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"An Oeuf is An Oeuf"

"a shining omelette of eggstasy" The Croydon Eggsaminer

I have had the pleasure  recently of visiting the above display of the work of the late, lamented and little known photographer Ivor Coope, a Dutch artist  whose work whilst not generally appreciated warrants a whole hole in the  wall in the Tat Modern. 

As the Programme (£5)  unfortunately all in Dutch explains (please forgive the amateurish translation)

"Sponsored by the Shell Institute this eggsistential collection of works previously thought lost during Coope's scramble to eggscape  Holland daise before the German invasion gives Coope free range to demonstrate his skill. He arrived in Eggham ,Stains, via a transit camp in Hen don penniless and without his beloved Brownie, which he'd mislayed, or any of his art. He had salvaged a few eggsamples of his work and these eggcerts were kept in a photographic albumen cooped up for the rest of his life. He always reggretted having to leave Holland where had been offered immunity by the Reichstegg in exchange for painting Hitler enjoying an omelette but  refused saying he couldn't work for that  eggocentric, moustachioed little bastard; not realising that this might cause offence to such a sensitive dictator. Faced with eggsecution he had no choice but to eggxile himself along with his brother, Benedict and sister, Lorraine, to whom much of his "Creative Kitsch" is dedicated

Five years after his death in 1999 from eggcema his entire collection was discovered by a lake in  Hedelbegg, Baden Wutenbegg by some soldiers who had gone for a dip.
The pictures had been stolen by some members of a retreating German reggiment and hidden under an ash tray tree by the lake intending to return after the war. Sadly they all eggspired at Nijmeggen, nr Arnhem and the horde remained untouched,"

Here is a taste

DOUBLE SCOTCH
 BY IVOR COOPE, 1938

MUCKY DIP 
BY IVOR COOPE,1939

WAITING FOR THE GOOD SOLDIER
 BY IVOR COOPE, 1940

V.  EGGIE BREAKFAST
BY IVOR COOPE 1933

IF EGGS DID YING AND YING
 IVOR COOPE 1938

YOU LOOKIN AT ME?
 IVOR COOPE 1937

THE MOST OFFAL PICTURE I'VE EVER TAKEN
 IVOR COOPE 1941

EMERGENCY EGG CUP AFTER THE ***KING GERMANS HAD STOLEN ALL OUR CROCKERY 
BY IVOR COOPE, 1940

If you would like to support the work of this and other unrecogniseable artists please make out a cheque for whatever you can afford payable  to M. Wall,c/o Fund for Unrecognised Creative Kitsch Internet Traders  and send to Narrowboat Independence, Cow Roast Lock Moorings, Wharf Lane, Tring Herts U.K. HP23 5RE (marking the back of the envelope "F.U.C.K.I.T.")

Thank you for sharing my yoke joke