Bouncers

by Beryl Cook, Joe Whitlock Blundell (Introduction)

Here [vignette above the blurb] is Britain's best-loved artist taking a sedate turn around the dance floor with her husband, John, In a rare break from her tireless work at the easel. for the rest of the time she is occupied in creating paintings of such rumbustious character that, in order to accommodate them, we have had to expand this spanking new book in every direction.

Beryl starts by taking us on her recent travels, witnessing a lovers' tryst over breakfast croissants in the Gare du Nore, tasting the colourful nightlife of Barcelona and experiencing the dizzy heights of Hollywood. Back home in England, whilst Beryl enjoys the occasional night at the theatre, she really prefers evenings spent in the sorts of pubs and clubs usually considered unsuitable for such a genteel lady artist.

But wherever she goes she has an unfailing talent for seeing, enjoying and capturing the spice of life. Her voluptuous, carefree people live triumphantly n the present, displaying a vigour, humour and confidence that makes us laugh our loud an brighten the world we live in.

64 pages, Hardcover

First published October 10, 1991

About the author

Beryl Cook, OBE (10 September 1926 – 28 May 2008) was a British artist best known for her original and instantly recognisable paintings. Often comical, her works pictured people whom she encountered in everyday life, including people enjoying themselves in pubs, girls shopping or out on a hen night, drag queen shows or a family picnicking by the seaside or abroad. She had no formal training and did not take up painting until her thirties. She was a shy and private person and in her art often depicted the flamboyant and extrovert characters she would have liked to have been.

Reviews

[Paul Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Victor Gollancz Ltd] (1991). 1/1. HB/DJ. 64 Pages. Loosely inserted, a leaflet for an Alexander Gallery exhibition (18/06/2011-27/08/2011). Purchased from AwesomeBooks.

Beryl Cook (1926-2008) was a humble, witty, razor-sharp, playful, idiosyncratic, perceptive artistic genius whose joie de vivre oozes from these wonderful images of domestic and overseas scenes.

More masterpieces from a lady who was in love with life.

~50 works are reproduced in colour here, in her sixth collection; many with charming, accompanying commentary.

There’s something mind-bending about “Virgin and Child”…

Marvellous stuff, redolent of Gary Larson, P. G. Wodehouse, Donald McGill, Rupert Fawcett…

[Gerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always adored Beryl Cook's paintings and always admired how she keeps sketches in notebooks (even to the extent of making drawings in the confines of her handbag when she is noting someone close by!) and takes photographs when out and about for future use in her compositions ... and there are quite a few examples of that in this delightfully colourful 'Bouncers'.

Whether witnessing a lovers' tryst over breakfast croissants in Paris's Gare du Nord, watching an ex-music Hall star in a night club in Barcelona, enjoying watching life go by in a crowded café in Hollywood, admiring the ambience in a New York coffee bar, enjoying an evening at Glyndebourne, wining and ding while listening to a pianist in Philadelphia, people watching in the splendid Los Angeles Art Deco railway station, even capturing a portrait of a wartgog while living in Africa, even recalling a tale told by a policeman of an episode during the Plymouth Carnival, or simply observing everyday activities wherever she happened too be, including observing the bouncers gathering prior to giving a song and dance performance for the customers, the paintings in this book are all populated by Beryl's larger than life characters or occasionally animals. And as for the sleepy eyed warthog named Basil he got top billing when the Portal Gallery wanted a pig picture for one of their shows!

Beryl always had an eye for fashion, particularly of the leopard print variety and this features prominently in many of the paintings, with the lady of Marseilles 'dressed in a minute [and very tight] leopardskin [hot pants] outfit and sporting a golden tan' perhaps the pick of the crop!

There are many more enticing scenes, including one with Beryl and her husband John in one entitled 'Twinkletoes' in which they disport themselves in appropriate costume in an attractive Latin American pose.

It is indeed a fabulously attractive book and one which will bring pleasure every time it is looked at,
which if one is looking to be cheered up will be quite often.

Added to the charm of the book there is a delightful and informative three-page introduction by Joe Whitlock Blundell that gives lost of personal detail of Beryl's life and how she developed her art. I can understand that her art may not be to everyone's taste but to me Beryl Cook is undoubtedly an icon of British in modern times.