The body, pleasure and play: Beryl Cook and Tom of Finland united in London

Tom of Finland’s homoeroticism meets Beryl Cook’s female-oriented camp as Studio Voltaire unites work by the two artists in a London exhibition

Left, BERYL COOK Elvira’s Café, 1997, and right, TOM OF FINLAND Untitled, 1964 (from the Athletic Model Guild Motorcycle Thief series)

A playful hyperreality appealed to both Beryl Cook (1926-2008) and Tom of Finland (1920-1991), whose work in the 20th century celebrated pleasure for its own sake. Despite obvious differences between the two artists – the UK’s Cook, with her larger-than-life women cavorting in often quintessentially British settings; and Tom of Finland, who lived in both Finland and the US, and his depictions of a Queer masculinity – they are linked by their consideration of class, gender and sexuality.

Now, the two are being considered side by side in a London art exhibition at Studio Voltaire, looking at both their work and the impact it had on a wider audience. Here, curator Nicola Wright tells us what unites them.

SEE THE COMPLETE INTERVIEW BY HANNAH SILVER

Published: 10th July 2024

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