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Britain's top artists make big money. | 0:00:03 | 0:00:06 | |
Their works can go for millions. | 0:00:06 | 0:00:09 | |
Six million five, seven million. | 0:00:09 | 0:00:10 | |
So how do you get a slice of the action? | 0:00:10 | 0:00:15 | |
Now's your chance to find out, as we offered all-comers the opportunity | 0:00:16 | 0:00:21 | |
to fight for a spot at the hottest exhibition in town. | 0:00:21 | 0:00:25 | |
-Bring it on, please, open the door. -Art really matters to me. | 0:00:25 | 0:00:28 | |
This is something I want to do for the rest of my life. | 0:00:28 | 0:00:30 | |
They could stand to make some serious cash. | 0:00:30 | 0:00:33 | |
Could you tell us what price you'd put on your piece? | 0:00:33 | 0:00:36 | |
30 grand. | 0:00:36 | 0:00:38 | |
-30,000? -I'd like £100,000 for it. -Wow. | 0:00:38 | 0:00:41 | |
But first, they need the seal of approval from three of the art world's toughest critics. | 0:00:41 | 0:00:46 | |
I think it looks like it's from the centrefold of a men's magazine. | 0:00:46 | 0:00:49 | |
My first impression when I saw the picture was...was actual disgust. | 0:00:49 | 0:00:53 | |
Their hopes and dreams are in the hands of the hanging committee. | 0:00:53 | 0:00:57 | |
I think you need to go back to the drawing board...literally. | 0:00:57 | 0:01:01 | |
It's time to Show Me The Monet. | 0:01:01 | 0:01:04 | |
Hello and welcome to the Show Me The Monet exhibition here at the Royal College of Art in Central London. | 0:01:06 | 0:01:11 | |
This institution has played a pivotal role in British art for over 150 years. | 0:01:11 | 0:01:17 | |
Well, over the last couple of months, ambitious British artists, both amateur and professional | 0:01:17 | 0:01:22 | |
have been facing our hanging committee | 0:01:22 | 0:01:25 | |
in the hope that they'll get their work exhibited on these walls. | 0:01:25 | 0:01:29 | |
David Lee is the bad boy of the art world. | 0:01:29 | 0:01:32 | |
He's the scourge of the art establishment in general, | 0:01:32 | 0:01:35 | |
and the Turner Prize in particular. | 0:01:35 | 0:01:38 | |
I want somebody to come in and surprise me, to shock me. | 0:01:38 | 0:01:40 | |
Roy Bolton is an expert in Old Masters, who's valued art | 0:01:40 | 0:01:44 | |
for some of the world's most exclusive auction houses. | 0:01:44 | 0:01:48 | |
I really hate fashionability for its own sake. | 0:01:48 | 0:01:51 | |
And contemporary specialist Charlotte Mullins has applied her critical eye | 0:01:51 | 0:01:55 | |
to some of the industry's most prestigious competitions. | 0:01:55 | 0:01:58 | |
Art should speak to you. It should have an emotional charge. | 0:01:58 | 0:02:01 | |
Only art which shows originality, technical skill and emotional impact will get past them. | 0:02:01 | 0:02:08 | |
These experts are the gatekeepers to our exhibition, | 0:02:08 | 0:02:13 | |
where a spot in the limelight and the chance to sell for big bucks awaits. | 0:02:13 | 0:02:18 | |
We've held hanging committee sessions in London, | 0:02:21 | 0:02:24 | |
Liverpool and Glasgow in our hunt for the best of British talent. | 0:02:24 | 0:02:29 | |
One place we set up shop was the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool. | 0:02:29 | 0:02:34 | |
Against the backdrop of seven centuries of fine and decorative art, | 0:02:34 | 0:02:40 | |
hopeful artists brave the judges in a bid to achieve their dreams. | 0:02:40 | 0:02:44 | |
They needed two votes to get through to the Royal College of Art, but only the best made the grade. | 0:02:46 | 0:02:51 | |
School caretaker Frank Meaney impressed the judges with his photographic talent. | 0:02:51 | 0:02:56 | |
I would have put you down as a professional photographer. | 0:02:56 | 0:02:59 | |
Technically, it looks very well done. | 0:02:59 | 0:03:01 | |
The whole idea of it was to show Liverpool in a good light. | 0:03:01 | 0:03:06 | |
It doesn't get the best of press at times. | 0:03:06 | 0:03:09 | |
It's amazing that the reflections on the water are so crisp. | 0:03:09 | 0:03:12 | |
There's a huge amount of skill in there. | 0:03:12 | 0:03:14 | |
You've done it so well, you've completely deceived me into thinking it was one panoramic image. | 0:03:14 | 0:03:20 | |
But it wasn't original enough to get him through to the sale. | 0:03:20 | 0:03:23 | |
It's a classic skyline I've seen a thousand times. It's no, I'm sorry. | 0:03:23 | 0:03:27 | |
It's very difficult to make a well known subject matter new and interesting. | 0:03:27 | 0:03:31 | |
I'm afraid it's a no from me. | 0:03:31 | 0:03:32 | |
I'm not sure it's much more than a really good photograph of Liverpool. | 0:03:32 | 0:03:36 | |
-Thanks so much for showing it to us. -Thank you. | 0:03:36 | 0:03:39 | |
It's great, and you're very talented. | 0:03:39 | 0:03:41 | |
Poet Lauren Paige wanted to see if she could use the paintbrush | 0:03:41 | 0:03:46 | |
as well as the pen. | 0:03:46 | 0:03:48 | |
My painting is called Journey. I completed it | 0:03:48 | 0:03:52 | |
a year into my career as a painter. | 0:03:52 | 0:03:56 | |
It was originally a photograph that I took sailing along the River Nile. | 0:03:56 | 0:04:00 | |
But, despite some flair, inexperience let her down. | 0:04:00 | 0:04:05 | |
You've called it Journey. You're not really giving us the Nile. | 0:04:05 | 0:04:09 | |
You're obviously naturally gifted. | 0:04:09 | 0:04:12 | |
-OK. -But you're still at a kind of beginner's, juvenile stage. | 0:04:12 | 0:04:16 | |
Radiologist Dr Huw Lewis-Jones hoped his Snowdonia painting | 0:04:16 | 0:04:21 | |
would win him a life-changing ticket to the exhibition. | 0:04:21 | 0:04:25 | |
This is a very personal image to me. | 0:04:25 | 0:04:28 | |
I'm absolutely committed to Welsh landscape painting in particular. | 0:04:28 | 0:04:32 | |
He won over one of the judges. | 0:04:32 | 0:04:34 | |
There's nothing wrong with traditionalism and you've made a good stab. Yes. | 0:04:34 | 0:04:40 | |
But his hopes were crushed by Charlotte and Roy. | 0:04:40 | 0:04:43 | |
The foreground seems like it's done from a photograph. | 0:04:43 | 0:04:46 | |
You're trying too many different things in the painting. So it's a no from me. I'm very sorry. | 0:04:46 | 0:04:51 | |
We won't be taking your painting to the exhibition. | 0:04:51 | 0:04:54 | |
Before she met the panel. I met with mother of two, Caroline Thatcher. She could hardly stop shaking! | 0:04:59 | 0:05:05 | |
Caroline, welcome to the hanging committee. | 0:05:05 | 0:05:10 | |
-Thank you. -How are you feeling? -It's a borderline terrified and quite looking forward to it. | 0:05:10 | 0:05:16 | |
How long have you been painting? | 0:05:16 | 0:05:18 | |
Oh, gosh, I suppose intensively for the last four years while I've been at university, | 0:05:18 | 0:05:23 | |
and then I had a massive gap between then and when I was at school. So this is the real world now. | 0:05:23 | 0:05:28 | |
What do you want to achieve? | 0:05:28 | 0:05:30 | |
Well, the opportunity to have an exhibition, | 0:05:30 | 0:05:33 | |
or be part of an exhibition in London is just fantastic. | 0:05:33 | 0:05:36 | |
There are only three people standing in our way though - the judges. | 0:05:36 | 0:05:41 | |
And they can be quite tough, quite critical, and I suppose with art, it's very personal. | 0:05:41 | 0:05:45 | |
-It can be. You try and distance yourself. -Are you ready for that? | 0:05:45 | 0:05:48 | |
I think you have to try and distance yourself from it. | 0:05:48 | 0:05:51 | |
Well, I wish you the best of luck. | 0:05:51 | 0:05:53 | |
-Thank you. -Go and meet the judges. | 0:05:53 | 0:05:55 | |
The chance to exhibit at the Royal College of Art would mean the world to Caroline. | 0:05:58 | 0:06:04 | |
She's pinning her hopes on this oil on canvas painting, Growing Pains. | 0:06:04 | 0:06:08 | |
Would you hang this on your wall? | 0:06:08 | 0:06:10 | |
Caroline, welcome to the hanging committee. | 0:06:16 | 0:06:18 | |
Would you tell us about your work please? | 0:06:18 | 0:06:21 | |
Yes. This painting was the first of a series of three that I did in my final year of university last year. | 0:06:21 | 0:06:29 | |
The series was entitled Growing Pains. | 0:06:29 | 0:06:31 | |
The inspiration for the piece was an old black and white photograph | 0:06:31 | 0:06:36 | |
of myself as a child of about three at a children's Christmas party. | 0:06:36 | 0:06:41 | |
Wwhat captivated me about it really was the body language - | 0:06:41 | 0:06:44 | |
the tucked-in chin, the rabbit caught in headlights stare. | 0:06:44 | 0:06:49 | |
This painting means a lot to Caroline, | 0:06:49 | 0:06:52 | |
and if it goes on sale at the RCA, she could stand to make some serious cash. | 0:06:52 | 0:06:56 | |
Well, what's your valuation, the price of this picture? | 0:06:56 | 0:07:00 | |
We were advised at university, because of the size, it would be sort of in the region of £500-£600. | 0:07:00 | 0:07:07 | |
It seems too small to me, by a long way. | 0:07:07 | 0:07:11 | |
OK. For somebody who's unknown? | 0:07:11 | 0:07:15 | |
£500, you can barely buy a framed poster for that now. | 0:07:15 | 0:07:18 | |
True. Well, a frame of that size anyway. | 0:07:18 | 0:07:21 | |
OK. We'd like to have a close look at it. | 0:07:21 | 0:07:24 | |
OK. | 0:07:24 | 0:07:27 | |
It's a very modest valuation, but the exhibition could launch Caroline on the path to fame and fortune. | 0:07:27 | 0:07:34 | |
If she impresses these three. | 0:07:34 | 0:07:37 | |
Well, Caroline was shaking here when I was chatting to her, and you can probably see | 0:07:38 | 0:07:43 | |
she's still shaking in front of the judges, not surprisingly. | 0:07:43 | 0:07:47 | |
-You finished this when you were at university? -Hmm. | 0:07:53 | 0:07:56 | |
Did you paint before you went to university? | 0:07:56 | 0:07:58 | |
Not for a huge number of years - probably about 30 years. | 0:07:58 | 0:08:04 | |
-Life got in the way... -Yes. -And now you finally... | 0:08:04 | 0:08:07 | |
I was married at 20, two children. | 0:08:07 | 0:08:08 | |
You know, lots and lots of things have happened in between. | 0:08:08 | 0:08:11 | |
Are you going to carry on painting, Caroline? | 0:08:11 | 0:08:13 | |
-Oh, definitely, yes. -Full time? | 0:08:13 | 0:08:16 | |
Unfortunately not at the moment, so, you know, it's quite a slow process, | 0:08:16 | 0:08:21 | |
getting going and making a living out of your work, | 0:08:21 | 0:08:24 | |
so I'm teaching an art class once a week and I've also worked in an art gallery as well. | 0:08:24 | 0:08:30 | |
-But it would be nice to think I could. -Yeah, it's perfectly obvious | 0:08:30 | 0:08:34 | |
that you're very knowledgeable about art... | 0:08:34 | 0:08:37 | |
Having chosen to follow her dream late in life, the judges' opinion means all the more to Caroline. | 0:08:37 | 0:08:42 | |
I love the bottom half. | 0:08:42 | 0:08:44 | |
It's like a ghostly presence at the bottom, which when you've explained | 0:08:44 | 0:08:48 | |
it's from a photograph from the past, that makes perfect sense. | 0:08:48 | 0:08:51 | |
But you don't need to know that to love the painting. | 0:08:51 | 0:08:54 | |
You've taken a lot of chances in that picture and I admire you for that. | 0:08:54 | 0:08:57 | |
There's no back legs on the chair, for example, to sit it down. | 0:08:57 | 0:09:02 | |
How many painters would be brave enough to put the whole of the subject on one side? | 0:09:02 | 0:09:08 | |
-Hmm. -That's very interesting. | 0:09:08 | 0:09:10 | |
As you said about the chair not being drawn, it was all, it was all to make it a little bit off-kilter. | 0:09:10 | 0:09:16 | |
I think you very clearly have a natural eye, | 0:09:16 | 0:09:18 | |
from my point of view from this, just viewing this one picture. | 0:09:18 | 0:09:21 | |
I wish you'd have continued drawing, you know, 15 minutes a day | 0:09:21 | 0:09:26 | |
in the 30 years when you weren't painting, because... | 0:09:26 | 0:09:30 | |
-So do I. -If I have any problem with it, the child's left hand looks a little bit like a trotter. | 0:09:30 | 0:09:35 | |
Lots of pluses, but a minus for technique from David. | 0:09:35 | 0:09:39 | |
Remember, they're also looking for originality and emotional impact. | 0:09:39 | 0:09:43 | |
Yeah, I was worried when I first saw it, I might think this was slightly winsome or sentimental because... | 0:09:43 | 0:09:49 | |
-No. -..I immediately saw the flower. And then I started looking at it, | 0:09:49 | 0:09:52 | |
and I think the way you've painted this is quite exceptional. | 0:09:52 | 0:09:55 | |
It gives a vulnerability that makes me almost cry. | 0:09:55 | 0:09:58 | |
You did this at university, this is incredible. | 0:09:58 | 0:10:00 | |
Thank you very much. | 0:10:00 | 0:10:02 | |
Roy. | 0:10:02 | 0:10:04 | |
Everything you've done with the technique I think is, is superb and very advanced. | 0:10:04 | 0:10:09 | |
Yes. Originality. | 0:10:09 | 0:10:11 | |
I think you've got your own voice. | 0:10:11 | 0:10:13 | |
Technique. | 0:10:13 | 0:10:16 | |
Yeah, keep, keep, keep drawing, so that you can make those - everything stick and everything convincing. | 0:10:16 | 0:10:22 | |
Emotional response. Yeah, I find that, I find that a really absorbing picture. | 0:10:24 | 0:10:28 | |
I don't think there's any collection of contemporary art which wouldn't | 0:10:28 | 0:10:35 | |
be proud to have that picture in it. | 0:10:35 | 0:10:38 | |
Oh! | 0:10:38 | 0:10:41 | |
Thank you very much. It was in my garage. | 0:10:41 | 0:10:45 | |
My goodness. This is the most incredible praise. | 0:10:45 | 0:10:48 | |
It's looking pretty positive. | 0:10:48 | 0:10:50 | |
But Caroline's place at the exhibition isn't safe until she's had two yes votes. | 0:10:50 | 0:10:55 | |
-Charlotte. -Absolutely yes. | 0:10:55 | 0:10:58 | |
-Roy. -Absolutely yes. | 0:10:58 | 0:11:01 | |
-Absolutely. -Oh, thank you very much, I'm overwhelmed. | 0:11:01 | 0:11:05 | |
Thank you. Thank you very much. | 0:11:05 | 0:11:09 | |
-Well done. -Smashing picture, that. | 0:11:09 | 0:11:12 | |
-Thank you. -Three yes's. No, three absolutely yes's. | 0:11:12 | 0:11:16 | |
-She doesn't know how good she is, does she? -She doesn't have a clue. | 0:11:16 | 0:11:19 | |
-Incredibly surprising. -It's very good indeed. | 0:11:19 | 0:11:21 | |
Caroline's past the first hurdle. | 0:11:21 | 0:11:24 | |
But what will happen at the exhibition? | 0:11:24 | 0:11:26 | |
Could she make a life-changing sale? | 0:11:26 | 0:11:29 | |
Caroline's made it to the exhibition, and her husband Neil is by her side. | 0:11:37 | 0:11:42 | |
And he's not the only one who thinks she's got talent. | 0:11:42 | 0:11:45 | |
It's not cluttered up, it's not trying too hard. | 0:11:45 | 0:11:50 | |
It's modern, it's contemporary. You can get a sense of what it's about. | 0:11:50 | 0:11:55 | |
And I think I could come back tomorrow or in a month's time | 0:11:55 | 0:11:58 | |
and still think about that same painting. | 0:11:58 | 0:12:01 | |
But can Caroline convert the compliments into cash? | 0:12:01 | 0:12:06 | |
She's taken David's advice and upped the guide price to £1,000. | 0:12:06 | 0:12:12 | |
The dealers, collectors and members of the public | 0:12:12 | 0:12:15 | |
are free to make offers on | 0:12:15 | 0:12:17 | |
as many works as they like, but they won't be haggling with the artists. | 0:12:17 | 0:12:20 | |
They must make a sealed offer to an independent sales agent, | 0:12:20 | 0:12:26 | |
which won't be opened until after the sale's over. | 0:12:26 | 0:12:30 | |
So there's been interest? | 0:12:30 | 0:12:32 | |
Yes, yeah. A gallery owner and several people have just come up to me and said how much they love it. | 0:12:32 | 0:12:38 | |
It's just been, you know, wonderful. | 0:12:38 | 0:12:40 | |
Caroline's enjoyed her chance to mingle with the art A-list. | 0:12:40 | 0:12:44 | |
But will Growing Pains be her ticket to turning professional | 0:12:44 | 0:12:49 | |
and making her dream come true? | 0:12:49 | 0:12:51 | |
Caroline's been nervously waiting to learn if anyone wanted to buy her painting. | 0:12:53 | 0:12:57 | |
If she gets an offer above her asking price of £1,000, | 0:12:57 | 0:13:02 | |
she must sell to the highest bidder. | 0:13:02 | 0:13:04 | |
The independent agent will take a cut of 10%. | 0:13:04 | 0:13:09 | |
It's now time to reveal if Caroline's made a sale. | 0:13:09 | 0:13:13 | |
-Hi, Caroline. -Hello. | 0:13:13 | 0:13:15 | |
-You did get three offers. -Did I? | 0:13:15 | 0:13:19 | |
-Three offers. -Ooh. | 0:13:19 | 0:13:21 | |
Shall I tell you what the lowest one was? | 0:13:21 | 0:13:23 | |
Go on then. | 0:13:23 | 0:13:24 | |
-£1,050. -Yeah, quite happy with that. | 0:13:24 | 0:13:29 | |
Shall we settle for that? Do you want to settle for that now? | 0:13:29 | 0:13:31 | |
Well, no, you've got to tell me the other two, haven't you? | 0:13:31 | 0:13:34 | |
OK. Well, the second highest offer... | 0:13:34 | 0:13:38 | |
-was £1,300. -OK, yeah. | 0:13:38 | 0:13:43 | |
Right, I can tell you that the highest offer for | 0:13:43 | 0:13:47 | |
your little painting here... | 0:13:47 | 0:13:49 | |
was £3,000. | 0:13:49 | 0:13:54 | |
Wow. That's fantastic. | 0:13:54 | 0:13:56 | |
Are you thinking of doing this full time? | 0:13:56 | 0:13:59 | |
-For a living? -Yeah. | 0:13:59 | 0:14:01 | |
If only. Yes, I would like to, yes. | 0:14:01 | 0:14:04 | |
At £3,000 Caroline has sold her painting | 0:14:04 | 0:14:08 | |
for an incredible three times the asking price. | 0:14:08 | 0:14:12 | |
Not bad for someone who went 30 years without picking up a paintbrush. | 0:14:12 | 0:14:18 | |
-Well done. -It's a life-changing moment for Caroline, whose future as a painter seems assured. | 0:14:18 | 0:14:25 | |
Still to come on today's show... | 0:14:30 | 0:14:32 | |
A young artist reaches for the stars with a bid to change the face of Scottish art. | 0:14:32 | 0:14:38 | |
I didn't want it to be in your face with tartan or shortbread or anything tacky. | 0:14:38 | 0:14:42 | |
I wanted to prove that Scottish art could be really cool. | 0:14:42 | 0:14:46 | |
And David dishes out some strong criticism. | 0:14:46 | 0:14:49 | |
It looks to me like an icon for some weird religious cult worshipping ladles. | 0:14:49 | 0:14:57 | |
And we'll be catching up with all those who made the grade and won a place here at the exhibition. | 0:14:57 | 0:15:02 | |
Who knows, they might meet a VIP guest and even make a sale. | 0:15:02 | 0:15:06 | |
For every single artist that's made it here tonight, | 0:15:06 | 0:15:09 | |
it's been a gruelling journey. | 0:15:09 | 0:15:11 | |
We asked all comers to send us their drawings, sculpture, paintings and photographs | 0:15:15 | 0:15:19 | |
and the best of the entries were sent through to the hanging committees. | 0:15:19 | 0:15:22 | |
But to get to the exhibition, they had to get past the judges. | 0:15:22 | 0:15:27 | |
London's Foundling Museum is home to an impressive collection | 0:15:31 | 0:15:34 | |
of 18th century art by British giants from Gainsborough to Hogarth. | 0:15:34 | 0:15:38 | |
I caught up with roofer Karl Terry before he went up in front of the judges. | 0:15:40 | 0:15:45 | |
Now he dreams of making some serious cash from his boyhood passion | 0:15:45 | 0:15:49 | |
and maybe turning painting into a full-time profession. | 0:15:49 | 0:15:53 | |
Karl, nice to meet you. How are you feeling about this? | 0:15:55 | 0:15:59 | |
I'm feeling great, yeah. | 0:15:59 | 0:16:00 | |
More relaxed than I thought I was going to be, yeah. | 0:16:00 | 0:16:03 | |
-You look comfortable and relaxed. Tell me where you're from. -Rye in East Sussex. | 0:16:03 | 0:16:06 | |
-I'm married and I've got two young children. -Busy boy then. -I'm a busy boy, yes. | 0:16:06 | 0:16:10 | |
-So, are you a full-time artist? -No, I'm not. I wish I was. I'm a roofing contractor. | 0:16:10 | 0:16:14 | |
I wanted to be a painter when I left school, | 0:16:14 | 0:16:16 | |
but I ended up doing the same job as my dad. | 0:16:16 | 0:16:18 | |
But now obviously with the painting, it's consumed me, it's taken over. | 0:16:18 | 0:16:22 | |
That's what I like to hear. | 0:16:22 | 0:16:23 | |
Is there any moment in your life where you said, | 0:16:23 | 0:16:26 | |
-"I've got to get back to that painting?" -Yes. It's a funny story | 0:16:26 | 0:16:29 | |
because I was phoned one day about six years ago | 0:16:29 | 0:16:32 | |
by my former art teacher and he had a leak in his roof, | 0:16:32 | 0:16:35 | |
so I fixed the leak and I didn't charge him | 0:16:35 | 0:16:38 | |
because he was the only teacher I really liked at school. | 0:16:38 | 0:16:41 | |
I came home one day and he'd left a painting | 0:16:41 | 0:16:43 | |
on my doorstep and it sort of rekindled all those thoughts about painting. | 0:16:43 | 0:16:47 | |
What are your ambitions now, then? | 0:16:47 | 0:16:49 | |
My ambitions ultimately are to paint full time | 0:16:49 | 0:16:52 | |
and now the painting has taken over | 0:16:52 | 0:16:54 | |
and it's a complete new challenge, I love it. | 0:16:54 | 0:16:57 | |
We've got another big challenge for you today. You've got three judges. | 0:16:57 | 0:17:00 | |
They are nice, in part. But they can be harsh. | 0:17:00 | 0:17:03 | |
-OK. -I mean, I suspect you've... | 0:17:03 | 0:17:05 | |
-I was expecting that. -Yeah. How do you expect to deal with that? | 0:17:05 | 0:17:08 | |
I don't mind rejection. I'd like to get some critique | 0:17:08 | 0:17:11 | |
because the only time I see my pictures on the wall, | 0:17:11 | 0:17:14 | |
they're in a gallery where they've been accepted, so I'm interested to see what they think. | 0:17:14 | 0:17:18 | |
In a way, I'm worried that maybe my works a bit too traditional, but let's wait and see. | 0:17:18 | 0:17:22 | |
Let's wait and see. Don't put words into their mouths. | 0:17:22 | 0:17:25 | |
I wish you the very best of luck. Just two yes's from the judges. | 0:17:25 | 0:17:28 | |
-Away you go through those doors. -Thank you very much. -Good luck. | 0:17:28 | 0:17:31 | |
Karl's hoping to impress the Hanging Judges | 0:17:32 | 0:17:34 | |
with his oil-on-board landscape. | 0:17:34 | 0:17:37 | |
But will the judges give him their seal of approval | 0:17:37 | 0:17:39 | |
or tell him to stick to the day job? | 0:17:39 | 0:17:43 | |
-Karl, welcome to the Hanging Committee. -Hello. | 0:17:50 | 0:17:53 | |
Would you like to take a moment to tell us about your painting? | 0:17:53 | 0:17:55 | |
My paintings called Rising Tide Rye and it's fairly typical | 0:17:55 | 0:17:59 | |
of the work that I produce | 0:17:59 | 0:18:00 | |
and was painted entirely on location. | 0:18:00 | 0:18:02 | |
It's a challenge to paint because the light changed quickly, | 0:18:02 | 0:18:06 | |
the water was rising up so I had to work very, very fast. | 0:18:06 | 0:18:09 | |
After an hour and a half, I had water lapping around my feet, | 0:18:09 | 0:18:12 | |
so I was forced to stop. I'm quite pleased with this painting. | 0:18:12 | 0:18:16 | |
I think I captured the essence of the subject, | 0:18:16 | 0:18:18 | |
and without getting too bogged down with too much detail. | 0:18:18 | 0:18:21 | |
Would you like to give us a valuation for this painting? | 0:18:21 | 0:18:25 | |
I would value my painting at £750. | 0:18:25 | 0:18:28 | |
What's that based on? Have you sold work? | 0:18:28 | 0:18:30 | |
That's based on paintings that I've sold in the past. | 0:18:30 | 0:18:32 | |
I'm only part-time, I only paint two days a week, | 0:18:32 | 0:18:34 | |
and I exhibit in several galleries throughout England | 0:18:34 | 0:18:38 | |
and that's the sort of price that they make. Yeah. | 0:18:38 | 0:18:40 | |
-Do you mind if we have a closer look? -Please do. | 0:18:40 | 0:18:43 | |
To be sure of a spot at the Royal College exhibition, | 0:18:44 | 0:18:48 | |
and maybe make some cash doing the thing he loves most, | 0:18:48 | 0:18:52 | |
roofer Karl needs to sway at least two of the three judges. | 0:18:52 | 0:18:55 | |
-Hi, Karl. -Hi, hello. -You mention you paint two days a week? | 0:19:05 | 0:19:08 | |
I try and paint every Wednesday and I paint on Saturdays, yeah, or whenever my wife lets me! | 0:19:08 | 0:19:13 | |
When Van Gogh painted out of doors he complained bitterly | 0:19:14 | 0:19:18 | |
about how difficult it was with the wind, the flies, | 0:19:18 | 0:19:21 | |
the sand getting everywhere. Didn't you have difficulty with that? | 0:19:21 | 0:19:25 | |
I can't see any evidence of flies or sand. | 0:19:25 | 0:19:27 | |
That day was quite lucky, really, because it wasn't so windy, | 0:19:27 | 0:19:30 | |
but a lot of time I'm trying to hang onto my easel with one hand | 0:19:30 | 0:19:33 | |
and paint with the other. But the good thing about painting outside | 0:19:33 | 0:19:36 | |
is it forces you to make quick decisions and work quickly, | 0:19:36 | 0:19:38 | |
and you do get used to it, but, yeah, it's hard work. | 0:19:38 | 0:19:41 | |
The worst is the snow and the rain and that's really difficult. | 0:19:41 | 0:19:44 | |
It's great fun, I wouldn't do anything else. | 0:19:44 | 0:19:47 | |
How long did this take? | 0:19:47 | 0:19:48 | |
A painting like this, any more than an hour and a half or two hours | 0:19:48 | 0:19:51 | |
-and I've painted the life out of it. -Really? | 0:19:51 | 0:19:54 | |
The light changes so quickly you've got a window of opportunity | 0:19:54 | 0:19:57 | |
for about an hour and a half. Sometimes they look better after ten minutes than after three hours! | 0:19:57 | 0:20:01 | |
You learn to leave it alone and walk away. OK, thanks very much. | 0:20:01 | 0:20:04 | |
They seem intrigued by Karl's methods, | 0:20:04 | 0:20:06 | |
but the panel must judge the painting by three criteria - | 0:20:06 | 0:20:10 | |
originality, technical skill, and emotional impact. | 0:20:10 | 0:20:14 | |
If it has all three, then Karl's dream could come true. | 0:20:14 | 0:20:18 | |
I am so torn on this painting, | 0:20:20 | 0:20:22 | |
because I think you have a lovely touch. | 0:20:22 | 0:20:24 | |
It really has something. I love the colours you've got in the mud. | 0:20:24 | 0:20:28 | |
I have a few technical issues with the cloud that floats, | 0:20:28 | 0:20:31 | |
the white cloud that floats above and the reflection is too heavy. | 0:20:31 | 0:20:34 | |
I feel like I've seen scenes like this many times before | 0:20:34 | 0:20:38 | |
and that's the problem is the originality. | 0:20:38 | 0:20:40 | |
For me, a work of art has to communicate beyond the memories | 0:20:40 | 0:20:44 | |
perhaps it invokes in people. People will look at this | 0:20:44 | 0:20:47 | |
and go, "Oh, I know that view in Rye." | 0:20:47 | 0:20:49 | |
It's got to go beyond that for me and I'm not really sure it does. | 0:20:49 | 0:20:53 | |
It's very well done, a very good landscape. | 0:20:53 | 0:20:56 | |
I'm not sure it really has... that extra edge. | 0:20:56 | 0:21:00 | |
It's a very fresh, competent oil sketch... | 0:21:00 | 0:21:03 | |
..so technically you're doing well. | 0:21:04 | 0:21:07 | |
Karl, I think this is a highly commercial painting. | 0:21:08 | 0:21:13 | |
I can see this for sale in 1,000 galleries up and down the country | 0:21:13 | 0:21:16 | |
and you've captured this scene very quickly and very well. | 0:21:16 | 0:21:19 | |
However, we don't choose on a commercial basis here. | 0:21:19 | 0:21:22 | |
It comes down to originality. I have seen very similar pictures | 0:21:24 | 0:21:28 | |
a thousand times, from mid 19th-century France onwards. | 0:21:28 | 0:21:31 | |
Skill. I think to produce this | 0:21:31 | 0:21:34 | |
this well, this quickly, shows a great deal of skill. | 0:21:34 | 0:21:37 | |
Emotional connection. | 0:21:37 | 0:21:39 | |
I think because I've seen something similar so often it's a tricky one. | 0:21:39 | 0:21:43 | |
The judges don't seem sure Karl ticks every box. | 0:21:43 | 0:21:47 | |
Can he pull the two yes votes he needs out the bag? | 0:21:47 | 0:21:51 | |
Charlotte, what have you got to say? | 0:21:52 | 0:21:54 | |
Sticking to our criteria I have to say no, | 0:21:56 | 0:21:59 | |
I'm sorry. | 0:21:59 | 0:22:00 | |
David. | 0:22:00 | 0:22:01 | |
I'm full of admiration for you. But I too must say no, I'm sorry. | 0:22:03 | 0:22:07 | |
It's a wonderful open air sketch, | 0:22:09 | 0:22:12 | |
but I'm afraid on the criteria, I think I need to say no as well. | 0:22:12 | 0:22:15 | |
I understand. Thank you. Thank you very much. | 0:22:15 | 0:22:19 | |
-I appreciate your comments. -Great to meet you. -Thank you. Lovely. | 0:22:19 | 0:22:22 | |
So for now, Karl's chances of getting to our exhibition, | 0:22:22 | 0:22:25 | |
and maybe making some cash, have been dashed, but he's taking it | 0:22:25 | 0:22:29 | |
all in his stride. | 0:22:29 | 0:22:30 | |
I was pleased with their critique. I understand what they said about not being original, | 0:22:30 | 0:22:34 | |
but you'd have to be an amazing innovator to reinvent the wheel | 0:22:34 | 0:22:37 | |
and what I try to... You know, | 0:22:37 | 0:22:39 | |
I just do what I love doing and I do it as best as I can. That's all I can say. | 0:22:39 | 0:22:43 | |
What will you take away from that experience and maybe use in your work? | 0:22:43 | 0:22:47 | |
I'm going to carry on doing what I love, | 0:22:47 | 0:22:48 | |
and learning, try to get to be as good a painter as I can possibly be. | 0:22:48 | 0:22:53 | |
Getting through to the exhibition is really tough going. | 0:22:57 | 0:23:00 | |
Remember, the judges are putting their reputations on the line. | 0:23:00 | 0:23:03 | |
The work that they put through to this exhibition will be | 0:23:03 | 0:23:06 | |
seen by their peers and collectors who may be looking to invest. | 0:23:06 | 0:23:10 | |
So let's remind ourselves exactly what the Hanging Committee are looking for. | 0:23:10 | 0:23:15 | |
First and foremost, it's got be original - derivative or copycat works are an absolute no no. | 0:23:17 | 0:23:22 | |
Secondly, technique is key - our judges know their stuff when it comes to wielding a brush. | 0:23:23 | 0:23:29 | |
And finally, it's that elusive X-factor - | 0:23:29 | 0:23:31 | |
does the piece send shivers down your spine, or just leave you cold? | 0:23:31 | 0:23:35 | |
One brave artist who risked the judges' wrath in London was Rob McPartland. | 0:23:43 | 0:23:49 | |
18 months ago, Rob jacked in his job as an art teacher | 0:23:49 | 0:23:53 | |
and took the plunge to paint full time. | 0:23:53 | 0:23:55 | |
Getting his work on show at the Royal College of Art | 0:23:57 | 0:24:01 | |
would be a dream come true, | 0:24:01 | 0:24:03 | |
as well as a chance to make some money. | 0:24:03 | 0:24:05 | |
He's pinning his hopes on this still life of a ladle, | 0:24:06 | 0:24:09 | |
which he's called Argo. | 0:24:09 | 0:24:11 | |
Rob, welcome to the Hanging Committee. | 0:24:16 | 0:24:18 | |
I'm fascinated to hear more about your work. | 0:24:18 | 0:24:20 | |
The painting is oil on canvas | 0:24:21 | 0:24:23 | |
and is a meditation on a small silver ladle, about that big, | 0:24:23 | 0:24:28 | |
on a piece of silk fabric. | 0:24:28 | 0:24:31 | |
Would you like to give us a valuation for your work? | 0:24:31 | 0:24:34 | |
The valuation I put on the picture was £5,500. | 0:24:34 | 0:24:36 | |
-£5,500. Do you mind if we have a closer look? -Oh, please, please do. | 0:24:36 | 0:24:41 | |
For an artist craving recognition, it's a difficult moment. | 0:24:48 | 0:24:51 | |
Rob's fate depends on the subjective judgment | 0:24:51 | 0:24:54 | |
of three opinionated critics. | 0:24:54 | 0:24:56 | |
Rob, are we looking at that ladle lying on crumpled paper | 0:25:07 | 0:25:12 | |
or a crumpled sheet, or are we looking at it suspended? | 0:25:12 | 0:25:15 | |
Well, that's great. | 0:25:17 | 0:25:18 | |
The ambiguity is deliberate. | 0:25:21 | 0:25:24 | |
It was actually laid | 0:25:24 | 0:25:26 | |
on a piece of fabric. | 0:25:26 | 0:25:29 | |
That's it. | 0:25:30 | 0:25:31 | |
-That's the fabric. -So it was actually viewed from above. | 0:25:31 | 0:25:35 | |
But of course here, it has a feeling of being vertical as well. | 0:25:37 | 0:25:40 | |
I'm seduced by the background surface, | 0:25:40 | 0:25:42 | |
particularly the top half and the bottom left-hand side. | 0:25:42 | 0:25:46 | |
For a white background, there are some beautiful colours in there - | 0:25:46 | 0:25:49 | |
lilacs and peaches and greys and whites. | 0:25:49 | 0:25:52 | |
It's almost like looking down on mountains from above or something. | 0:25:52 | 0:25:55 | |
And the ladle in itself is well painted, the reflections are good. | 0:25:55 | 0:25:59 | |
I don't feel the relationship between the fabric | 0:25:59 | 0:26:01 | |
and I know that you said, Rob, that you like that ambiguity | 0:26:01 | 0:26:05 | |
but for me, looking at this work, I find that a bit of a problem. | 0:26:05 | 0:26:09 | |
I think I disagree with you. | 0:26:09 | 0:26:11 | |
I don't think the highlight on the handle particularly | 0:26:11 | 0:26:13 | |
is that well painted. | 0:26:13 | 0:26:17 | |
It's kind of reduced to a pattern in a way. | 0:26:17 | 0:26:19 | |
I accept what you say about the quality of the painting. | 0:26:19 | 0:26:22 | |
I did have particular trouble with the handle, but I felt that | 0:26:22 | 0:26:27 | |
it...worked well enough at the time. | 0:26:27 | 0:26:31 | |
It looks to me like an icon for some weird religious cult worshipping ladles. | 0:26:31 | 0:26:37 | |
I mean, I saw it connected to a tradition of still life. | 0:26:37 | 0:26:41 | |
Childlike wonder is a great thing in art and there's a lot, for my eyes of that in this. | 0:26:41 | 0:26:45 | |
I don't see any childlike wonder in that. It's a beautifully painted background. | 0:26:45 | 0:26:49 | |
I'm less interested in the ladle. | 0:26:49 | 0:26:51 | |
I don't get the relationship between the two, but there's nothing childlike in... | 0:26:51 | 0:26:55 | |
I find the realistic but not imagery of the background, which could be water, | 0:26:55 | 0:26:59 | |
it could be some sort of opaque fabric and then | 0:26:59 | 0:27:02 | |
the completely contrasting sort of globular form of this ladle. | 0:27:02 | 0:27:06 | |
-I think that's stunning. -I think it's Rob showing... | 0:27:06 | 0:27:09 | |
Rob's painting has provoked a lively debate, | 0:27:09 | 0:27:12 | |
but has it got what it takes? | 0:27:12 | 0:27:14 | |
Is it original? Um... | 0:27:15 | 0:27:17 | |
I have never seen such a large picture of a ladle before | 0:27:17 | 0:27:21 | |
so the answer to that is obviously, yes, it is. | 0:27:21 | 0:27:24 | |
Technique, it's OK. Emotional involvement? | 0:27:26 | 0:27:29 | |
I'm a big fan of ladles when I'm serving out soup at Christmas, but not generally. | 0:27:29 | 0:27:35 | |
Right, I think that's enough from David. | 0:27:35 | 0:27:38 | |
The imagery, I think, is very, very gripping. | 0:27:39 | 0:27:42 | |
For me this is giving everything I need from a picture. | 0:27:42 | 0:27:46 | |
Rob hopes to make thousands from his artwork at the Exhibition. | 0:27:47 | 0:27:50 | |
For the chance of making a sale, he needs the judges' seal of approval. | 0:27:50 | 0:27:54 | |
I find this really difficult, Rob. | 0:27:58 | 0:28:01 | |
Charlotte's had both praise and criticism for Rob's ladle so will she be a yes, or a no? | 0:28:01 | 0:28:06 | |
I'm going to have to say no, I'm sorry. | 0:28:06 | 0:28:09 | |
That's a real blow for Rob. To get through he needs two yes's | 0:28:09 | 0:28:13 | |
and although Roy's been supportive, David's far from a fan. | 0:28:13 | 0:28:17 | |
I find it difficult despite my remarks because it's a very contemporary picture... | 0:28:17 | 0:28:22 | |
..but no. | 0:28:23 | 0:28:25 | |
Well, I'm very, very sorry | 0:28:29 | 0:28:32 | |
to hear that from my fellow judges | 0:28:32 | 0:28:35 | |
because it's a resounding yes, from me. | 0:28:35 | 0:28:37 | |
-I'm very sorry, Rob. Thank you very much for bringing it in. -Thank you. -Thank you. -Bye-bye. | 0:28:37 | 0:28:42 | |
It's dashed the chances of the former art teacher | 0:28:42 | 0:28:45 | |
whose career change could have been fast tracked at the Exhibition. | 0:28:45 | 0:28:49 | |
But he's still got one champion. | 0:28:49 | 0:28:52 | |
What were you both thinking?! | 0:28:52 | 0:28:54 | |
Seriously, what are we doing sitting here if this isn't coming with us? | 0:28:54 | 0:28:57 | |
He's a good painter, but he's not connecting those two materials together. | 0:28:57 | 0:29:01 | |
That's really, really fundamental. | 0:29:01 | 0:29:03 | |
Bad luck, sir. Is there anything you wanted to say to David | 0:29:03 | 0:29:07 | |
because I could see visually when he gave his analysis, it hurt. | 0:29:07 | 0:29:11 | |
Of course it hurt. | 0:29:11 | 0:29:12 | |
I was disappointed that he couldn't read the painting | 0:29:12 | 0:29:16 | |
in any other way than that really superficial, literal manner. | 0:29:16 | 0:29:22 | |
There we are, that's the world, you know. | 0:29:22 | 0:29:24 | |
You put stuff out there and you have to take what comes back. | 0:29:24 | 0:29:28 | |
-Thank you for coming in. I'm sorry it didn't happen this time. -Not at all. | 0:29:28 | 0:29:31 | |
It's been a great experience, and it was a pleasure to meet you. | 0:29:31 | 0:29:34 | |
-I wish you the very best of luck in the future. -Thank you, Chris. -Bye, nice to meet you. -Bye-bye. | 0:29:34 | 0:29:38 | |
All our Hanging Committees have been held in spectacular art galleries. | 0:29:48 | 0:29:53 | |
And I, for one, enjoyed the chance to nose around Liverpool's wonderful Walker Art Gallery. | 0:29:53 | 0:29:59 | |
It's a pretty imposing building and for good reason, | 0:29:59 | 0:30:02 | |
because it holds some of the best and biggest pieces of art in the UK. | 0:30:02 | 0:30:08 | |
Just have a look at this. | 0:30:08 | 0:30:10 | |
That chap is Samson and the painting itself is by Solomon J Solomon | 0:30:10 | 0:30:15 | |
and he produced it when he was only 27 years of age, and apparently he used his brother as a model. | 0:30:15 | 0:30:22 | |
It weighs nearly two tonnes | 0:30:22 | 0:30:25 | |
and it's been hanging here since 1887. | 0:30:25 | 0:30:28 | |
It's an incredible achievement for an artist so young, but we've met | 0:30:29 | 0:30:33 | |
plenty more ambitious young artists at our Hanging Committees. | 0:30:33 | 0:30:36 | |
One young hopeful who went before the judges in Liverpool was Barbara-Sally Humphries from Galway. | 0:30:36 | 0:30:42 | |
Barbara-Sally, nice to meet you. How are you? | 0:30:43 | 0:30:47 | |
A bit awkward. This is so far out of my comfort zone, but, you know, I'll be all right. | 0:30:47 | 0:30:51 | |
I've got a feeling you'll be able to handle it. | 0:30:51 | 0:30:54 | |
You're only 21, so one of our younger competitors. | 0:30:54 | 0:30:56 | |
-Yes. -But fiercely ambitious I hear. | 0:30:56 | 0:30:59 | |
Yeah, well... | 0:30:59 | 0:31:01 | |
I don't know if it's youth speaking, but this is what I want to do with my life. | 0:31:01 | 0:31:04 | |
It's not something that I want to do as a hobby. | 0:31:04 | 0:31:07 | |
You've got to impress three judges. | 0:31:07 | 0:31:09 | |
What are you looking for from today's experience? What are you hoping for from them? | 0:31:09 | 0:31:12 | |
More than anything, I'm hoping for some really good constructive criticism. | 0:31:12 | 0:31:17 | |
-I wish you the very best of luck. -Thank you very much. | 0:31:17 | 0:31:19 | |
-Go for it. -Ha! | 0:31:20 | 0:31:22 | |
Hmm. | 0:31:22 | 0:31:24 | |
Barbara-Sally's bid for the exhibition spot where she could sell | 0:31:27 | 0:31:31 | |
for some serious cash rests on her hand-crafted rag doll. | 0:31:31 | 0:31:35 | |
Barbara-Sally, welcome to the Hanging Committee. | 0:31:44 | 0:31:47 | |
Would you like to tell us something about your work? | 0:31:47 | 0:31:51 | |
The first thing I'd like to talk about is the fact that it's from a series. | 0:31:51 | 0:31:54 | |
There's about eight dolls in total. | 0:31:54 | 0:31:57 | |
They all deal with very strong emotions for me | 0:31:57 | 0:32:01 | |
and moments in time where I felt something that's just uncomfortable, | 0:32:01 | 0:32:06 | |
and, having felt like that, I felt like I'd never move on | 0:32:06 | 0:32:09 | |
from that moment without creating something that embodied it, | 0:32:09 | 0:32:13 | |
so I didn't have to carry it with myself any more. | 0:32:13 | 0:32:16 | |
There's pieces of myself inside it. | 0:32:16 | 0:32:18 | |
There's my own hair. It's an embodiment | 0:32:18 | 0:32:21 | |
of a part of myself that I now wish to move on from. | 0:32:21 | 0:32:23 | |
That's very intense, Barbara-Sally. | 0:32:23 | 0:32:26 | |
Can you give us a price for your work? | 0:32:26 | 0:32:29 | |
I've put quite a high price on it because I feel anyone who did | 0:32:29 | 0:32:32 | |
wish to purchase it, it would be an investment in my future, | 0:32:32 | 0:32:36 | |
so I've priced it at £6,000. | 0:32:36 | 0:32:38 | |
-OK. Do you mind if we have a close look at it? -No, not at all. | 0:32:38 | 0:32:42 | |
Thank you very much. | 0:32:42 | 0:32:43 | |
Barbara-Sally, do you mind if we touch it? | 0:32:45 | 0:32:47 | |
No, I don't mind if you touch it. It's quite a tactile piece, so... | 0:32:47 | 0:32:51 | |
-It does have a form of itself. -Yeah. | 0:32:53 | 0:32:56 | |
It's light, but it's weighted in all the right ways. | 0:32:56 | 0:33:00 | |
It's clearly a personal piece for Barbara-Sally and the judges' scrutiny could be hard to take. | 0:33:00 | 0:33:06 | |
You talked about this coming from a series of eight. | 0:33:09 | 0:33:12 | |
-Yeah. -Are they all personal moments to your childhood? -Yes. | 0:33:12 | 0:33:15 | |
They're not all from my childhood, but they are all from my life. | 0:33:15 | 0:33:20 | |
But I just felt that this one was the strongest for me. | 0:33:20 | 0:33:24 | |
What are your ambitions? Where do you think you'll end, if there is an end? | 0:33:24 | 0:33:28 | |
I don't want there to be an end. I feel very passionately | 0:33:28 | 0:33:32 | |
about this and about what I do, and about expressing to others. | 0:33:32 | 0:33:37 | |
I know that it may come across as being a bit vain only dealing with myself. | 0:33:37 | 0:33:41 | |
I don't think you need to apologise about talking, working with your own experiences. | 0:33:41 | 0:33:48 | |
-It's what all of us do. -Exactly, yeah. -It's all we've got. | 0:33:48 | 0:33:51 | |
Exactly, ourselves as human beings. | 0:33:51 | 0:33:53 | |
My worry is the work is not communicating the emotion you want it to communicate. | 0:33:53 | 0:33:58 | |
And I'm going to be very honest, when I saw it, just before you came in, I found it quite funny. | 0:33:58 | 0:34:03 | |
So MY concern is that, | 0:34:03 | 0:34:06 | |
-emotionally... -Yeah. | 0:34:06 | 0:34:08 | |
-..you're not communicating to the viewer what you deeply feel this piece communicates to you. | 0:34:08 | 0:34:13 | |
-So maybe that's not a problem. -I agree with Charlotte on that. | 0:34:13 | 0:34:17 | |
For me, the emotional importance was in making it, not in conveying that emotion to others. | 0:34:17 | 0:34:22 | |
It feels like this is a piece of installation art. | 0:34:22 | 0:34:25 | |
I feel that this fits with your other dolls. | 0:34:25 | 0:34:28 | |
And possibly this would work better with a group of them or as a time-based piece. | 0:34:28 | 0:34:33 | |
Some constructive criticism from the panel. But today it's the judges votes | 0:34:33 | 0:34:37 | |
that count if Barbara-Sally's dream of kick starting her career can come true. | 0:34:37 | 0:34:42 | |
Her rag doll needs to be original, | 0:34:42 | 0:34:44 | |
technically strong and emotionally moving. | 0:34:44 | 0:34:48 | |
In terms of originality, there's only one you and this is your memory. | 0:34:48 | 0:34:53 | |
Technically, I don't think this piece is about how you've made it. | 0:34:53 | 0:34:56 | |
It communicates what you want it to communicate. | 0:34:56 | 0:34:58 | |
-Emotionally, I think it's very strong for you. -Yeah. | 0:34:58 | 0:35:01 | |
I feel that I'm reading it wrong. | 0:35:01 | 0:35:03 | |
That mixture of deep and difficult emotion | 0:35:03 | 0:35:06 | |
and memory is not transmitted through a very amusing object. | 0:35:06 | 0:35:10 | |
But, you know, is it something that I would like to see in my home as a piece of art? | 0:35:11 | 0:35:16 | |
-I think it probably is. -Emotion. | 0:35:16 | 0:35:18 | |
I'm moved by what you say, but I'm not moved by the object. | 0:35:18 | 0:35:22 | |
Hmm. | 0:35:22 | 0:35:24 | |
OK, decision time. It's quite a difficult one to predict here. | 0:35:24 | 0:35:28 | |
Barbara-Sally only needs two votes to get a place in the exhibition, but will things go her way? | 0:35:29 | 0:35:35 | |
Charlotte? | 0:35:35 | 0:35:36 | |
For this piece, no. | 0:35:36 | 0:35:38 | |
I think in the right context, yes. But for this piece, no. | 0:35:39 | 0:35:42 | |
It's not quite expressive enough. It's not quite there yet. | 0:35:44 | 0:35:48 | |
You're still getting there. Just keep working hard at it. | 0:35:48 | 0:35:51 | |
-No, I'm afraid. -OK. | 0:35:51 | 0:35:54 | |
-But it's very kind of you. I've enjoyed talking to you. Thank you very much. -Thank you. | 0:35:54 | 0:35:59 | |
-Thank you very much. -Thank you. | 0:35:59 | 0:36:01 | |
Well, it's not the result Barbara-Sally was looking for, but she's far from downbeat. | 0:36:02 | 0:36:08 | |
I think my piece got three no's, but I got three yes's. | 0:36:08 | 0:36:11 | |
I was just about to say, they were captivated. | 0:36:11 | 0:36:14 | |
So it's not all bad news, is it? | 0:36:14 | 0:36:16 | |
No, not at all. I thought they were going to tear chunks out of me. | 0:36:16 | 0:36:19 | |
But they were... They were quite respectful, actually. | 0:36:19 | 0:36:23 | |
I think it was a good experience apart from anything else. | 0:36:23 | 0:36:26 | |
Thank you for joining us. We wish you the very best of luck in the future. | 0:36:26 | 0:36:30 | |
-Thank you. -See you soon. | 0:36:30 | 0:36:31 | |
For those lucky artists who have made it here to the Exhibition they're having a great time, | 0:36:41 | 0:36:45 | |
because there are art dealers and connoisseurs everywhere you look. | 0:36:45 | 0:36:50 | |
I think we've got just enough time to have one more trip to the Hanging Committee. | 0:36:50 | 0:36:55 | |
Today's final contender met the judges in Glasgow | 0:36:59 | 0:37:02 | |
at the appropriately named House for an Art Lover, which was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. | 0:37:02 | 0:37:09 | |
26-year-old Fiona Cockburn is fresh out of art school | 0:37:09 | 0:37:13 | |
and has her sights set on the big prize. | 0:37:13 | 0:37:16 | |
And are you used to criticism? | 0:37:16 | 0:37:19 | |
As long as it's constructive, I don't have a problem with it. | 0:37:19 | 0:37:21 | |
-If they start being malicious, I might have something to say about it. -Are you going to bite back? | 0:37:21 | 0:37:26 | |
-Oh, indeed! -Is that how you deal with it? -We're from Glasgow. You've got to bite back! | 0:37:26 | 0:37:29 | |
-I'm looking forward to this one! I wish you the very best of luck. -Thank you. | 0:37:29 | 0:37:33 | |
-Cheers. -Your destiny is there. -Thank you. -Go for it, grab it. | 0:37:33 | 0:37:37 | |
Fiona's presenting this triptych of Perspex panels, | 0:37:38 | 0:37:42 | |
showing three iconic Scottish lochs. | 0:37:42 | 0:37:45 | |
Getting her work on show in London would be a real coup | 0:37:45 | 0:37:47 | |
for such a young artist and a chance to make some cash. | 0:37:47 | 0:37:51 | |
Fiona, welcome to the Hanging Committee. | 0:37:51 | 0:37:54 | |
Would you like to introduce your piece, please? | 0:37:54 | 0:37:58 | |
This is The Lochs - | 0:37:58 | 0:37:59 | |
Loch Lomond, Loch Ness and Ffion. | 0:37:59 | 0:38:02 | |
I wanted it to be contemporary and Scottish and I wanted it to be cool. | 0:38:02 | 0:38:07 | |
I didn't want it to be in your face with tartan or shortbread or anything tacky. | 0:38:07 | 0:38:11 | |
I wanted to prove that Scottish art could be really cool. | 0:38:11 | 0:38:15 | |
Price? | 0:38:15 | 0:38:16 | |
I wouldn't accept anything less than £750 for a private sale. | 0:38:16 | 0:38:20 | |
-Can we have a closer look? -Yes, you may, of course. | 0:38:20 | 0:38:24 | |
Fiona's confident her work could fetch hundreds, but she'll only | 0:38:29 | 0:38:33 | |
get the chance to sell in London if she wins the judges' approval. | 0:38:33 | 0:38:37 | |
The judges have made their close inspection. | 0:38:42 | 0:38:45 | |
Now, Fiona looks quite cool and calm. | 0:38:45 | 0:38:47 | |
But now it's question time. | 0:38:47 | 0:38:50 | |
Fiona, just explain... | 0:38:50 | 0:38:53 | |
how you did it. Are they on ceramic? | 0:38:53 | 0:38:55 | |
It's Perspex. | 0:38:55 | 0:38:57 | |
Two sheets of Perspex, a layer of coloured transparency in the middle, | 0:38:57 | 0:39:01 | |
which is then sandwiched together and sealed. | 0:39:01 | 0:39:04 | |
The areas that I want to leave and let you look through | 0:39:04 | 0:39:07 | |
are then masked off. | 0:39:07 | 0:39:09 | |
-The paint is then applied, the mask removed, touched up and then... -OK. | 0:39:09 | 0:39:14 | |
The three dimensionality and the glazes you've used... | 0:39:14 | 0:39:18 | |
-Yes. -..that looks phenomenally difficult and very new to me. | 0:39:18 | 0:39:21 | |
-How did you manage that? -The ultra high gloss was, | 0:39:21 | 0:39:25 | |
when you look at water when it's still | 0:39:25 | 0:39:27 | |
it has this gorgeous sheen to it and I wanted to try and recreate that. | 0:39:27 | 0:39:31 | |
And the only way I knew how to do that was to do a super-gloss finish on the paint job, | 0:39:31 | 0:39:35 | |
which involves hours and hours and hours of hand sanding, but there is | 0:39:35 | 0:39:39 | |
no doubt about it, it is just elbow grease, really, and a lot of work. | 0:39:39 | 0:39:43 | |
I'm fascinated by these, but I think it does come down to that question | 0:39:43 | 0:39:47 | |
of the boundary between decoration design and art. | 0:39:47 | 0:39:51 | |
That is the biggest question I have. | 0:39:51 | 0:39:53 | |
-Are they interior decorations or art? -Like you're talking about. | 0:39:53 | 0:39:58 | |
There is a very fine line, we have to tread very carefully about that. | 0:39:58 | 0:40:02 | |
I mean, my initial reaction to these was that they're design. | 0:40:02 | 0:40:05 | |
You could have them replacing the three ducks | 0:40:05 | 0:40:07 | |
over the mantelpiece, couldn't you? The three lochs. | 0:40:07 | 0:40:10 | |
You could have a full set and change them around. | 0:40:10 | 0:40:12 | |
-But they're more interesting than that. -That's more facetious than your last comment! | 0:40:12 | 0:40:16 | |
-Spot the loch. -I find them quite beguiling. -I find them very beguiling as well. | 0:40:16 | 0:40:20 | |
I like the stillness that you capture of... | 0:40:20 | 0:40:22 | |
-Thank you. -..when you look at a loch in the early morning, | 0:40:22 | 0:40:25 | |
that real stillness, you get a sense of the water. | 0:40:25 | 0:40:28 | |
They fit very well together as a composition, | 0:40:28 | 0:40:30 | |
working the one on the left like that and that... | 0:40:30 | 0:40:32 | |
Fiona's work has perplexed the judges. | 0:40:32 | 0:40:35 | |
Is it fine art or simply a stylish piece of decorative design? | 0:40:35 | 0:40:40 | |
Their final decision must be based on originality, technical skill and emotional impact. | 0:40:40 | 0:40:46 | |
Fiona, I think you've made the Scottish landscape look sexy. | 0:40:46 | 0:40:49 | |
Thank you. | 0:40:49 | 0:40:51 | |
The colours are fantastic, it really works, it looks great, it has a lot to say for itself. | 0:40:51 | 0:40:56 | |
They are quite original as... | 0:40:56 | 0:40:58 | |
ornamental stunts. | 0:40:58 | 0:41:01 | |
Technique... | 0:41:01 | 0:41:03 | |
I've seen cut outs before, | 0:41:03 | 0:41:05 | |
as we all have like this. Emotional involvement. | 0:41:05 | 0:41:10 | |
I might want to play a game and say, | 0:41:11 | 0:41:13 | |
"Can I identify a loch?", | 0:41:13 | 0:41:16 | |
but... | 0:41:16 | 0:41:18 | |
nothing more, I'm afraid. | 0:41:18 | 0:41:20 | |
It's time for the vote. Remember, she needs two out of three to get | 0:41:20 | 0:41:23 | |
through to the Exhibition and the chance to sell her Perspex panels. | 0:41:23 | 0:41:28 | |
-Roy? -Fiona, they're beautiful and that's enough for me. Yes. | 0:41:28 | 0:41:31 | |
-Thank you very much. -Charlotte. | 0:41:31 | 0:41:33 | |
Fiona, I'm going to surprise myself and say yes. | 0:41:37 | 0:41:40 | |
Thank you. | 0:41:40 | 0:41:41 | |
It would have been a no from me, Fiona, because I don't think there's any art there. | 0:41:41 | 0:41:46 | |
But you'll be included in the Exhibition. Thank you for showing them to us. | 0:41:46 | 0:41:49 | |
-Thank you for your time. -Thank you. -It's been an absolute pleasure. | 0:41:49 | 0:41:53 | |
See you again soon. Thank you. | 0:41:53 | 0:41:55 | |
Fiona's survived her ordeal and got the judges' seal of approval, | 0:41:59 | 0:42:03 | |
but will the buyers at the Exhibition be tempted by her Perspex panels? | 0:42:03 | 0:42:08 | |
Fiona's triptych is in pride of place at the Royal College Exhibition | 0:42:14 | 0:42:19 | |
and in the light of her success, she's gone for a bold guide price | 0:42:19 | 0:42:22 | |
of £1,100. | 0:42:22 | 0:42:24 | |
-So, how's it going? Has it been worth the trip down from Scotland? -Definitely worth the trip. | 0:42:26 | 0:42:30 | |
There's been a lot of interest in it and a lot of people making comments and saying they like it. | 0:42:30 | 0:42:35 | |
-That's fantastic. -Fingers crossed someone buys it. -Excellent. | 0:42:35 | 0:42:39 | |
You put £1,100 on it, but you said you might take less. | 0:42:39 | 0:42:42 | |
I might take less. Might. | 0:42:42 | 0:42:44 | |
Does this feel like quite a big step up from what you've been doing before? | 0:42:44 | 0:42:48 | |
I couldn't ask for anything better for my first exhibition | 0:42:48 | 0:42:51 | |
since leaving university. I think I'm doing OK. | 0:42:51 | 0:42:54 | |
That's fantastic. You ARE doing very well! | 0:42:54 | 0:42:57 | |
Well, Fiona she didn't receive any offers this time, | 0:43:01 | 0:43:04 | |
but for such a young artist fresh out of university, | 0:43:04 | 0:43:07 | |
this launch on the London art scene has been an incredible way to start. | 0:43:07 | 0:43:11 | |
That's it for today, but join us next time on Show Me The Monet when those judges will be meeting | 0:43:12 | 0:43:17 | |
more budding artists. But for now, bye-bye. | 0:43:17 | 0:43:20 | |
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd | 0:43:43 | 0:43:46 | |
E-mail [email protected] | 0:43:46 | 0:43:49 |