Coke Ovens, Cargo Fleet

Kenneth Cozens (1920 – 2000) was the live-in caretaker and curator of Middlesbrough Art Gallery. He was a prolific painter whose work often depicted local scenes, with a particular emphasis on architecture. Buildings he painted include the Old Town Hall and the Ship Inn in Middlesbrough.

Coke Ovens, Cargo Fleet by Kenneth Cozens, 1955

This painting shows the Cargo Fleet ironworks in Middlesbrough, as they were in 1955. It reflects the industrial backdrop that led to the development of the town and its extraordinary growth after the ‘iron rush’ of the 1850s. Works like this, and New Furnace, Cargo Fleet (also made in 1955) are examples of how the Tees Valley’s industrial heritage and landscape has inspired local artists.

Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (MIMA) has 15 of his works in its collection, including these.