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 (aka Touko Laaksonen), 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.
