The art world looked down its nose at Beryl Cook, however there’s something endearing about her paintings of depicting some of the colourful characters she encountered her adopted hometown of Plymouth. The very larger-than-life characters emphasised.

If the artworld was arrogant, the public was enthusiastic with her paintings reaching around £40,000. In addition, for populist art there’s much to commend Cook’s work unlike the S&M soft porn of Jack Vettriano or the obscene chocolate box style of Thomas Kinkade. No, I rather like the Cook’s bright colours and larger than life characters that celebrate, our albeit, unusual everyday lives. Although, that said, I wouldn’t hang her pictures on my walls nor would I bother to visit an exhibition of her paintings.

Benefits Supervisor Sleeping, 1995

The 1995 painting “Benefits Supervisor Sleeping” by Lucian Freud a painting of Sue Tiley when she was a Jobcentre supervisor has set a new world record for the price for a work by a living artist a whooping $33.6 million (£17.2 million). I find it satisfying that the painting sold for considerably more than the £3.9 million his portrait of Kate Moss reached in 2005. Source: The BBC.

Photo of Sue Tiley

Marcel Duchamp, Nude Descending a Staircase, No.2 1912

I’ve always thought Duchamp to be one of the most important artists, maybe more so than Picasso, but that’s just personal taste. Until the 26th May, you can judge for yourself at The Tate modern exhibition of Duchamp, Man Ray and Picabia subtitled “The Moment Art Changed Forever”. I shan’t be able to make it (shame on me) but if you get the chance go – I guess you’re not going to take my word for it – how about The Guardian’s Adrian Searle who writes.

This exhibition and its accompanying catalogue do much to bring the complications, developing attitudes and complexities of these three artists to life. It also highlights changing social mores and the ways art has been made over the past century. Rather than presenting us with closure and academic posturings, Duchamp, Man Ray, Picabia makes the best of their art look vital again, dangerous and alive.