0:00:02 > 0:00:05Britain's top artists make big money. Their works can go for millions.
0:00:05 > 0:00:10Nine million, five. Ten million. Ten million, five. 11 million.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Up and down the country,
0:00:12 > 0:00:16thousands of ordinary people are also trying to get a piece of the action.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20They're putting their necks on the block for the chance
0:00:20 > 0:00:22to sell at the hottest exhibition in town.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24It would just be a great experience.
0:00:24 > 0:00:25I don't want to make a fool of myself.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28I'm very passionate about what I do. I'm really passionate.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32These artists could stand to make some serious cash.
0:00:32 > 0:00:33What price do you put on it?
0:00:33 > 0:00:3414,000.
0:00:34 > 0:00:355,000.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37£2,400.
0:00:37 > 0:00:43But first they need the seal of approval from three of the art world's toughest critics.
0:00:43 > 0:00:48I feel I've seen this on... on the wall of a Chinese restaurant.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51Their hopes are in the hands of the Hanging Committee.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54Fantastic piece of work. The best thing I've seen so far.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57But I think you're one to watch for the future.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59It's time to Show Me The Monet.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02Hello and welcome to Show Me The Monet.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05Over the past few months, ambitious artists,
0:01:05 > 0:01:07both amateur and professional, have been appearing
0:01:07 > 0:01:09before our rigorous judging panel -
0:01:09 > 0:01:11the Hanging Committee.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15David Lee has been critiquing art for over two decades.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17Known for his brutal honesty,
0:01:17 > 0:01:20his pet hate is highfalutin art speak.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25A great work of art is one that's capable of speaking to everyone,
0:01:25 > 0:01:29because it's in a language that everyone understands.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31As an auction house expert,
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Roy Bolton knows what it takes to make great art.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Technique is important,
0:01:37 > 0:01:40because sloppy amateurism always distracts from the message.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44And contemporary specialist Charlotte Mullins has applied
0:01:44 > 0:01:49her critical eye to some of the industry's most prestigious competitions.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51If a work doesn't have emotional impact,
0:01:51 > 0:01:54in my opinion it fails to be art and it becomes decoration.
0:01:54 > 0:01:59These experts were the gatekeepers to our exhibition and only
0:01:59 > 0:02:03the very best work got past them and went through to the Mall Galleries.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06I would love to see this in our exhibition. Absolutely yes.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09Coming up on today's programme -
0:02:09 > 0:02:11David and Charlotte go head to head...
0:02:11 > 0:02:13Why do you call it a realist painting, David?
0:02:13 > 0:02:17I think unless you've got a brain the size of a pickled onion,
0:02:17 > 0:02:22the term "realist painting" is perfectly self-explanatory.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26..and the judges struggle to make head or tail of one artist's explanation.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30It's like to divide the three-dimensional,
0:02:30 > 0:02:35illusional perspective in a Euclidean two-dimensional.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47Eltham Palace in South London was given
0:02:47 > 0:02:50to Edward II by the Bishop of Durham in 1305.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55It became one of the most important royal palaces in Tudor times
0:02:55 > 0:02:57and was known for its beautiful gardens.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01And it was here, in the Great Hall, that the artists faced
0:03:01 > 0:03:04the judges in the hope of landing a place in the exhibition.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15'First up was Anthony Marn from Oldham.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18'He's a retired police officer, turned full-time dad.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22'Orphaned at an early age, he had to give up the chance
0:03:22 > 0:03:25'to go to art school in order to get a job to support himself.
0:03:26 > 0:03:31'Now at the age of 48, he's finally able to pursue the passion
0:03:31 > 0:03:33'he had to abandon as a teenager.'
0:03:33 > 0:03:36- Anthony.- Hello.- Lovely to meet you. - Nice to meet you.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40Retired policeman, frustrated artist?
0:03:40 > 0:03:42Yes, most of the time, yeah.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45I paint when I can now, but I've got two young children. Charlie's one
0:03:45 > 0:03:48and Jessica's seven, so I spend most of my time as a full-time dad.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50So here you are, Show Me The Monet.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52What...what do you want to get out of this?
0:03:52 > 0:03:55For me, it's just an opportunity to have
0:03:55 > 0:03:58the Hanging Committee tell me what they think of my painting, really.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01I don't expect to become an overnight success,
0:04:01 > 0:04:03but I don't think you'll ever get the opportunity to have
0:04:03 > 0:04:07that kind of critique of your work anywhere else.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11If you do get to the exhibition and you sell, what would you spend the money on?
0:04:11 > 0:04:12The kids, I suppose.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16They're always wanting something, you know, and it's not cheap these days, is it?
0:04:16 > 0:04:19It isn't cheap. All right, good luck with the judges.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22- They're through that door right now. - Thank you very much.
0:04:24 > 0:04:29'When he was at school, Anthony's art teacher spotted a talent in him
0:04:29 > 0:04:32'and encouraged him to go to art school.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36'30 years later, he wants to know if his teachers were right.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38'Has he got what it takes to become an artist?'
0:04:40 > 0:04:45- Anthony, welcome to the Hanging Committee.- Thank you.- Please tell us something about your painting.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47Well, it's oil on canvas.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51It's painted with a palette knife and it shows the two stairwells
0:04:51 > 0:04:54of a mill that was being demolished in a town called Mossley,
0:04:54 > 0:04:55to the north of Manchester.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58And I painted it actually as they were knocking it down.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01The inspiration for it is the mills were a big part of Manchester.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04I think of all the thousands of people that would have gone up
0:05:04 > 0:05:07and down those stairs over the 150 years that the mill was there.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09So quite a meaningful thing.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12- Yeah.- Can you tell us what you value this painting at?
0:05:12 > 0:05:15- £450.- Anthony, do you mind if we come and have a look at it?
0:05:15 > 0:05:16No. Please.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21'Anthony regrets not having had the chance to go to art school.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23'He missed out on any formal training
0:05:23 > 0:05:26'and has had to teach himself everything he knows.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31'But has he achieved a high enough standard?
0:05:31 > 0:05:35'Will his oil painting, entitled Twin Towers, impress the judges?'
0:05:40 > 0:05:44I'd like to talk to you about the title.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48You've called it Twin Towers. That's an incredibly emotive title,
0:05:48 > 0:05:54not obviously directed at a mill, but at events in America in 9/11.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56Why did you give it that title?
0:05:56 > 0:05:58When I first saw it, that's the first thing I thought of,
0:05:58 > 0:06:01you know, with all the rubble around it
0:06:01 > 0:06:03and the two stairwells standing up like that.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06I do realise that some people might not like that title.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10It is a very emotionally overwhelming title, but I think it's taking me the wrong direction.
0:06:10 > 0:06:15- Right.- I actually think the title is the best part of the painting,
0:06:15 > 0:06:19because I think if you have the guts to bring emotional baggage
0:06:19 > 0:06:21into your work for other people to re-digest
0:06:21 > 0:06:24that's a very good starting point.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26'There's more to a work of art than its title
0:06:26 > 0:06:30'and it's Anthony's skill as a painter that's being judged.'
0:06:30 > 0:06:36My problem is with this, Anthony, is that...I don't think
0:06:36 > 0:06:40- it's as well painted as it ought to be for a realist painting.- OK.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44The areas in front of the building, I'm not sure what they are.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47They look like sort of flourished brushmarks,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50rather than observed things that might get me
0:06:50 > 0:06:54to where you want me to go, which is an old industry dying.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57Why do you call it a realist painting, David,
0:06:57 > 0:07:01because surely an artist can be expressive in the foreground and suggestive?
0:07:01 > 0:07:05I think unless you've got a brain the size of a pickled onion,
0:07:05 > 0:07:08the term "realist painting" is perfectly self-explanatory.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12It's something that you can recognise.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15'So, Anthony's painting has clearly got the judges going.
0:07:15 > 0:07:20'But his work will be judged on three criteria - originality,
0:07:20 > 0:07:23'technical skill and emotional impact.'
0:07:23 > 0:07:24It's original to you,
0:07:24 > 0:07:29and it's original to me, because I know this area...
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Right.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34..and, you know, I know what it's like
0:07:34 > 0:07:37with jagged mills across the landscape,
0:07:37 > 0:07:40where once there was a very distinct architecture.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43John Piper did exactly this much, much better 50 years ago,
0:07:43 > 0:07:45and I just see John Piper,
0:07:45 > 0:07:50his derelict and destroyed buildings coming out of this.
0:07:50 > 0:07:55'While the subject has tapped into David's northern roots, he has criticised Anthony's technique...
0:07:56 > 0:07:59'..and for Roy, it's lacking in originality,
0:07:59 > 0:08:03'because it reminds him of a mid-20th-century landscape painter.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05'Will that stand against him in the vote?'
0:08:06 > 0:08:09Charlotte, would you like to go first?
0:08:09 > 0:08:11It's no from me, I'm sorry.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14David?
0:08:17 > 0:08:18No.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20I'm afraid it's also no from me,
0:08:20 > 0:08:24but I think there's a lot in what you've done. Thank you very much
0:08:24 > 0:08:26- for showing it to us.- Thank you.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29'It's the end of the road for Anthony,
0:08:29 > 0:08:30'so no treats for the kids today,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33'but the judges clearly think he's got talent,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36'so hopefully he'll be selling his art in the future.'
0:08:41 > 0:08:42- Bad luck.- Bad luck.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44How do you feel about that?
0:08:44 > 0:08:47I take on board everything they said and I understand why they said it.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50But I'm quite happy. I got this far and that's good for me.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52You said that you wanted to hear critics.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56You wanted to get their opinion and see how you were getting on. How are you getting on?
0:08:56 > 0:09:00Well, I like that picture, so at least I'm taking it home again.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02To win a place in the exhibition,
0:09:02 > 0:09:06we invited artists from all over the country to send us their work.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09We had entries from both amateurs and professionals,
0:09:09 > 0:09:11and the standard was incredibly high.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17'One of those to make it through to the Hanging Committee was
0:09:17 > 0:09:20'Caroline Summerfield.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24'Caroline is a 50-year-old solicitor turned sculptor from London.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27'After many years working in the City, she's decided to leave
0:09:27 > 0:09:30'the law behind and concentrate full time on sculpture,
0:09:30 > 0:09:33'but she's used to pulling in a decent salary.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36'Will she be able to make a living from her art?'
0:09:36 > 0:09:40- Hello, Caroline.- Hello, Chris. - I'm Chris, nice to meet you.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43- Just a little bit more about you. I mean, you have a twin sister. Is that right?- I do.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46- Who IS an artist? - Yes, she is a professional artist.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48She is the one in the family who spotted my ability
0:09:48 > 0:09:53and she encouraged me to go to evening classes first of all,
0:09:53 > 0:09:57and then do a part-time diploma in sculpture.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59So what would it mean to you,
0:09:59 > 0:10:01with this big decision that you've made,
0:10:01 > 0:10:04if you actually got through to the exhibition?
0:10:04 > 0:10:08I think it would definitely encourage me to start approaching
0:10:08 > 0:10:12key London dealers, to see if they would take me as an artist.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16We have a quite a prestigious exhibition. You could sell there. What would you do with the money?
0:10:16 > 0:10:21What I'd particularly like to do is actually use the money to finance a trip to Austria,
0:10:21 > 0:10:24in particular, going to Vienna and see the works of Gustav Klimt.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27- OK. I wish you the best of luck. - Thank you very much indeed.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29Just through there are three judges
0:10:29 > 0:10:33- and you've got to convince them... - Thank you.- ..not me. Good luck.- OK.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40Caroline has taken a huge gamble.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43She's given up the high-powered life of a City lawyer
0:10:43 > 0:10:45for the uncertain world of an artist.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47She thinks she's ready.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50But will her layered resin, ink and Perspex sculpture
0:10:50 > 0:10:53convince the judges she's got the necessary talent?
0:10:56 > 0:10:58- Caroline, welcome to the Hanging Committee.- Thank you.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00Could you introduce your piece, please?
0:11:00 > 0:11:05It's called Ghosts and what I wanted to do was create
0:11:05 > 0:11:09a completely original and unusual sculpture,
0:11:09 > 0:11:13to really challenge people's perception of what is a sculpture,
0:11:13 > 0:11:16but also to challenge people's perception of reality.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20What are they looking at? In the same sense that if we do think of ghosts,
0:11:20 > 0:11:22we think of them as being intangible forms.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26Could you tell us how much you would charge for this piece?
0:11:26 > 0:11:29I would think around £2,500.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32- OK, can we have a closer look? - Yes, please do.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39A spot at the Mall Galleries would mean the world to Caroline.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43It would put her work in front of a wider audience
0:11:43 > 0:11:45and, if she manages to sell this sculpture,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48she'll be able to finance that longed-for trip to Vienna.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52But the judges' approval doesn't come easy.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56There will have to be something quite exceptional about Caroline's work
0:11:56 > 0:11:58to earn her a place in the spotlight.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11Caroline, I'd like to focus on how it was made.
0:12:11 > 0:12:16You used old snaps of somebody, or something, did you?
0:12:16 > 0:12:21- Actually not. There's no photography in it.- Really?!- Yes.
0:12:21 > 0:12:22I have created the images myself.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26I've used ink, I've used Perspex strips.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29I've used other materials, as well,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32but I've built it all very carefully out,
0:12:32 > 0:12:36to create this illusion that you are in fact looking at a photograph.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40When you started talking about it as a sculpture, I thought you were slightly misguided.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44Because, from here, it looks like a flat, two-dimensional image
0:12:44 > 0:12:48cast within resin, like an insect trapped in amber, or something,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51but when you get up close, there is that depth to it
0:12:51 > 0:12:53and you cannot place the image in any one...
0:12:53 > 0:12:56- ROY:- It's slightly holographic, isn't it?- Yes.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58Caroline's technique seems to have fascinated the judges.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01And that's no mean feat.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04Are either of you seduced by this, um,
0:13:04 > 0:13:08this stock phrase of all artists working now -
0:13:08 > 0:13:10"challenging perceptions of reality"?
0:13:10 > 0:13:14Two words that rile me most are "challenging" and "perception".
0:13:14 > 0:13:17Phrases like "challenging perceptions of reality"
0:13:17 > 0:13:19make me want to throw up on the floor.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22I think... Sorry, if I just may come in here,
0:13:22 > 0:13:25I think it challenges our perception of what is a sculpture.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27The one thing I immediately felt
0:13:27 > 0:13:30when I looked was genealogy, our love of the past, of looking back,
0:13:30 > 0:13:35but I wondered if genealogy, that sense of our collective past, played a part in how you work.
0:13:35 > 0:13:42Actually, that's very insightful of you to say that. The figures that one sees
0:13:42 > 0:13:47could be debutantes. And you probably notice, they all look away from one another.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49So they're in isolation.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Sometimes, when we look back into the past,
0:13:52 > 0:13:56we ourselves are somewhat isolated, because it's our own personal history.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58They do look like a group of glamorous debutantes,
0:13:58 > 0:14:03- or maybe the cover of a 1950s Vogue magazine.- Yes, yes.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05Are they intended to be generic people?
0:14:05 > 0:14:08Or is there any relation to you?
0:14:08 > 0:14:10I think I intended it to be generic, really.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13I wanted people to feel drawn in and think perhaps it could be part
0:14:13 > 0:14:17of their own personal history that they were looking at.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21Caroline's sculpture seems to have struck a chord with Charlotte and Roy.
0:14:21 > 0:14:22But has it worked for David?
0:14:22 > 0:14:25My problem with this is that it seems to be
0:14:25 > 0:14:29from a genre of photography-cum-sculpture,
0:14:29 > 0:14:32which is looking back, which is about ghosts,
0:14:32 > 0:14:38which is very familiar, but I don't find this affects me,
0:14:38 > 0:14:42because I can't see precisely what it is is going on.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46I think this is a good example of technical ability being used
0:14:46 > 0:14:50for an original idea and it has emotional impact.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54It's gentle, it's subtle, but I want to look at it again and again,
0:14:54 > 0:14:57and I think that's possibly enough.
0:14:57 > 0:15:04So Charlotte and Roy are interested in Caroline's allusion to the past.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06But it seems to have left David cold.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08So, is she still in with a chance?
0:15:08 > 0:15:12Caroline, I'd be very pleased to see this in our exhibition.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14- So it's a yes from me.- Thank you.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18Charlotte?
0:15:25 > 0:15:27- Yes.- Thank you.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30It has something, but I can't make up my mind.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34But it doesn't matter, anyway. You're in the exhibition. I will see you at the Mall Galleries.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37- Thank you very, very much indeed. - Thank you, Caroline.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41Well, that's proof for Caroline that she made the right decision
0:15:41 > 0:15:44to turn her back on a high-flying legal career.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48Her work is now on its way to the Mall Galleries.
0:15:57 > 0:16:03The Mall Galleries, and Caroline was trying to keep cool, calm and collected.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05I think it's always quite nerve-racking.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08It's a bit like a first night of a play, quite frankly.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11You're excited and nervous in equal measure, really.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15There was no sign of any first-night nerves, as Caroline chatted away
0:16:15 > 0:16:19to members of the public, art dealers and collectors about her work.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23But was anyone going to make a bid?
0:16:23 > 0:16:28Any offers on her work were made in secret and subject to a 10% sales commission.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31The results of the bidding were handed to me,
0:16:31 > 0:16:34in a sealed envelope and only revealed when I opened it
0:16:34 > 0:16:39in front of Caroline and her twin sister, Angela.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43So, just remind me, how much did you want for this?
0:16:43 > 0:16:46- £2,750.- OK.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Doesn't sound too much, £2,750. What do you think, sister? Is it OK?
0:16:49 > 0:16:51I think it's very reasonable.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55- Very reasonable. OK. And what were you going to spend the money on? - A trip to Vienna,
0:16:55 > 0:16:58to see the wonderful art collections there,
0:16:58 > 0:17:00and obviously to bring my sister along, as well.
0:17:00 > 0:17:05- Suddenly we've got a lot more at stake.- We have.- We have, yes!
0:17:05 > 0:17:07A trip for you two. OK, then,
0:17:07 > 0:17:08here we go.
0:17:09 > 0:17:14OK. So you wanted £2,750.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Well, we didn't get any offers on the night.
0:17:18 > 0:17:23- Which... We are surprised. - I have to say that I'm not disappointed, actually,
0:17:23 > 0:17:27because I've been delighted by the response that I've had, really.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29And I've had people ask me
0:17:29 > 0:17:32to actually include this in subsequent exhibitions.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35Give her a round of applause. Lovely to meet you.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43She didn't sell, but, since then, Caroline and her sister
0:17:43 > 0:17:46have teamed up for their first joint show at another London gallery.
0:17:50 > 0:17:55Hopeful artists from across the UK stood before the Hanging Committee.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59The standard was very high and only the cream of the crop went through.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04Cambridge maths graduate Don Berry
0:18:04 > 0:18:08brought along a pencil drawing of his friend Rebecca.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12The focus of the drawing is the eyes and the rest of the composition is designed
0:18:12 > 0:18:15to try and lead the viewer in to the detail of the face.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18And Charlotte was certainly drawn in.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22I'm quite mesmerised by her eyes
0:18:22 > 0:18:27and by your skill to make those eyes feel like she's watching me.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30What you have done, with no training, is very sophisticated.
0:18:32 > 0:18:33But David begged to differ.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37I think far from flattering this girl, you've made her look like a dumb blonde.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39- OK.- No.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42I'm afraid I would also say, not quite yet, so no.
0:18:42 > 0:18:43Thank you.
0:18:45 > 0:18:50Professional artist Este MacLeod presented a still-life painting inspired by a holiday.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53Roy found aspects of Este's technique original,
0:18:53 > 0:18:57but her use of colour didn't go down too well with David.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59There's no warm colours in that.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03One of the reasons why I think it looks a bit dead
0:19:03 > 0:19:06is because, um, there aren't any.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10I deliberately not wanted to make a complementary colour in it,
0:19:10 > 0:19:12because I do a lot of red and green.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16To me, it was almost a challenge keeping it within this blue.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20Despite her explanation, Este's painting didn't manage to win over the judges.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Next up was professional artist Sarah Stokes,
0:19:25 > 0:19:26with an abstract painting.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30It was at a stage where I was being very playful
0:19:30 > 0:19:34and kind of, like, experimenting, because I really needed to get my energy
0:19:34 > 0:19:37quite swiftly out onto the, er, canvas.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40But some of that energy was lost on David.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43The chaos at the edges doesn't mean anything at all.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46I think you've just been filling it in.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50Then, I suppose a lot of abstract art is just filling it in, as far as I can see.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52Sarah explained what drives her work.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55Because I haven't been to art school,
0:19:55 > 0:19:59I'm constantly trying to find a way to actually express myself.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02And Roy was mesmerised.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06I'm staring at it and I will continue to do so, and I can come back to it again and again.
0:20:06 > 0:20:11That's very, very rare for me in anything abstract. It is a yes from me.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13Great, thank you.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17But, with just one vote, Sarah's painting didn't make it to the Mall Galleries.
0:20:19 > 0:20:2422-year-old Patricija Stepanovic wanted £400 for this photograph of her boyfriend's back.
0:20:24 > 0:20:29The model has Marfan Syndrome, which is a connective-tissue disorder.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32He's very tall, he's six foot eight, and he's ten stone.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35And the initial picture didn't look promising.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37It's a close call, but no.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39One down, two to go.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41- It's a yes. - It's a yes from me.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44- You are going to make the exhibition.- OK, thank you.
0:20:46 > 0:20:52'But would the photograph make any money for the Slovakian art student?'
0:20:52 > 0:20:57You wanted £400 for this image of your man behind you,
0:20:57 > 0:21:01who's standing there rather nervously. Sadly, you haven't had any offers.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05- OK.- Commiserations. Sid, come over and give her a cuddle.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07- Well done, my darling.- Big kiss.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10- But was it an enjoyable experience, the whole thing?- Yes, it was.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13I'm just sorry you didn't get any cash, but a big round of applause.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15APPLAUSE
0:21:15 > 0:21:16Well done. Bad luck.
0:21:20 > 0:21:25Next to arrive at Eltham Palace was 55-year-old architect,
0:21:25 > 0:21:27Giorgio Granozio.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30Giorgio qualified in his native Rome,
0:21:30 > 0:21:33but then he met and fell in love with a Scottish lass
0:21:33 > 0:21:37and followed her back to Edinburgh, where he now lives.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40Giorgio specialises in new and listed buildings,
0:21:40 > 0:21:42but he's also a keen amateur photographer,
0:21:42 > 0:21:46'who dreams of breaking in to the fine-art market.'
0:21:46 > 0:21:49- Full-time architect? - Full-time architect,
0:21:49 > 0:21:52- but also full-time artist.- Right.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54Half and half. I divide myself in two pieces.
0:21:54 > 0:21:59By the way, architecture and art are like this.
0:21:59 > 0:22:00Ah, I like that.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03- Would you say you were a successful artist?- Um...
0:22:03 > 0:22:05Well, I'm not very well known in the market,
0:22:05 > 0:22:08but I, you know, I sold some pieces, yeah.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12OK. There's a lot at stake here, because if you do get to this exhibition and you sell,
0:22:12 > 0:22:15you get a bit of cash in your pocket. What would you spend it on then?
0:22:15 > 0:22:17Well, maybe producing more work.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21Or maybe for travelling with my wife. Maybe in India, or, yes, here.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24- All sounds very exotic. - Yeah. Thank you very much. - Good luck, sir.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28- The judges await through that door. - Thank you. Thank you very much.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30- See you later.- Thank you. Bye.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38Giorgio would love to give up architecture and devote himself to art full-time.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42He's hoping the judges will think he's got the talent to do that.
0:22:45 > 0:22:51Could this photograph, entitled Imaginary Landscape Number 13,
0:22:51 > 0:22:53be his ticket to success?
0:22:54 > 0:22:57Giorgio, would you tell us something about this, please?
0:22:57 > 0:23:02Well, it's, um, this work for me is like an interaction,
0:23:02 > 0:23:06more than a relationship, with my external reality.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09Usually we see things, but we have to...
0:23:09 > 0:23:13In art, I think, we have to look at external things.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17I use cut-outs in front of external reality.
0:23:17 > 0:23:22And, for me, it's like to divide the three-dimensional, illusional
0:23:22 > 0:23:27perspective in a... in a Euclidean two-dimensional,
0:23:27 > 0:23:35contrasting with the 19th-century guise of space and time.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38I think we should have a closer look, so we understand what you're talking about.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41I'm so sorry. Absolutely.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45Giorgio's dive into the deep end of art theory
0:23:45 > 0:23:48and philosophy seems to have lost the judges.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52Hopefully, a closer inspection of the work will reveal
0:23:52 > 0:23:54the mystery of his universe to them.
0:24:00 > 0:24:05Giorgio, I'm just a simple country boy, who likes looking at pictures.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07Is the section
0:24:07 > 0:24:14of horizon in the middle section that's lifted up,
0:24:14 > 0:24:19- is it the continuation of the photograph's horizon? - I don't want to look perfect,
0:24:19 > 0:24:23- because I don't believe in perfection.- But is that a continuation of that landscape?
0:24:23 > 0:24:27Well, it's not a perfect, but, you know, the reason why
0:24:27 > 0:24:30I'm putting these two parallel lines, because it's like that
0:24:30 > 0:24:35I do hope that in a curved space they're going to meet.
0:24:35 > 0:24:36HE LAUGHS
0:24:36 > 0:24:38Giorgio's off on another tangent here.
0:24:38 > 0:24:43Giorgio, it looks to me like I'm in a hotel by a Scottish loch
0:24:43 > 0:24:49and there's something blocking the view of the sliding glass door. Does that worry you?
0:24:49 > 0:24:55It doesn't worry... Nothing worries me. I'm very interested to have any opinion.
0:24:55 > 0:25:01Giorgio, your head is fizzing with art terminology and amazing segue-ways
0:25:01 > 0:25:04from one subject to the next, but we're not seeing that in the work.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07The work confuses me.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11I think you possibly need to rethink what you're trying to say
0:25:11 > 0:25:16in your art and simplify the message slightly.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19Absolutely, yeah. Thank you.
0:25:19 > 0:25:24So, Giorgio has taken the judges on a philosophical journey,
0:25:24 > 0:25:26but will it end with a place in the exhibition?
0:25:29 > 0:25:32- No, Giorgio. - No problem. No problem.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Frustratingly, no.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36That's... Thank you very much.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39It's also no from me. So we won't be seeing you at the exhibition.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42- Thank you very much. - JUDGES:- Thank you.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45Oh, dear.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48Giorgio's imaginary landscape hasn't cast a spell over our judges
0:25:48 > 0:25:52and so I think he'll have to stick with the day job for a while longer.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55'And his wife will have to wait for that holiday.'
0:25:55 > 0:25:57I was watching very closely
0:25:57 > 0:26:01and I couldn't quite understand some of the theories that you were coming out with
0:26:01 > 0:26:04- and I think the judges were struggling as well, weren't they? - A little bit.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06- A little bit.- Yeah.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09Maybe I was speaking too much about theory.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11Maybe next time I will say, "I don't know."
0:26:11 > 0:26:14- I assure you, I assure you... - It's been an experience.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18- This isn't going to put you off, is it? This whole experience? - Absolutely not. Absolutely not.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27'Next up in front of the Hanging Committee
0:26:27 > 0:26:31'was 55-year-old textile artist Amanda Richardson, from Cornwall.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33'Amanda has been working
0:26:33 > 0:26:35'as a full-time artist since the 1970s
0:26:35 > 0:26:39'and has had solo exhibitions across the UK.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42'But her biggest market until now has been America,
0:26:42 > 0:26:44'where she lived for ten years,
0:26:44 > 0:26:48'and where she's sold numerous pieces to private and public clients.'
0:26:48 > 0:26:53What are your ambitions, then? Because you're very successful.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55Show Me The Monet is just a small, little programme.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58It suddenly occurred to me it might be a way of raising
0:26:58 > 0:27:00the profile of textile art in this country.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03A lot of people buy my work and they love it,
0:27:03 > 0:27:06but I do notice with some people a reserve.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09They literally ask themselves, "Is this art?"
0:27:09 > 0:27:12- Mm.- And so I... I have to put my head above the parapet now and again
0:27:12 > 0:27:17- and say, "Well, it is."- So you're representing your art form, almost?
0:27:17 > 0:27:20- I am. Yes.- OK. And if you sold, what would you spend the money on?
0:27:20 > 0:27:21It's how I make my living.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24So that's... It sounds boring, but it does...
0:27:24 > 0:27:29First it goes on the bills and, um, and then it goes on the garden,
0:27:29 > 0:27:32and I'm sure I'll find some way to treat myself, as well!
0:27:32 > 0:27:33- Good luck.- Thank you.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36- The judges are through there. - Thank you.- Good luck.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42Amanda has taken a big gamble coming here today.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46Textiles are taken very seriously as an art form in America,
0:27:46 > 0:27:49but, in this country, they're seen more as craft than fine art.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51She wants to challenge this perception
0:27:51 > 0:27:54and she's hoping the judges will back her.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57But I've got a feeling she may have her work cut out.
0:27:59 > 0:28:00Amanda, hello.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03- Hello.- Could you tell us about your work, please?
0:28:03 > 0:28:05Certainly.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08I see my work as expressing the excitement I feel
0:28:08 > 0:28:10in the natural world.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13I live in the far west of Cornwall,
0:28:13 > 0:28:18and so I'm surrounded by wild and gorgeous landscapes.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20But I also have a garden
0:28:20 > 0:28:25and it was last spring - it was just glorious after a hard winter.
0:28:25 > 0:28:30And then I saw this guy and, I tell you, he was the man.
0:28:30 > 0:28:31He owned the place.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34And I looked at him
0:28:34 > 0:28:38and he had his courting plumage and he was gorgeous.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41And I looked and I thought - artistic opportunity.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44How much do you charge for something like this?
0:28:44 > 0:28:46This piece is £4,500.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49Thanks very much. We'll take a closer look.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58Amanda's textile collage was inspired by a scene in her garden.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01So it's fitting that, if she sells this piece,
0:29:01 > 0:29:04some of the money will be spent on the upkeep of that garden.
0:29:04 > 0:29:06But first she'll have to convince
0:29:06 > 0:29:11some very tough judges that this work belongs in their exhibition.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17Amanda, could you talk a little bit about how you make this?
0:29:17 > 0:29:21Because, from here, we could mistake it for a painting,
0:29:21 > 0:29:24- but it's made of thousands of pieces of cut material.- Indeed.
0:29:24 > 0:29:28What I do, obviously, first I decide on a subject,
0:29:28 > 0:29:32then I select the fabrics for it and then I hand dye them all.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34When all the dye work's finished,
0:29:34 > 0:29:36I iron glue onto the back of all of the fabric
0:29:36 > 0:29:38and that holds the weave together.
0:29:38 > 0:29:43- And none of this is sewn?- No. - It's all glued on the surface? - All glued, yes.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46Layers and layers of fabric. Used in the way you'd make a paper collage?
0:29:46 > 0:29:47Absolutely, yes.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50I have to say, it's an exceptional technique,
0:29:50 > 0:29:55I've never... I've never seen anything this intricate, um, or complex.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58I've never seen anything like this before.
0:29:58 > 0:30:02I'm really impressed, especially by the...
0:30:02 > 0:30:04the iridescences of colour in the pheasant, which...
0:30:04 > 0:30:07That's really amazing, how you do that.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10Well, the judges are clearly impressed by Amanda's technique.
0:30:10 > 0:30:15But will they see her textile collage as a piece of art?
0:30:16 > 0:30:20I would expect to find this in a craft exhibition,
0:30:20 > 0:30:22or an embroidery festival,
0:30:22 > 0:30:25and I imagine you come up against this a lot.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28The divide is really a European tradition.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32If you look at the Middle East, Asia,
0:30:32 > 0:30:38they have never had these divisions of what is art and what is craft?
0:30:39 > 0:30:42Will Amanda manage to blow the craft label out of the water
0:30:42 > 0:30:46and convince the judges that her piece does qualify as art?
0:30:46 > 0:30:48Amanda, I'm bowled over looking at it.
0:30:48 > 0:30:52It is an incredibly visual, textural object.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55However, the subject of the art itself,
0:30:55 > 0:30:57which is what we're here to look at,
0:30:57 > 0:31:00is a pheasant in a beautiful meadow.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02And that isn't something that
0:31:02 > 0:31:05I would be able to return to again and again and feel different things.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08It's not deep enough in its subject matter.
0:31:09 > 0:31:13The sticking point seems to be, for us,
0:31:13 > 0:31:15the divide between art and decoration.
0:31:15 > 0:31:20And decoration can be the most beautiful subject.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23It's magnificent in what it is,
0:31:23 > 0:31:28but I just don't see it going beyond into art.
0:31:28 > 0:31:34Amanda, it's going to make me go away and really think seriously,
0:31:34 > 0:31:36so that I can get clear in my mind
0:31:36 > 0:31:41what is the stage at which something as good as this is,
0:31:41 > 0:31:47as celebratory as this is, becomes acceptable as art?
0:31:48 > 0:31:50Even the judges are confused. That's a first.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52I think we'd better go to a vote.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57Roy first?
0:31:57 > 0:31:59- Amanda, it's a no from me.- OK.
0:32:01 > 0:32:02Charlotte?
0:32:02 > 0:32:05- With regret, it's a no. - OK, fair enough.
0:32:05 > 0:32:10- It's a no from me too.- OK. - But if you come back next year, I may say yes...
0:32:10 > 0:32:11OK.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14..having thought it through properly.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17- OK. Thank you all very much. Thank you.- Thank you for showing it to us.
0:32:18 > 0:32:24So Amanda's textile collage won't be appearing at the Mall Galleries.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26But she has achieved something today.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29She's shaken up the art establishment with all its rules and regulations
0:32:29 > 0:32:32and sent David into a bit of a muddle.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37I had hoped to break down a barrier,
0:32:37 > 0:32:39which is clearly still a barrier for many.
0:32:39 > 0:32:43It's been there obviously for my whole career.
0:32:43 > 0:32:47And it shows there's some distance still to go.
0:32:47 > 0:32:52- You have knocked a few bricks out. - I have.- You're shaking it a bit, that barrier.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56- Just not quite enough.- No, not quite enough. Well, it's been lovely to meet you.- And you.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59- And keep knocking those bricks out. - Indeed. I shall, I shall keep on going.
0:32:59 > 0:33:04- Thanks very much.- Good luck.- Thank you.- Sorry it didn't happen this time.- Bye-bye.- Bye-bye.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14Artists of all ages queued up to go before the Hanging Committee,
0:33:14 > 0:33:16but only a few would go through.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21'Next up in front of the Hanging Committee was amateur artist
0:33:21 > 0:33:23'Graham Stokes from Wolverhampton.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27'Now 69, Graham enrolled in art school aged 50,
0:33:27 > 0:33:31'after taking early retirement from his job as a municipal engineer.
0:33:32 > 0:33:33'He now paints full-time
0:33:33 > 0:33:37'and has been struggling to make a name for himself as an artist.'
0:33:38 > 0:33:41When you were an engineer and you were working every day,
0:33:41 > 0:33:45did you sort of dabble as you were working, get home and...?
0:33:45 > 0:33:48- Yeah.- Sketching, painting? - Not so easy.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50Keep your hand in, perhaps at a weekend,
0:33:50 > 0:33:52or drawing the kids, or things like that.
0:33:52 > 0:33:54- It's still a hobby. Show Me the Monet...- No.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57No? It's a hobby, it's a profession, is it?
0:33:57 > 0:34:01- Technically, I'm self-employed as an artist.- Right, OK, I like this.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04And I do exhibit in open shows.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07I would say it's more than a hobby, I'm quite serious about it.
0:34:07 > 0:34:11That's what I wanted to hear, that you're serious about it. That you're not dabbling.
0:34:11 > 0:34:16I mean, here you are, you're going to go and see three very respected, experienced critics.
0:34:16 > 0:34:21What would it mean to you for them to give you two yeses and take you to the exhibition?
0:34:22 > 0:34:24Well, I'd be over the moon about it.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27If you did manage to get to the exhibition and you sell and make some money,
0:34:27 > 0:34:31- what would you do with it? - My family's in Scotland. I've been thinking about moving.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34So I think, probably, it would go towards that some way.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37My goodness. So it will be a real life change, then?
0:34:37 > 0:34:39Well, yes, I think so.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42- Well, I hope you find what you're looking for, sir. - Thanks very much.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45- Hopefully, you will take a step closer to Scotland.- All right.
0:34:47 > 0:34:48This is a big moment for Graham.
0:34:48 > 0:34:52He only went to art school at 50 and now he's about to present
0:34:52 > 0:34:55his work to three of the toughest critics in the business.
0:34:56 > 0:34:57Hello.
0:34:57 > 0:35:02He submitted an acrylic painting called Bent Bollards.
0:35:03 > 0:35:07- Graham.- Yes.- Welcome to the Hanging Committee.- Thanks.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09Tell us about your painting.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13I've been working on this sort of topic for a few years,
0:35:13 > 0:35:17sort of suburban landscapes, I suppose you might call them.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20The subject is a place called Chelmsley Wood, near Birmingham.
0:35:20 > 0:35:25And I try to look for things that are slightly different,
0:35:25 > 0:35:30or interesting, in what's almost an everyday situation.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32In the case of this painting,
0:35:32 > 0:35:35you've got a forest of bollards,
0:35:35 > 0:35:36a refuge,
0:35:36 > 0:35:38and some very rich surface areas,
0:35:38 > 0:35:41like the partially sighted crossing point.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44Could you tell us how much you charge for paintings like this?
0:35:44 > 0:35:47This one, about £500.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50So, Graham, you're asking 500 quid
0:35:50 > 0:35:54for a picture of a road crossing on a council estate.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57That encapsulates it, yes, I suppose.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02- Do you mind if we have a closer look?- Sure, yeah.
0:36:05 > 0:36:07Graham made a very brave decision
0:36:07 > 0:36:11when he left engineering to try his luck as an artist.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14And he does see art as a career, rather than a hobby.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17But he's been knocking on the gallery doors for some years now.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19Could this be his big break?
0:36:23 > 0:36:27Graham, I rather like this style of painting.
0:36:27 > 0:36:29It's very clean, it's very crisp.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32Some of the areas - maybe like the sky - you could work on a bit.
0:36:32 > 0:36:36I find the very precise style very interesting.
0:36:36 > 0:36:37There's no dirt, there's no graffiti,
0:36:37 > 0:36:40there's not, indeed, any leaves on the ground.
0:36:40 > 0:36:44There are few things I don't quite understand.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46The sky looks like the Aurora Borealis to me.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49It's sort of blue and red in verticals, which I don't quite get.
0:36:49 > 0:36:54Um, in a way, I saw the sky as being a slight departure
0:36:54 > 0:36:57from the preciseness of the rest of it.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01I think you could probably work on your technique a bit.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04Some of the work in the trees is a bit, you know, iffy.
0:37:04 > 0:37:08It's OK from this distance, but not particularly brilliant when you get close to.
0:37:08 > 0:37:12I think the judges have warmed to Graham's realistic style.
0:37:12 > 0:37:16But his painting will also have to deliver on a deeper level
0:37:16 > 0:37:18to get him a place at the exhibition.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20I grew up in a street quite similar to this.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24I imagine a lot of people watching this live in streets like this.
0:37:24 > 0:37:26You have to connect to that memory, in a way,
0:37:26 > 0:37:30or make it go beyond what you're seeing.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33The problem seems to me that emotional connection for me. It's just lacking.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38Graham, I think painting probably the most common view in Britain,
0:37:38 > 0:37:41in many ways, um, should have a broad appeal.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44But I agree with Charlotte, I think it might not do.
0:37:44 > 0:37:48It's a clinical scene, which has got more interest in it
0:37:48 > 0:37:52than the picture would suggest it ought to have.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54It's strange in that way.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58I'm uncertain about this
0:37:58 > 0:38:04in an emotional way, but that's usually a good thing where I'm concerned.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07I think we'll consider our votes now.
0:38:09 > 0:38:10Roy?
0:38:10 > 0:38:12Er, Graham, for my vote,
0:38:12 > 0:38:15I'm afraid it's going to be no.
0:38:18 > 0:38:19Um...
0:38:22 > 0:38:25It's a definite yes from me.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30- Oh. - SHE SIGHS
0:38:34 > 0:38:38Sorry, I find this really hard.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44I'm just going to have to say no,
0:38:44 > 0:38:48but it's very close and thank you for showing us it.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50Thanks very much for showing us your work.
0:38:50 > 0:38:52Sorry, Graham.
0:38:54 > 0:38:58That was so close. Graham was within striking distance of a place at the exhibition.
0:38:58 > 0:39:03But, in the end, his painting didn't quite come up to scratch for Charlotte.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05Oh.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10- Graham.- Yes.- Bad luck.- OK.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12- That was close.- Yes, it seemed to be. - Would you change?
0:39:12 > 0:39:17- Are you going to leave here and do something different?- No.
0:39:17 > 0:39:20- Really?- No. - You believe in yourself that much?
0:39:20 > 0:39:23Well, I wouldn't say I was arrogant about my work,
0:39:23 > 0:39:26but I've still got enough interest in what I'm doing to stick with it.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30Excuse me one second. I'm just getting the producer in my earpiece.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32Apparently, the judges have been talking
0:39:32 > 0:39:35and they do want you to go back, which is an unprecedented...
0:39:35 > 0:39:38- Don't celebrate! They might take a yes away!- Oh, right.
0:39:38 > 0:39:43- Could you go back through the doors, because they want you back? I'll keep my fingers crossed.- Thanks.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46'Well, this is astonishing.'
0:39:53 > 0:39:58Hello again, Graham. I've asked you to come back.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01I've reconsidered. I'd like to change my vote.
0:40:04 > 0:40:05I would like to say yes.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08Well, thanks for that.
0:40:08 > 0:40:10I can't take my eyes off it.
0:40:10 > 0:40:14I did find the subject slight. But it doesn't matter, it's enough
0:40:14 > 0:40:18- and I look forward to seeing it again at the Mall Galleries. - OK, thanks very much.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20- Thank you, Graham. - Thanks. Thanks, then.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22That was a bolt out of the blue.
0:40:22 > 0:40:28It seems that Graham's unobtrusive street scene somehow worked its magic at the last moment.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31It'll now be going on show at the Mall Galleries and, if Graham sells it,
0:40:31 > 0:40:36he'll be able to put the money towards his move to Scotland to be with his family.
0:40:47 > 0:40:49At the exhibition,
0:40:49 > 0:40:53Graham's slice of suburban life was quite a draw with the crowd at the Mall Galleries.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55I mean, it's a bit overwhelming.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57I didn't think there'd be this many folks.
0:40:57 > 0:41:02Somebody said that his mother-in-law lived in a house like that.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04That's part of what the work's about, really.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07It's a kind of connection to many folks.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11So did Graham's street scene strike a chord with anyone?
0:41:11 > 0:41:12Any bids were made in secret
0:41:12 > 0:41:16and subject to a 10% sales commission.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18The results of the bidding were only revealed
0:41:18 > 0:41:21when I opened the envelope in front of the artist for the first time.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26- How much did you want for this? - Er, 580.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29- 580? Because originally you said 500. - I did, yes.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32- But then you thought, 580, with a bit of commission.- Yes.
0:41:32 > 0:41:34And you wanted to spend the money on?
0:41:34 > 0:41:36Well, a possible move to Scotland.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38My daughters and their family live there.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40So that's what it'll go on.
0:41:40 > 0:41:42- Right. Shall we get on with it?- OK.
0:41:42 > 0:41:46Everybody hold your breath. So in this envelope we'll find out
0:41:46 > 0:41:50- whether you had any bids at all last night.- Right.
0:41:50 > 0:41:51You confident?
0:41:51 > 0:41:55Well, don't know, really. I'm keeping an open mind.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59OK.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01- We have had an offer.- Right.
0:42:03 > 0:42:04It's for £300.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06Right.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09What do you think?
0:42:09 > 0:42:11Um...
0:42:11 > 0:42:13I mean, obviously, you wanted 580.
0:42:13 > 0:42:17- And £300 is £300, isn't it? - It is indeed, yeah, yeah.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20- And it all adds up.- Yeah, yeah. - In that pot.- Yeah, yeah.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22What's your gut feeling?
0:42:22 > 0:42:24Um...
0:42:24 > 0:42:27- Yeah, I'll take that. - Mate, congratulations. Well done.
0:42:27 > 0:42:28Big round of applause.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35Wow. Retired civil engineer Graham has certainly been on a journey.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38He braved the Hanging Committee,
0:42:38 > 0:42:40was turned down,
0:42:40 > 0:42:43only to get a dramatic last-minute reprieve from Charlotte.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46And now he's accepted an offer
0:42:46 > 0:42:47on his painting.
0:42:49 > 0:42:50Well, that's it for today.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52But join us next time on Show Me The Monet,
0:42:52 > 0:42:57where the judges will be meeting more hopeful artists in search of success.
0:43:24 > 0:43:26Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd