped them gain dedicated followings.
Tom of Finland first published his work via proto-porn “fitness” magazines and a covert but extensive network of friends and followers. Cook’s compositions were widely reproduced in postcards, calendars and prints that brought her work into homes.
Sophie Howe, Cook’s granddaughter, said: “When Joe Scotland first suggested this exhibition, pairing Beryl Cook and Tom of Finland, we [the family of Beryl Cook] were unsure how the artists complemented each other, but we soon realised their works share so much in common.
“During Beryl’s lifetime, her closest friends were members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and it was these friends who encouraged and supported her. She was chiefly interested in painting people socialising and enjoying themselves, and so was Tom. They both have a great sense of humour. Beryl would have been flattered and highly entertained at the prospect of this exhibition, and so are we.”
Durk Dehner, co-founder of the Tom of Finland Foundation, said: “What would Beryl Cook and Tom of Finland say about them being paired in an exhibition? With big smiles, they would be delighted. The two artists both explored and indulged freely in their sensual exploration of bodies.
“As Tom said, ‘Cock size doesn’t matter to me. I didn’t start doing those gigantic cocks until the censors let the magazines publish full-frontal nudity. I had to come up with something you couldn’t get in a photograph. So those big cocks are all for the other guys … I’m an ass man myself.’”
