A major retrospective of Beryl Cook's work, titled "Pride and Joy," is on view at The Box in Plymouth, UK. The exhibition showcases the self-taught artist's vibrant paintings of plus-sized, joyful women in social settings, challenging the long-held art-world snobbery that previously excluded her work from major institutions like the Tate.
Cook's rehabilitation signals a significant reassessment of her artistic merit, positioning her as a keen observer of gender, class, and body image, particularly within the LGBTQ+ communities of 1970s-80s Plymouth. Her work is now recognized not merely for its saucy humor, but as a valuable visual document of social history and a celebration of pleasure free from shame, aligning her with other once-marginalized figures like Tom of Finland.