The artist’s critically acclaimed collection is up for auction in Cornwall

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 major solo exhibitions at the Whitechapel Gallery and the Serpentine Gallery. His work is included in the collections of prestigious institutions such as Tate, Arts Council of Great Britain and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

As Cornwall’s adopted son, artist Barrie Cook cut a distinct but much-loved figure in his home on the lizard. He barely missed a day’s work in his studio, an old Methodist hall in Ruan Minor, which he and his wife Mary bought 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 unassuming character and liked to spend his afternoons in the Cadgwith Cove Inn chatting with the local fishermen after coming in for lunch.

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Cook enjoyed success as an artist and educator, holding prestigious solo exhibitions 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 respected head of fine art at Birmingham Polytechnic, his hometown.

His palette brightened 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 necessary for 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 fine art context. His pioneering influence has been compared to other great Cornish abstract artists Bridget Riley and Patrick Heron, but also to international stars such as Mark Rothko.

Barrie died in 2020 aged 91, followed two days later by his wife Mary. Four years after his death, Lay’s Auctioneers will hold a major studio sale of his remaining works. The large exhibition sales space will be beautifully hung with multiple paintings by Barrie, creating an exciting sensory exhibition experience.

For lovers of 20th century art, the collection will be well worth seeing and the sale also represents an extraordinary opportunity to acquire the work of a much-revered British artist.

The 236-lot Barrie Cook Studio sale takes place on August 1 at 10am in Lay’s Penzance saleroom and the full catalog can be viewed online at www.laysauctioneers.co.uk.

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