'Unclothed icon' makes appearance at festival

An unclothed inflatable character has made a surprise appearance in Plymouth, Devon, for a festival on the city's waterfront.

The inflatable character - based on the Beryl Cook painting Nude on a Leopard Skin - was carried across the city by a group of "strong people".

The Hello Sailor festival was held at the city's Tinside Lido from 16:00 to 19:00 BST on Saturday.

Organisers said the event marked how festivals were "part and parcel of art, culture and civic life".

Cook was born in 1926 in Surrey before she moved to Plymouth in 1968 where she lived for 40 years until her death in 2008.

She is particularly well-known for her humorous paintings depicting the women of Plymouth having fun.

More than 80 pieces of her work will feature in a major exhibition at The Box gallery and museum in Plymouth next year.

A spokesman for The Box said the "inflatable icon" was carried by bodybuilders, who wore leopard skin outfits in her honour, from The Box to the festival site on Plymouth Hoe.

The Hello Sailor festival is one of many events being held to celebrate the bicentenary of the National Gallery and has been organised in conjunction with The Box.

The Box said free tickets for the festival had all been taken but many more people enjoyed watching the event from vantage points on Plymouth Hoe.

Victoria Pomery, CEO of The Box, said: "Hello Sailor is a creative exploration of Plymouth and I'm excited to see what unfolds."

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