Barrie Cook (1929-2020) was a Birmingham-born artist who moved to Cornwall in 1992. He received critical acclaim for his Continuum series in the 1960s/70s, and held important solo shows at the Whitechapel Gallery and Serpentine Gallery. His work is included in the collections of prestigious institutions such as the Tate, the Arts Council of Great Britain, and the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.
As an adopted son of Cornwall, the artist Barrie Cook cut a distinctive, but much-loved figure in his home on the Lizard. He barely missed a day working in his studio, an old Methodist hall in Ruan Minor, that he and his wife Mary purchased in 1992 after being persuaded to move to Cornwall by his good friend and fellow artist, Sir Terry Frost. Like Frost, Cook was a down to earth and totally unpretentious character and liked to spend his afternoons in the Cadgwith Cove Inn chatting to the local fishermen, having popped in for lunch.
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Cook enjoyed success as an artist and an educator, having had prestigious solo shows at the Whitechapel Art Gallery and the Serpentine Gallery in the 1970s and 80s. He was also a senior fellow at Cardiff College of Art, and a highly respected Head of Fine Art at Birmingham Polytechnic, his home town.
His palette lightened after his move to Cornwall and his previously industrial hues found a new vibrancy. Cook felt he had found his spiritual home. Although a talented draughtsman and figurative artist, Barrie chose the path of abstraction, enjoying “the huge amount of internal creativity and invention required in abstract painting.”
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Cook’s medium was spray paint and he pushed the boundaries of this unusual choice, cementing it as a versatile and respected technique in the context of fine art. His pioneering influence has been compared to other great Cornish-based abstract artists Bridget Riley and Patrick Heron, but also international stars like Mark Rothko.
Barrie died in 2020 at the age of 91, followed two days later by his wife Mary. Four years on from his death, Lay’s Auctioneers will be holding an important studio sale of his remaining works. The large exhibition saleroom space will be beautifully hung with multiples of Barrie’s paintings creating an exciting sensory exhibition experience.
For lovers of 20th century art, the collection will be well worth viewing and the sale also represents an extraordinary opportunity to purchase the work of a highly revered British artist.
The Barrie Cook Studio Sale with 236 lots takes place on August 1 at 10am in Lay’s Penzance saleroom and the entire catalogue can be viewed online at www.laysauctioneers.co.uk.
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