0:00:00 > 0:00:03Britain's top artists make big money.
0:00:03 > 0:00:05Their works can go for millions.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08Nine million five. Ten million.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10Ten million five. 11 million.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13Up and down the country, thousands of ordinary people are also trying
0:00:13 > 0:00:15to get a piece of the action.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18They're putting their necks on the block for the chance
0:00:18 > 0:00:21to sell at the hottest exhibition in town.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24To get something in London would be pretty special.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27This is really what I want to do with the rest of my life.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30These artists could stand to make some serious cash.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32£2,400.
0:00:32 > 0:00:341,800.
0:00:34 > 0:00:35£5,000.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38But first they need the seal of approval
0:00:38 > 0:00:40from three of the art world's toughest critics.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42I don't like it.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46Their hopes are in the hands of the Hanging Committee.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49Ever the phrase, "Don't give up your day job."
0:00:49 > 0:00:51If you can maintain this level of work,
0:00:51 > 0:00:54you will be in every collection I can think of.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56It's time to Show Me the Monet.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03Hello and welcome to Show Me the Monet.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07Over the past few months, ambitious artists, both professional
0:01:07 > 0:01:10and amateur, have been facing our Hanging Committee in the hope
0:01:10 > 0:01:13they would get the chance to show and sell their work
0:01:13 > 0:01:16at our prestigious London exhibition at The Mall Galleries.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19Just down the road from Buckingham Palace.
0:01:19 > 0:01:24But to get there, they have to get past three of the most demanding critics in the business.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27Charlotte Mullins is a contemporary art specialist,
0:01:27 > 0:01:31who's judged some of the most prestigious competitions in the industry.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Is technical ability important? Absolutely.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38How a work is made is so vital to how an artist communicates
0:01:38 > 0:01:39what they're trying to say.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42David Lee is the bad boy of the art world
0:01:42 > 0:01:46and is known for his brutally honest critiques.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Originality doesn't have to be loud and sensational.
0:01:49 > 0:01:50It can be done subtly.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52And Roy Bolton is an experienced art dealer.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54Our resident money man,
0:01:54 > 0:01:58he has an eye for art with commercial pulling power.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01An emotional connection with the artist, through their art and directly to me,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04smack dab in the middle of the eyes. That's what really counts.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07These experts were the gatekeepers to our exhibition.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10Thousands of hopeful artists applied,
0:02:10 > 0:02:13- but only the very best would hang their work at The Mall Galleries. - Yes.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Coming up on today's programme -
0:02:18 > 0:02:21David gives a brutally honest appraisal.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25I honestly think it would disgrace the walls of a community centre.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27Things get emotional in the Hanging Committee.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30You see, you've even got me going now.
0:02:30 > 0:02:31I've got you going!
0:02:31 > 0:02:34And Roy thinks he's discovered a rare talent.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36I mean, I think you've got a gift.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41Eltham Palace, South London.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44One of the few surviving medieval royal palaces in England.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47It was an awe-inspiring backdrop for our aspiring artists,
0:02:47 > 0:02:53as one by one they faced the Hanging Committee in the magnificent Great Hall.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59First up was 23-year-old Sian Griffiths, an art graduate
0:02:59 > 0:03:02and part-time nursery school teacher from Northampton.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05She graduated two years ago from Loughborough University
0:03:05 > 0:03:07with a degree in Fine Art
0:03:07 > 0:03:10and has high hopes of becoming a professional artist.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12- Hi Sian.- Hi.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14- Welcome.- Thank you.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18So you've got an art degree, right? Did you do well?
0:03:18 > 0:03:20- I got a first, yeah.- You can't get much better than that, can you?
0:03:20 > 0:03:23No. Now you'd like to be a full-time artist?
0:03:23 > 0:03:26- Yeah. - How close do you think you are?
0:03:26 > 0:03:28I don't know.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30I feel like I've done quite well so far, but I think
0:03:30 > 0:03:32I probably have quite a long way to go still.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Now if you do get to the exhibition, and you take your art there
0:03:35 > 0:03:38and it sells, what would you do with the money?
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Well, my boyfriend and I just put an offer in for an apartment
0:03:41 > 0:03:44the other day and I just heard today that our offer was accepted.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48So it will go on making our house look really swanky.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50- Good luck.- Thank you.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52The judges are awaiting you through that door.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55OK, thank you. Bye.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57Sian did well at university
0:03:57 > 0:03:59but making it in the professional art world
0:03:59 > 0:04:01is an entirely different matter.
0:04:01 > 0:04:06She's about to appear before three highly knowledgeable art critics.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Will her colourful sculpture measure up?
0:04:19 > 0:04:21Hello, Sian. Welcome to the Hanging Committee.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23- Hi.- Please tell us about your work.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26This piece of work is called My Sculpture, My Rules.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28Everything that you see on the piece,
0:04:28 > 0:04:33I have found or was belonging to me and I've kind of altered it.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37Basically what you see are some cocktail umbrellas.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40There's the purple thing, which I found in a skip.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44A paper doily and there's a frame from a handheld mirror.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46So I took things that interested me
0:04:46 > 0:04:50and I kind of just played around with them and see what they could do.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52And what value do you place on this work?
0:04:52 > 0:04:58The value for this piece, I would say, £450.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01Right. Let's go and take a closer look.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Sian wants to make a living from her art,
0:05:06 > 0:05:10so a place at the exhibition could be just the launch pad she needs.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13To get there, she needs two yes votes from the judges
0:05:13 > 0:05:18and they're looking for technical ability, emotional impact and originality.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21And if she manages to sell her work,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24she'll be able to furnish her swanky new pad.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34Sian, am I right in taking it that this sculpture itself
0:05:34 > 0:05:37has no particular meaning, other than the enjoyment
0:05:37 > 0:05:40and vivacity of creating it?
0:05:40 > 0:05:43Yeah, that's correct, yeah.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45- Is it about nothing? - It is about nothing
0:05:45 > 0:05:48but then it's also about everything, because it's about objects.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51If I were the public, I might be tempted to think,
0:05:51 > 0:05:55"Instead of paying 450 quid for this, I'll go out
0:05:55 > 0:05:57"and buy the raw ingredients and knock one up myself."
0:05:57 > 0:05:59I don't know what to think.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02I can't work out whether it's great fun and formally witty,
0:06:02 > 0:06:05or actually if it's a waste of space.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09Sian's work has certainly got the judges talking
0:06:09 > 0:06:13but their debate seems to be, is it art or just a random collection of objects?
0:06:13 > 0:06:15She's chosen how to put it together.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17Well, of course.
0:06:17 > 0:06:18And that's your choice in a formal way.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22- And that's my choice. - How the colours and the forms work together.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25If you have an artistic eye, those colours, or those shapes,
0:06:25 > 0:06:27or those textures can work together and that's why...
0:06:27 > 0:06:31You see I don't think if you took the constituent parts of that
0:06:31 > 0:06:35and laid them out and rearranged them and put them together again
0:06:35 > 0:06:39in a different way, it would make the slightest bit of difference.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42I have trained. I did Fine Art at university
0:06:42 > 0:06:45and this didn't just occur overnight.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49I painted originally, I studied composition and line and colour.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52I've got to here because of all of that. It didn't just happen
0:06:52 > 0:06:56and I don't think anyone could just do it.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58Fighting talk from Sian,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01standing her ground against quite an onslaught
0:07:01 > 0:07:04but will it have earned her some respect.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07I like the idea that everything is stripped out
0:07:07 > 0:07:10except the fact that it has no meaning.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13But in a way you're excluding the general public,
0:07:13 > 0:07:16because it's very hard for someone without a great deal of art knowledge
0:07:16 > 0:07:18to look at something that has almost nothing in it,
0:07:18 > 0:07:20without seeing it as trivial.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23I think the materials are slight.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26What you've done with them is quite interesting, and in a formal way.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30Technical ability is hard to judge really,
0:07:30 > 0:07:33because you've put them together. they seem well put together,
0:07:33 > 0:07:35and in terms of originality, children have fun
0:07:35 > 0:07:38putting different materials together, and often in very exciting ways.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42I can't imagine paying that much money for it,
0:07:42 > 0:07:44or having it on my wall.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48I'm sorry, I think it's artless.
0:07:48 > 0:07:53I honestly think it would disgrace the walls of a community centre.
0:07:53 > 0:07:58And I'd like to be able to say something positive to you about it.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03But I can't think of anything.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07David always speaks from his heart.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10Oh dear.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13No prizes for guessing which way David's going to vote then.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16But Charlotte did say she couldn't dismiss this piece outright
0:08:16 > 0:08:20and Roy said he quite likes the fact that the sculpture has no meaning.
0:08:20 > 0:08:25Will this be enough though to get Sian a place at the exhibition?
0:08:25 > 0:08:27Sian, you're an artist at heart.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30I just don't think you're showing it as well as you need to at this.
0:08:30 > 0:08:31I'm afraid it's no.
0:08:31 > 0:08:32David?
0:08:32 > 0:08:34No.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38I'm sorry, Sian. It is going to be three noes
0:08:38 > 0:08:41but it's very kind of you to come and stand in front of us today
0:08:41 > 0:08:45and I hope you take some constructive criticism and feedback from what we've said.
0:08:45 > 0:08:46OK, thank you.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49Thank you very much, Sian.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51Disappointment then for Sian.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54She's learnt the hard way that there's a world of difference
0:08:54 > 0:08:57between an Art School classroom and a panel of demanding critics
0:08:57 > 0:08:59choosing art for a public exhibition.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04- Hi.- Bad luck.- Not good, no.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06You said they'd either love it, or hate it.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09And they hated it.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11- Pretty unanimously.- Yeah.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13You're smiling and you're laughing. Did that hurt?
0:09:13 > 0:09:16No, because I was expecting it. I was preparing myself for that.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19What are you going to go away now and do?
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Are you going to prove those three in there that they're wrong?
0:09:22 > 0:09:24Or are you just going to change a little bit?
0:09:24 > 0:09:27I think I'll go away and prove that they're wrong.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30- That's what I want to hear. Sian, lovely to meet you. - Thank you.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32- And good luck with your new place. - Yeah. Thank you.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34- Good luck. Lovely to meet you. - Thanks, bye.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42One by one, nervous artists arrived at the Hanging Committee,
0:09:42 > 0:09:46all hoping their work had what it takes to earn them a place at our grand exhibition.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50But only the select few were good enough.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53Art teacher Ruth Corney was hoping to win over the judges
0:09:53 > 0:09:56with her image of a woman who had just taken a swim.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59She just seemed so comfortable and relaxed in her body.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01It really reminded me of a classical painting.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Roy had issues with the composition.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07I think possibly she came in too late
0:10:07 > 0:10:09and you didn't rethink the focus on her.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11That's a very... it's just a personal...
0:10:11 > 0:10:13- Could I just argue that point?- Do.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15I did actually take a straight-on portrait of her,
0:10:15 > 0:10:19but for me this was the choice, because I really like the incline of her face.
0:10:19 > 0:10:24And although Ruth defended her work well, it wasn't enough to earn her a place at the exhibition.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28I just feel I need to see it in a bigger body of work.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30I'm going to say no.
0:10:30 > 0:10:3482-year-old former ballroom dancer Doreen Davison
0:10:34 > 0:10:39wanted £150 for her painting of a secret meeting between two lovers.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42She was a very young girl, going out with a married man
0:10:42 > 0:10:46and I thought the red spelled the danger she was in,
0:10:46 > 0:10:50but the colours were her feelings, you know.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Charlotte was impressed by the vibrant nature of the work.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56There's a lot of energy in it and the colour is terrific.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58But the couple's smouldering passion
0:10:58 > 0:11:01was interpreted quite literally by David.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03They look as though they're on fire to me.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06But that fire was put out when it came to the vote.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08Well, Doreen, I'm afraid it's three noes.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12But it's been a pleasure to meet you and to hear your story.
0:11:12 > 0:11:13Thank you.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15Professional artist Marina Kim
0:11:15 > 0:11:18presented her work of a family friend,
0:11:18 > 0:11:22created using a specialist print-making technique.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24She's got a lovely personality to her.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28It's a combination of the outside beauty with the inner beauty.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32Roy struggled with one particular aspect of her outer beauty.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34The arm doesn't work at all for me.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37If anything, it doesn't look like her arm.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39It almost feels like something strangling her.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41David however had no such problem.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43I think that's quietly marvellous. Yes.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45- Thank you.- But sadly for Marina,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48David's was the only vote she managed to win.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51Next up was intrepid photographer Paul Berrif,
0:11:51 > 0:11:54who had battled the elements to capture his image
0:11:54 > 0:11:57of a snow covered Yorkshire village, entitled Winter Morning.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01The police had warned that there's heavy snow, don't go out.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03Well that was a cue for me to go out with my camera.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06And although Charlotte was initially impressed...
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Paul, I would like to compliment you on how well this is presented
0:12:09 > 0:12:11and what a beautiful image it is.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15Paul's picturesque scene wasn't what they were looking for.
0:12:15 > 0:12:21I can see this in every tea shop from Whitby to Redcar.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24It's perfect, but it is a postcard view
0:12:24 > 0:12:27and I can't see it in an art exhibition. It's a no from me.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29OK, thank you.
0:12:29 > 0:12:34One of our successful applicants was 47-year-old Shona McMillan from Edinburgh.
0:12:34 > 0:12:39She spent her working life promoting Scottish culture to holidaymakers
0:12:39 > 0:12:43but for five years she's been dabbling in photography.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45Now she has ambitions to become an artist.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47So how did it all begin?
0:12:47 > 0:12:49Hi, Shona. Lovely to meet you, welcome.
0:12:49 > 0:12:50Pleased to meet you.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53Now it says you are an events organiser.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55- Yes.- What does that mean? Parties? Anything?
0:12:55 > 0:12:59Cultural festivals celebrating Highland culture
0:12:59 > 0:13:01and this is kind of how this has all come about,
0:13:01 > 0:13:05because my mum came from the fishing community and she said,
0:13:05 > 0:13:09"You know, I'm very proud of what you were doing for your culture thing,
0:13:09 > 0:13:12"but when you going to celebrate our ain culture?"
0:13:12 > 0:13:15And I said that, "I'm not really a photographer."
0:13:15 > 0:13:19And she says, "Well, do your best. Make a start."
0:13:19 > 0:13:21- I like that. Mums do.- Yeah.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23"I can't do that." "Oh, yes you can."
0:13:23 > 0:13:26Yeah, exactly. You can't argue with your mum.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28You cannot argue with your mum.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30And that's kind of how the photography started.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33What would it mean to you if you got to the exhibition?
0:13:33 > 0:13:38If it's successful, the funding for that I would use to do another exhibition.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42Oh, that would be wonderful. So there's a lot at stake today then?
0:13:42 > 0:13:44- Yeah.- There's only one thing to say, good luck.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47All right. The judges are through there.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50- Thank you very much. - Give as good as you get.- Thanks.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53This is an important moment for Shona.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56She's very much an amateur photographer and yet she's putting
0:13:56 > 0:14:00her work before three highly experienced critics.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03She submitted this photograph that she hopes is of the standard
0:14:03 > 0:14:05they're looking for.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17- Hello, Shona.- Hello. - Welcome to the Hanging Committee.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19Please tell us about your photograph.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23My photograph is taken of a fisherman.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27I was doing a project, which I called People of the Sea,
0:14:27 > 0:14:31but during that time the fuel crisis was really affecting
0:14:31 > 0:14:33the Scottish fishing industry.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38And very unfortunately, this person had just told me
0:14:38 > 0:14:41that he was going to have to sell his boat,
0:14:41 > 0:14:45and his family had been in fishing for 300 years.
0:14:45 > 0:14:50For me, it's an incredibly emotional piece.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54I come from a fishing family of many, many generations.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57This was almost like going back to your roots.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00About it's not all nicey, nicey.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03This is real life and it's a whole culture that's changing.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06Gosh. And what value do you put on this work?
0:15:06 > 0:15:09Because it's 300 years of fishing coming to an end,
0:15:09 > 0:15:13I thought £300, which is really nothing for 300 years.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15- A neat figure! - Thank you.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19We'll take a closer look now.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22If Shona manages to sell her piece, any money will go towards
0:15:22 > 0:15:25holding another exhibition of her fishing life photographs.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28There's no doubting her personal connection to the work
0:15:28 > 0:15:32but will the judges feel the same response from their closer look?
0:15:32 > 0:15:36A place at the exhibition depends on it.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44The story you invoke for the sitter, which is very moving
0:15:44 > 0:15:49and, as I understand the story, I can see a lot of that story in his face.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53His eyes are particularly expressive. However,
0:15:53 > 0:15:55I wonder whether as part of a series of pictures,
0:15:55 > 0:15:57whether that story could be told perfectly.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59Can this one by itself do that job?
0:15:59 > 0:16:04I think what it does is it asks a question.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06But I think you look at it
0:16:06 > 0:16:10and you know that there's a story there and you want to know more.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14Shona, what instigated this project that led to this photograph?
0:16:16 > 0:16:19What instigated the project for me
0:16:19 > 0:16:22is my mum passed away with cancer,
0:16:22 > 0:16:28and before she did she asked me would I do something to celebrate the fishing community.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32I finally, with Mum's money, I bought a posh new camera
0:16:32 > 0:16:35but didn't know how to work it.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37It was, it was quite something.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40What a wonderful legacy. Did she get to see any of these?
0:16:40 > 0:16:44She never saw any of it, but by her birthday one year on,
0:16:44 > 0:16:4812,000 people had seen the photographs.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50- You see, you've even got me going now.- I've got you going!
0:16:50 > 0:16:53You're an incredible storyteller
0:16:53 > 0:16:56and obviously you're starting to use that in your camera.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59Are you saying before you started this you were a complete amateur?
0:16:59 > 0:17:02I wish somebody had filmed the day I got my camera,
0:17:02 > 0:17:04because I couldn't work out the focus
0:17:04 > 0:17:08and there was an older bloke going out and I was saying to him, "Back, back."
0:17:08 > 0:17:14Because I couldn't focus. And he says, "You're going to have me in the drink, woman!"
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Shona's certainly got the gift of the gab, but she's going to need
0:17:17 > 0:17:21more than that to get voted through to the exhibition.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25Just take it as it is. Is that portrait eloquent?
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Is it vivid?
0:17:27 > 0:17:29Does it tell its own stories,
0:17:29 > 0:17:33outside of the stories which we're supposed to get?
0:17:33 > 0:17:36My view is that it does.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39Shona, whether this is beginner's luck or not,
0:17:39 > 0:17:43you have come up with a stunning photograph of this man.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47I don't believe this is beginner's luck.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50I think the stories you've told
0:17:50 > 0:17:53show what a good ear you have for stories.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56And the emotional impact is there in the eyes,
0:17:56 > 0:17:59the weathered face, the sun-beaten cheeks,
0:17:59 > 0:18:01the windswept hair, the sea behind it.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05The simple fisherman's sweater. You tell that story beautifully.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09My mum said, "I just want you to do your best".
0:18:09 > 0:18:12And it feels like finally you've told me I've done my best.
0:18:12 > 0:18:17Your mum could see something in you that you are now showing us.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19That you have a gift.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22There is so much bound up in this photograph for Shona
0:18:22 > 0:18:24and she's passionate about showing the world
0:18:24 > 0:18:27a way of life that is disappearing.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31Now will the judges give her the chance to tell that story in their exhibition?
0:18:36 > 0:18:39I'm going to start with Roy.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44Yes.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48David?
0:18:49 > 0:18:54- Yes.- Three yeses, Shona. We'll be seeing you at The Mall Galleries.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57- Your mum would be proud. - Thank you very, very much.
0:18:57 > 0:19:03- I was going to shake your hands but since I've been crying... - Oh, come on! You can do it.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05She's done it. Three yeses.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07Shona's photograph will hang at The Mall Galleries.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10- Oh, lovely to meet you.- Thank you.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12Brilliant.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24The Mall Galleries, London, and Shona's photograph took its place
0:19:24 > 0:19:27at one of the hottest exhibitions of the year.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Open to the public, art dealers and collectors,
0:19:30 > 0:19:32it was the perfect stage for Shona
0:19:32 > 0:19:37to highlight the plight of the fishermen to an even larger audience.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40I've done something for a community that I care about
0:19:40 > 0:19:47and I just hope it makes a difference just even in giving respect to that community.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50I would really like to use the money to actually do another exhibition.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53But would anyone be interested in owning the piece?
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Any offers on her work were made in secret
0:19:56 > 0:19:58and subject to a 10% sales commission.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02The results of the bidding were handed to me in a sealed envelope
0:20:02 > 0:20:06and only revealed when I opened it in front of the artist for the first time.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09- Welcome.- Hi.- Remind me of his name.
0:20:09 > 0:20:14His proper name is Robert Johnston, but his nickname is Bobo.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17- So you've brought Bobo along. - Bobo's along. - What did everybody think of him?
0:20:17 > 0:20:21I think they were very impressed and I also think that they got
0:20:21 > 0:20:23that the picture had a story to tell,
0:20:23 > 0:20:26which for me I'm glad that they got that.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28Good. That's what I'd like to hear.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32So hopefully, does it smell like money in there? We'll have to wait and see.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34How much did you want? I can't remember.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38Well, I decided actually that I would do two exhibitions,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41- so it's up to 850. - £850 for this.- Yes.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44And this money will go into two more exhibitions, right.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46Right, we'll see.
0:20:46 > 0:20:52OK. So you wanted £850 to invest back into two exhibitions.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54Yeah.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00Well, sadly, you didn't get any offers on the night.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04- None at all. - None at all, I'm afraid.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07Well, I think, as I say, it's a continuation of something
0:21:07 > 0:21:12that's already started and I think it raises the profile of the people
0:21:12 > 0:21:16of the sea and the fishing community. So, in a way, objective achieved.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19Well, I definitely think you got the message, not only last night,
0:21:19 > 0:21:22today, but definitely on Show Me the Monet.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26It's been a pleasure meeting you. Commiserations. I'm going to give you a big hug.
0:21:26 > 0:21:27Good luck.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31No sale for Shona but she's now off to Canada,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34to document British Columbia's fishing community.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37We asked artists from all over the country to send us their work
0:21:37 > 0:21:39and the response was overwhelming.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42There were paintings, photographs, drawings and sculptures,
0:21:42 > 0:21:44all of an incredibly high standard.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50Next up was 18-year-old trainee chef, Peter Hayward.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53He's one of the youngest artists to face the Hanging Committee.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55He's set his sights on becoming a professional artist
0:21:55 > 0:21:58but lacks any formal training.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01I did a year of Art School, but I didn't enjoy it
0:22:01 > 0:22:04and I left after... It was a two year course, I did the first year.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06I've just been pursuing it in my own time, really.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09And now you're cooking up a storm, are you?
0:22:09 > 0:22:11Yeah, yeah. I'm just being trained to be a chef
0:22:11 > 0:22:13and it's not really what I want to do, but I am enjoying it.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16You say waiting to see what you really want to do, you mean the art world?
0:22:16 > 0:22:18I want to be an artist.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20You do want to be an artist, full time?
0:22:20 > 0:22:22- Yeah, yeah.- If you did get to the exhibition,
0:22:22 > 0:22:23what would it mean to you?
0:22:23 > 0:22:26Well, I've never been in an exhibition before,
0:22:26 > 0:22:27so I'd be thrilled to bits.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29If you manage to sell your work,
0:22:29 > 0:22:31you'll have a bit of cash in your hand.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34- What are you going to do with it? - I'd put it towards travelling.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37- Where would you like to go? - I think, to be honest,
0:22:37 > 0:22:40I'm just going to throw a dart at a map and see where it lands
0:22:40 > 0:22:44- and then go to there. - I hope it's on land. - Hopefully it doesn't land in the sea.
0:22:45 > 0:22:51Peter's about to find out if he's made a big mistake dropping out of art college.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55This detailed chalk drawing entitled Mother
0:22:55 > 0:22:58is the piece he's selected to show off his skills.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02But it's a long, lonely walk for such a young artist
0:23:02 > 0:23:07and waiting for him are three very rigorous critics.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14Peter, hello. Welcome to the Hanging Committee.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16Please tell us about your work.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20It's a drawing of my mum in graphite and white chalk.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25Sorry, pretty nervous, sorry.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27Do you want me to start again?
0:23:27 > 0:23:28Take your time.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32My mum told me to enter the exhibition
0:23:32 > 0:23:35and I suppose she's done a lot for me in the past two years.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41Sorry, actually, I'm really nervous.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45But...
0:23:47 > 0:23:49Mind's gone blank, sorry.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54Oh, dear. The nerves are really getting to Peter.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58- Let's hope the judges go easy on him.- Did your mum suggest...
0:23:58 > 0:23:59She suggested the exhibition.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02I thought I'd enter a picture of her and I suppose,
0:24:02 > 0:24:06when I was drawing it, I spent a lot of time thinking about her
0:24:06 > 0:24:10and I think maybe that reflects in the work a little bit.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13I also think, because the eyes are closed,
0:24:13 > 0:24:15it leaves it open to your imagination
0:24:15 > 0:24:19about what you can perceive from the actual drawing.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23It could mean anything. She's looking down into a blank space.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26It's just a portrait, really, of my mum.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28What price would you put on this?
0:24:28 > 0:24:31If someone values it, I'm happy to accept anything
0:24:31 > 0:24:33from £50 to whatever, really.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35- £50 would be too little. - I know, I'm not sure.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39I've never sold anything, well, I've sold one thing before.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43- What was that?- It was a drawing of a dog.- How much did you get for that?
0:24:43 > 0:24:48- £30.- From the owner of the dog? - Yeah.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50- Can we come and have a closer look? - Go for it.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55A modest valuation from Peter but if he wants to keep
0:24:55 > 0:24:58his travelling dream alive, every little helps.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01First, the judges need to see something special
0:25:01 > 0:25:04if he wants that place at the exhibition.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17Peter, you dropped out of art college.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19Just because I didn't feel it was for me, really.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22I never used to really get to draw anything. Well, I did draw a bit.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25I always wanted to be a portrait painter so I suppose
0:25:25 > 0:25:27it's good for some people but it wasn't good for me.
0:25:27 > 0:25:32So you're effectively self-taught as a draftsman?
0:25:32 > 0:25:34What do you think?
0:25:34 > 0:25:37It's unusual to see a small portrait
0:25:37 > 0:25:40that has a composition that's so defined.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42It's mature, isn't it?
0:25:42 > 0:25:47It's confident in terms of choosing not to paint any chest, any neck.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51It's confident in the assertiveness of the marks you make as well.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55There doesn't seem to be very much hesitancy there.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57- You really get stuck in. - I do work quite fast.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59You seem to know exactly where you want the mark
0:25:59 > 0:26:02better than you'd expect from somebody who is 18.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06Yes, absolutely. I was really surprised when you walked through the door
0:26:06 > 0:26:08because it's very mature.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11The judges seem impressed by 18-year-old Peter's drawing.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13So far, so good.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19I mean, it's a really lovely study but it's a study, in my mind.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23- It's quite obvious in a way. - It's naive, I agree with you.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25It's right in the middle. It's looking down.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29- Not naive but obvious. - Yeah, all right.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31I see exactly what you mean
0:26:31 > 0:26:35but some studies can be far superior to so-called finished works.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37- Absolutely. - I think you've got a gift
0:26:37 > 0:26:40but all gifts still need hard work behind them.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44It seems a shame to me you don't get to spend more hours
0:26:44 > 0:26:46working on this sort of thing.
0:26:46 > 0:26:47This one is going to the wire.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49There is no doubting Peter's natural ability
0:26:49 > 0:26:52but will his lack of training cost him when it comes to the vote?
0:26:54 > 0:26:57- Roy, yes or no?- Absolutely.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04I'm going to say no.
0:27:04 > 0:27:05David.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19I'm going to have to say no, Peter.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25I don't think there's enough there yet but come back again. Please do.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29- Cheers.- They are both wrong. - Thank you. Thank you very much.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33So close for Peter. He is definitely one to watch for the future
0:27:33 > 0:27:36but will he take the judges' advice and go back to school?
0:27:36 > 0:27:38- Mate.- No worries, really.
0:27:38 > 0:27:43I'm absolutely gutted for you, actually.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45- How are you feeling? - I respect the decision, really.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48I think they are right, in their own way.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51But they all said, without fail,
0:27:51 > 0:27:54please think about going back to college.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57- Will you think about it? - I don't think I will, to be fair.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59I'm quite confident that I'm going to do what I want to do
0:27:59 > 0:28:03at the end of the day. I'm going to pursue it, obviously.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06Please don't give up and think about, I don't know,
0:28:06 > 0:28:09constructing a career now because I think you've got something.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13- It's been an honour meeting you. - Cheers.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16Good luck and make sure your mum knows that we loved her portrait.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20- Good luck in the future. - Cheers, see you later.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22Next to face the Hanging Committee
0:28:22 > 0:28:26was 39-year-old professional photographer Victoria White.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30She's exhibited across Europe for the last 10 years
0:28:30 > 0:28:35but hopes to use our exhibition to attract new London clients to work.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37I'm looking down here.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40- You are a full-time professional artist, aren't you?- I am, yes.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44- How long have you been professional full-time?- 12 years now.
0:28:44 > 0:28:48- Things are going quite well? - Up and down.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52I've had my moments and I've had my moments.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55But on the whole, quite well indeed, yes, for sure.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58For someone who has been at galleries and exhibitions elsewhere,
0:28:58 > 0:29:02what would it mean to you to make the Show Me The Monet exhibition?
0:29:02 > 0:29:05I would be delighted. Absolutely thrilled.
0:29:05 > 0:29:06- Good luck.- Thank you.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10- The judges are waiting through that door there.- Cheers.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13This is a brave move for Victoria.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15She is an established artist so if things go badly,
0:29:15 > 0:29:18her reputation is at stake.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21She submitted this photograph which she hopes will win her
0:29:21 > 0:29:24three rather credible fans.
0:29:28 > 0:29:34- Victoria, hello.- Hi.- Would you introduce your piece to us please?
0:29:34 > 0:29:36It is a picture called Moon Fleet.
0:29:38 > 0:29:43It's actually a photograph of a boat in Cannes in France.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45It's a boat reflection, obviously.
0:29:45 > 0:29:49It was taken with a film camera and that's it.
0:29:49 > 0:29:54- It's printed on watercolour paper. - Price?- 1,250.
0:29:54 > 0:29:56OK. I'll have a close look now.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04Now Victoria can only stand back
0:30:04 > 0:30:09and hold her nerve as the judges scrutinise her nautical piece.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13If she wants to end her place at the exhibition, this needs to go well.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28It's very, very colourful, as you are.
0:30:28 > 0:30:33My question is, is it about more than the boat in the photograph?
0:30:33 > 0:30:37- Is there another meaning to it that you intended?- Not really, no.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40I think if I see it and it works, that's it.
0:30:40 > 0:30:46Aesthetically, I love everything that's colourful and beautiful, I suppose.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48If someone were to say to you,
0:30:48 > 0:30:55"I've got holiday snaps like this as well where I've noticed how nice the water is,
0:30:55 > 0:31:00"why should we be treating what you've done as more than that?"
0:31:00 > 0:31:04I will go on what people have said to me about my work before,
0:31:04 > 0:31:07is that they've just often said, "This is extraordinary."
0:31:07 > 0:31:09"This is wonderful." Yes, it's a reflection.
0:31:09 > 0:31:13Anybody can take a photograph of a reflection but it's the composure,
0:31:13 > 0:31:17it's the colour, it's the structure and it's the impact that it has.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20I also believe that an image speaks beyond the image, so to speak,
0:31:20 > 0:31:24and it's something perhaps more emotional.
0:31:24 > 0:31:28That is individual and unique to me
0:31:28 > 0:31:33and, you know, that's what I'm offering, I suppose.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36It's competently done, it's a choice you've made.
0:31:36 > 0:31:40This isn't just a holiday snap.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43Every boat owner who has a boat in Cannes
0:31:43 > 0:31:47or anywhere warm and sunny would love this.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50OK, this is interesting.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52We know there is a market for Victoria's work
0:31:52 > 0:31:56but our resident photography buff David doesn't seem impressed.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59The big question now is, can her work make the leap
0:31:59 > 0:32:02from commercial success to the fine art world?
0:32:04 > 0:32:08I don't want to sound damning but I just feel that this image,
0:32:08 > 0:32:12successful as it is and lots of people would love to own,
0:32:12 > 0:32:15it just doesn't fit with what we are looking for.
0:32:15 > 0:32:19Victoria, technical skill I think is obviously there.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22The colours are so vibrant.
0:32:22 > 0:32:23There's a lot to be said for the image,
0:32:23 > 0:32:25I don't even think we need to discuss the image.
0:32:25 > 0:32:29It's a beautiful image. In some cases that may be enough
0:32:29 > 0:32:32but for me, in this case, it isn't, I'm afraid.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34Original? No.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36Technique?
0:32:36 > 0:32:39Yeah, it seems OK. You've got a clear image.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42It doesn't tell me you're a great photographer that,
0:32:42 > 0:32:45by any stretch of the imagination.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47Ow.
0:32:47 > 0:32:49- Sorry.- No, no, it's fine. Absolutely fine.
0:32:49 > 0:32:54I think what we will do is reflect and then have a vote,
0:32:54 > 0:32:58see if we'll include it in the show.
0:33:02 > 0:33:03Poor Victoria.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05She seems really taken aback by those comments
0:33:05 > 0:33:09and I have a feeling she could be going down with a sinking ship here.
0:33:09 > 0:33:14- Roy?- Victoria. A beautiful picture. Just not for me.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17- Sian.- No, sorry.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21Not for me, sorry.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23Thanks very much for showing it to us.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26- Thank you.- Lovely to meet you. - You too, thank you.
0:33:35 > 0:33:40- Victoria.- Hello. - That was quite tough, wasn't it?
0:33:40 > 0:33:44- It was pretty full on, wasn't it? - How do you feel about it?
0:33:44 > 0:33:48I'm disappointed, obviously.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50But what I got from the panel just now was,
0:33:50 > 0:33:55this very much is an art exhibition and that's really important to them,
0:33:55 > 0:33:59so on that basis, I think standing as a photographer is probably
0:33:59 > 0:34:04a little bit more challenging than if I'd been up there with a painting.
0:34:04 > 0:34:09- So, yeah, interesting. Surprising. - Right, Victoria, lovely to meet you.
0:34:09 > 0:34:14- Good luck.- Thank you.- We'll see you next time, hopefully.- Maybe, yes.
0:34:14 > 0:34:15Bye-bye.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24For many aspiring artists,
0:34:24 > 0:34:27the Hanging Committee was the chance of a lifetime.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29They all arrived with the same dream
0:34:29 > 0:34:32but only a select few would leave with a spot at our exhibition.
0:34:32 > 0:34:37Next in line was 29-year-old Toby Smith from London.
0:34:37 > 0:34:38He is a trained photographer
0:34:38 > 0:34:42but he also has a degree in environmental science.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44He's on a mission to spread the eco word,
0:34:44 > 0:34:48and he's hoping the judges give him the chance to do just that.
0:34:48 > 0:34:53- Hi, Toby. Welcome. It says here, former soldier?- Yeah, that's right.
0:34:53 > 0:34:57I joined the infantry straight out of school before coming round
0:34:57 > 0:35:01to the idea of civilian life more than the military.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05- The soldier life is behind you and now you're a full-time photographer? - That's right, yeah.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08If you do manage to get to the exhibition, what would it mean to you?
0:35:08 > 0:35:12It would mean that I could bring another new audience to the subject matter and photography that I do.
0:35:12 > 0:35:15If you do get to the exhibition and you sell,
0:35:15 > 0:35:17what would you do with the money?
0:35:17 > 0:35:19I've been renovating a 4x4 pickup truck
0:35:19 > 0:35:22with a live-in cabin and a heater on the back.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24I use it for my shoots as an expedition vehicle
0:35:24 > 0:35:26but I've never taken it that far.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28I really want to go to Georgia and the Caspian Sea.
0:35:28 > 0:35:32Fantastic. I wish you the best of luck. The judges await you.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34Cheers.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39Well, if Toby wants to drive to Georgia,
0:35:39 > 0:35:42he's really going to need some cash to fund that trip
0:35:42 > 0:35:47so a place at the exhibition would get him the perfect opportunity.
0:35:47 > 0:35:51Toby's hoping that his large photograph of a power station
0:35:51 > 0:35:54has got what it takes to get him there.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07Toby, would you introduce your photograph for us?
0:36:07 > 0:36:10OK, the photo's entitled Ratcliff-on-Soar.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12It's from a series called Light After Dark
0:36:12 > 0:36:17whereby I photographed every single power station in Britain at night.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19There is no postproduction so the colours, the content
0:36:19 > 0:36:21is as per the scene.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24What shaped the project and also my own interests ongoing
0:36:24 > 0:36:28is trying to basically inspire debate on the subject matter
0:36:28 > 0:36:32to do with power generation, sustainability, etc.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34- Can we have a closer look? - Please, yeah.
0:36:35 > 0:36:40Toby is also hoping his picture will inspire debate among our judges.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43It could be key to winning him a spot at our exhibition
0:36:43 > 0:36:47and the chance to explain his work to a much wider audience.
0:37:02 > 0:37:07Toby, there are actually two of us with an emotional attachment
0:37:07 > 0:37:12to power stations because I too am working
0:37:12 > 0:37:14on exactly the same thing as you.
0:37:14 > 0:37:19- OK.- Of which this one, by pure coincidence, is at the centre.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23What are the chances of starting the same project as one of the judges?
0:37:23 > 0:37:26Is that going to help or hinder Toby?
0:37:26 > 0:37:27This is a political image.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29In what sense?
0:37:29 > 0:37:34It's almost as though you're saying, if we keep using lots of fossil fuel,
0:37:34 > 0:37:37burning it and filling the atmosphere with CO2,
0:37:37 > 0:37:41we are going to come into this post-apocalyptic scene
0:37:41 > 0:37:43which reverts us all to the Stone Age.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45I try and be a little bit neutral
0:37:45 > 0:37:49but obviously it's no secret that burning coal to provide electricity
0:37:49 > 0:37:52is not a sustainable option for society.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55Do we think this is anything more than a nice postcard
0:37:55 > 0:37:57for the environmental movement?
0:37:57 > 0:37:58I think this is terrific.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01I'm struggling to find it to be more than that.
0:38:01 > 0:38:05Effectively, whether it's done as you're shooting it or postproduction later,
0:38:05 > 0:38:09it's still not a view anybody could possibly see.
0:38:09 > 0:38:13What do you mean by that? What do you mean that people can't see?
0:38:13 > 0:38:16Obviously what I mean is that you cannot see this bright red, pink, yellow.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19For me, this is a really powerful image.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21It's a powerful image but it's not a real image.
0:38:21 > 0:38:22I'm not sure if I mentioned it
0:38:22 > 0:38:25but the frame is a five-hour exposure which gives that...
0:38:25 > 0:38:29- Ah, right. Five hours. - Gives that luminosity to the sky.
0:38:29 > 0:38:31It was actually pitch black in camera when I was there.
0:38:31 > 0:38:36- So it's actually a time shot rather than a still.- Yeah.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39We've all seen skies which look spectacular but this isn't that.
0:38:39 > 0:38:40You're missing the point.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42Number one is that art doesn't have to be realistic
0:38:42 > 0:38:45and as you said, it doesn't matter if it's been touched up or not.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48Art in general or talking about this photograph here?
0:38:48 > 0:38:50This, I think the fact that you have used a very common place
0:38:50 > 0:38:54and make us look at it again and find something in it,
0:38:54 > 0:38:56you have the message and the after-effect there,
0:38:56 > 0:38:59I can see all that in that image.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02- That's so childishly simplistic about energy and...- No, it's not.
0:39:02 > 0:39:08It seems to me to be a facile oversimplification of a very complicated issue.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11Toby's certainly achieved his ambition.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14His work has provoked a heated debate.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16I think we can move to a vote now.
0:39:16 > 0:39:21But is it a debate that will be continued at The Mall Galleries.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24We're about to find out.
0:39:24 > 0:39:29- Charlotte? - An absolute yes from me.
0:39:30 > 0:39:35- Roy.- This photograph, it's a no.- Cool.
0:39:43 > 0:39:48I am torn by this. I do love this place.
0:39:56 > 0:40:00- Yes, I'll vote for it. - Cool. Thank you.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03I couldn't tell all the way through which way you were going to go.
0:40:03 > 0:40:07- David probably couldn't either. - Thank you for your time. Cheers.
0:40:08 > 0:40:10It's relief for Toby.
0:40:10 > 0:40:16He's won his place at the exhibition but will he make a sale?
0:40:16 > 0:40:18Well done, David.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25The Mall Galleries, London.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27The exhibition was the talk of the town
0:40:27 > 0:40:31and Toby's vibrant photograph took its place amongst the select few.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34As the room filled up, there seemed no end of admirers for Toby's work.
0:40:34 > 0:40:40He was hoping to attract a buyer to help raise money for that trip to Georgia.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43I've just had a good conversation with a gentleman
0:40:43 > 0:40:45and I think his wife is smitten with my work
0:40:45 > 0:40:46and I'm hoping they've put a bid in.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49She wants me to buy the cooling towers.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51Where the hell I'd put it, I don't know.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55Anyone hoping to buy the work could make a secret sealed bid
0:40:55 > 0:40:59to an independent agent who would take a 10% commission of the final sale.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03The results of the bidding were handed to me in a sealed envelope
0:41:03 > 0:41:07and only revealed to the artist at the end of the exhibition.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11- Toby, welcome.- Thank you. - Did you enjoy last night?
0:41:11 > 0:41:14I did, I had a really good time. It was a great exhibition and a great turnout.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16I saw you with your girlfriend, is that right?
0:41:16 > 0:41:18She seemed to be enjoying herself.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20Was it because she thought,
0:41:20 > 0:41:23I'm going to go on that lovely trip to Georgia.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25- That's what you promised her. - I hope so, yeah.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28If the piece sells, I'm putting it towards a trip to Georgia
0:41:28 > 0:41:30I'm planning in my truck sometime in the late summer.
0:41:30 > 0:41:34Right, so the truck, a trip to Georgia is all at stake right now.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37- £1,200 is what you wanted, right? - That's the asking price.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39I noticed your girlfriend's not here.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41- No.- What's her name?- Alexa. - Alexa is not here
0:41:41 > 0:41:43so she's not going to find out.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45She's going to get a phone call straight after this, though.
0:41:45 > 0:41:49OK, here we go then. Open up the envelope.
0:41:51 > 0:41:56The guide price £1,200.
0:42:00 > 0:42:05- But you've only had one offer.- OK.
0:42:08 > 0:42:15And it was for £1,395.95.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19- Sold, ding.- Sold, ding! Well done, mate. Congratulations.- Cheers.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22APPLAUSE
0:42:22 > 0:42:25I'm pleased for you and I'm pleased for the girlfriend
0:42:25 > 0:42:27because she is off to Georgia on a trip you promised her.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30- Two of us, I'll let you know how it goes.- Go and make that call.
0:42:30 > 0:42:32- Thank you.- Take care.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37What a result for Toby. He sells his work for nearly £200 over the asking price.
0:42:37 > 0:42:41He's now off to Georgia with a pocketful of cash.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43Join us again next time
0:42:43 > 0:42:46when more hopeful artists face the Hanging Committee.
0:42:48 > 0:42:50Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd