0:00:00 > 0:00:02Britain's top artists make big money.
0:00:02 > 0:00:05Their works can go for millions...
0:00:05 > 0:00:09Nine million, five, ten million, ten million, five, 11 million...
0:00:09 > 0:00:12..up and down the country, thousands of ordinary people
0:00:12 > 0:00:14are also trying to get a piece of the action.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17They're putting their necks on the block
0:00:17 > 0:00:20for the chance to sell at the hottest exhibition in town.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24To exhibit a painting in a major London gallery is a dream.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27It would be amazing, it's such a good opportunity.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30These artists could stand to make some serious cash...
0:00:30 > 0:00:32I've priced this at 2,000.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34£2,400.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36I've priced this painting at 10,000.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38..but first they need the seal of approval
0:00:38 > 0:00:41from three of the art world's toughest critics.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44I can't work out whether it's great fun and formally witty,
0:00:44 > 0:00:46or, actually, if it's a waste of space.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50Their hopes are in the hands of the Hanging Committee.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52Beautiful picture...just not for me.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56I don't distinguish that kind of thing from a garden gnome, really.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58It's time to Show Me the Monet.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Hello and welcome to Show Me the Monet.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Over the past few months, amateur and professional artists
0:01:07 > 0:01:11have had to withstand razor sharp critique from our judges
0:01:11 > 0:01:14in order to get the chance to show and sell their work
0:01:14 > 0:01:17at our prestigious London exhibition at the Mall Galleries.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19But to get there they have to get past
0:01:19 > 0:01:22three of the most demanding critics in the business.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25Roy Bolton is our resident moneyman.
0:01:25 > 0:01:26An experienced art dealer,
0:01:26 > 0:01:30he's sold thousands of paintings over the years.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32Technical ability is a skill to express yourself
0:01:32 > 0:01:34in whatever artistic language you choose.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36David Lee is a no-nonsense critic
0:01:36 > 0:01:40who has two decades of experience under his belt.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43Great art is not something that can be solved.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46It's always just short of being understood.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Charlotte Mullins is a contemporary art specialist
0:01:49 > 0:01:53who is hoping to discover the next big thing in the art world.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55Originality is key for artists.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58They have the ability to open our eyes to new ideas
0:01:58 > 0:01:59and new possibilities.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02These experts were the gatekeepers to our exhibition...
0:02:02 > 0:02:05and only the very best would be selected
0:02:05 > 0:02:08to show their work at the Mall Galleries.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11Yes.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15Coming up on today's programme...
0:02:15 > 0:02:18when one artist brings her passionate campaign
0:02:18 > 0:02:19to the Hanging Committee...
0:02:19 > 0:02:22My work is so important...
0:02:23 > 0:02:25..it all becomes too much.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29A top-selling professional puts his reputation on the line...
0:02:29 > 0:02:30Showing anybody my work,
0:02:30 > 0:02:35especially people in the art world, is a bit frightening. I'm nervous.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38..and Roy uncovers a painting's hidden depths.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41There are two enormous human heads, from a previous painting,
0:02:41 > 0:02:43underneath that!
0:02:47 > 0:02:51Eltham Palace, London, once home to the entire Tudor court.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55It was here, where the kings and queens of medieval England resided,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58that artists from all over the country arrived
0:02:58 > 0:02:59to face the Hanging Committee.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06First to brave the palace bridge was 47-year-old eco-artist
0:03:06 > 0:03:09Georgina Maxwell from Cornwall.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11She's passionate about using her art
0:03:11 > 0:03:14to draw attention to environmental issues
0:03:14 > 0:03:17and she's come to the Hanging Committee hoping to raise some money
0:03:17 > 0:03:19for her research trip to the North Pacific.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22My work is so important.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25There's a huge, huge environmental catastrophe
0:03:25 > 0:03:27that's happening through plastics.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31But I'm not finding the right market
0:03:31 > 0:03:35and so I need people who are passionate about the environment,
0:03:35 > 0:03:39- especially the oceans, who have loads of money!- Yes, OK.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41We need to find rich people. Right!
0:03:41 > 0:03:44So where does Show Me the Monet come in? Does it help YOU as an artist,
0:03:44 > 0:03:46or does it help the cause, or a bit of both?
0:03:46 > 0:03:47- Both.- Right, OK.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51Because I need, I need to be earning a certain amount of money
0:03:51 > 0:03:55in order to keep producing and keep passing this message.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58Well, it's obviously something you're very passionate about, so...
0:03:58 > 0:04:00this COULD be a wonderful day for you.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03- Yeah, could be.- I'll keep my fingers crossed. Good luck!
0:04:03 > 0:04:04Thank you. Thanks.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07- The judges are there, through that door.- Oh! Phew!
0:04:07 > 0:04:11Georgina clearly cares deeply about the environment
0:04:11 > 0:04:13but she's struggling to find a market for her work.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16So our exhibition would be a huge opportunity.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21To get there, she'll have to get past three very demanding judges
0:04:21 > 0:04:24and she's hoping this piece will help her to do just that.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33- Georgina, hello.- Hello.- Would you like to introduce your piece, please?
0:04:33 > 0:04:38Yes, this is an artwork called Butts on the Beach.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41Basically it's cigarette filters
0:04:41 > 0:04:44that I collected from the beaches of Cornwall.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47I've been collecting plastics from the beaches of Cornwall
0:04:47 > 0:04:50for the last 13, 14 years, and I make them into artworks.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54My art practise focuses on the suffering of marine life
0:04:54 > 0:04:57- due to plastic pollution.- OK.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01- Could you tell us how much you charge for this?- Probably about £5,000.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04Er, we'll have a look now. Thanks.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08It's a substantial price tag BUT if Georgina can sell her piece,
0:05:08 > 0:05:14she wants to put the money towards an environmental research expedition she's planning to the North Pacific.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18And she'll get that chance IF she makes it to our exhibition.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21To get there, she needs two of our judges to give her the yes vote
0:05:21 > 0:05:25and they'll be looking for originality, technical ability,
0:05:25 > 0:05:27and something that moves them emotionally.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34- Georgina, I'm going to ask quite an obvious question, I think.- Uh-huh.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37Who is going to buy an artwork
0:05:37 > 0:05:41made from second-hand cigarette butt filters?
0:05:42 > 0:05:48Er, I imagine someone who is concerned about the oceans
0:05:48 > 0:05:51and the pollution, basically.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54We really don't consider the oceans as being very important,
0:05:54 > 0:05:58and yet they are, in fact, the womb of the Earth.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02They're where we all came from originally and we're trashing it.
0:06:02 > 0:06:08But in the end we are confronted by a lot of cigarette butts stuck together
0:06:08 > 0:06:13inside a rather nice, deep frame.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17Part of me can't believe that you really thought
0:06:17 > 0:06:20that by simply collecting butts and sticking them up
0:06:20 > 0:06:22you were making a work of art.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26I guess, conceptually, it's not obvious
0:06:26 > 0:06:30but then conceptually it's not supposed to be that obvious
0:06:30 > 0:06:32and in-your-face.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35The problem for me with this piece...
0:06:35 > 0:06:38is I feel you have very heartfelt
0:06:38 > 0:06:42and deeply rooted ideas about the sea
0:06:42 > 0:06:46and about how we, as a nation, as a race,
0:06:46 > 0:06:48are using it as our rubbish dump.
0:06:48 > 0:06:49And I feel it's just not,
0:06:49 > 0:06:53it's not in any way communicating what you're trying to say,
0:06:53 > 0:06:55and I don't get a lot from it.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58It's got absolutely nothing to do with the sea or anything else.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02Look, I'm with you on the sea, I think it's absolutely disgraceful -
0:07:02 > 0:07:06the way that so many creatures are being washed up with plastic bottles,
0:07:06 > 0:07:08and cigarette butts, and all the rest of it
0:07:08 > 0:07:11but this has got nothing to do with that.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13It's not going well for Georgina.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16She doesn't seem to be getting her message across at all
0:07:16 > 0:07:19but we're yet to hear from our resident art dealer.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25Georgina, I am gobsmacked that at least one of my fellow judges
0:07:25 > 0:07:28doesn't see this work the way that I do.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31This has all the stories of all the people
0:07:31 > 0:07:32that have smoked these things.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35Their death wrapped up in what they're doing.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39There's consumerism, there's addictions - all this human frailty.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41All that is in there without having to be referred to in any way,
0:07:41 > 0:07:44other than the materials that you've used,
0:07:44 > 0:07:47to have an emotional connection. I have lots of emotional connections with it.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50- Fantastic piece of work, the best thing I've seen so far.- Thank you.
0:07:50 > 0:07:55Wow, what a response! It's not often Roy gets so enthusiastic.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58But will any of that rub off on the other judges?
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Georgina, it's an obvious yes.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04This is fantastic and our exhibition will be denuded without it, I fear.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06Thank you.
0:08:06 > 0:08:07Charlotte?
0:08:09 > 0:08:12Georgina, I just don't see it.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14I don't interact with it, it's a no.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21I wish you luck with our campaign
0:08:21 > 0:08:24but I don't think an art gallery's the right place for it.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28I'm afraid it's a no from me as well.
0:08:28 > 0:08:33But thank you very much for stimulating huge discussion on this point.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38It's all right, you have a huge advocate in Roy.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41You know, he really gets it, I'm sorry we don't get it.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43But keep working.
0:08:43 > 0:08:44Poor Georgina.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47She's poured her heart and soul into this piece,
0:08:47 > 0:08:52and it's devastating for her that Charlotte and David don't appreciate it
0:08:52 > 0:08:55but at least she's gained a number one fan.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58I really loved it and I'm... Are you all right? It's all right.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03Oh, come here, treasure trove! Oh, look at you.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Oh, are you all right?
0:09:06 > 0:09:07- No.- Oh!
0:09:07 > 0:09:09- How frustrating is that for you? - Incredibly.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12That's, I guess, why I'm so emotional,
0:09:12 > 0:09:14is that I don't understand why they don't get it.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16I mean, look, you have one champion in there.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20Yeah, lovely Roy!
0:09:20 > 0:09:23No, to have someone like him, actually...
0:09:23 > 0:09:25He, sort of, was fantastic.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29There must be that little light there now, for you, at the end of the tunnel.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32- You must say to yourself, "Actually..."- Oh, quite a big light!
0:09:32 > 0:09:35- Good.- You know, and that's what I need to continue.
0:09:35 > 0:09:36You have got something special.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39- You are getting that message out there...- Yeah.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41- ..and please don't stop.- Yeah.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Artists from all over the country arrived at the palace,
0:09:48 > 0:09:51hoping their work was good enough for a place at the exhibition
0:09:51 > 0:09:54but only the very best would make it through.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57Art psychotherapist Errol Fernandes submitted his image
0:09:57 > 0:10:01of a wasteland area near his childhood home.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04It was somewhere where I used to go and play with my friends,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07and be by myself, and explore, and build dens,
0:10:07 > 0:10:10and it was a wonderful place, a magical place for me as a child.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12And Roy was impressed with its originality...
0:10:12 > 0:10:14I've never seen anything like this.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16I like the image, I think it's very strong.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19..but the judges felt a bit lost with the meaning behind the work.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21We've all taken different readings of it
0:10:21 > 0:10:24but all of us have not read it in a magical way.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26It's dangerous, or threatening.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29I'd like to see the series but I'm afraid, with this standalone image,
0:10:29 > 0:10:32it's not quite good enough to make our exhibition.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35Next up was hairdresser and gardener Sarah Pye
0:10:35 > 0:10:38with her painting of a beach scene...
0:10:38 > 0:10:40and Charlotte was quite taken with it.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42- You love colour...- Yes. - ..you can see that
0:10:42 > 0:10:45and you really capture the light on the water.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48The emotional impact didn't quite cut it with Roy.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51I don't think I'll find anything more in it when I come back to it
0:10:51 > 0:10:55and I think that's usually essential for a picture.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57It's quite interesting that you should say that
0:10:57 > 0:11:01because one of the things about my work, I like to think,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04is that each time you look at it you will see something different.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07But, unfortunately, Sarah's arguments
0:11:07 > 0:11:09weren't enough to convince the judges.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12The sky looks like something extra-terrestrial, to me.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16For me, with reservation, it's a no.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18Art student Jojo Filer-Cooper went before the judges
0:11:18 > 0:11:22with her photograph of three Highland cattle.
0:11:22 > 0:11:28I saw the cattle start to run through a gap in the wall and I love it
0:11:28 > 0:11:30cos I've got a bit of a thing about cows.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33David could see the commercial potential of the work...
0:11:33 > 0:11:36This is the kind of photograph that's going to become your nest egg.
0:11:36 > 0:11:42Sell it to a Scottish hotel chain and sit back and make a fortune.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44..although Charlotte found the work technically good,
0:11:44 > 0:11:47the cows just didn't cut the mustard for the exhibition.
0:11:47 > 0:11:52It's great for what it is but I don't think it's an artwork.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54Not for me, Jojo.
0:11:54 > 0:11:59Architect-turned-artist, Shiri Achu, wanted £5,000
0:11:59 > 0:12:01for her paint and fabric image of a pregnant woman.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04I love to paint with pregnant women
0:12:04 > 0:12:08because I love to portray the anticipation, or the pride...
0:12:08 > 0:12:10Roy really connected with the concept...
0:12:10 > 0:12:14You're creating an African heroine and I love that idea.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16..while Charlotte and David, however,
0:12:16 > 0:12:18disagreed on one of the criteria...
0:12:18 > 0:12:19In terms of originality,
0:12:19 > 0:12:23very few people, I think, paint pregnant women.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25That's a really interesting area.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28Is it original for me? I'm afraid it's not.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30It's the kind of thing I might see
0:12:30 > 0:12:35above a, sort of, brass bedstead in a furniture shop. I'm sorry.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38..and, in the end, even Roy changed his tune.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41You have something but not yet with this picture. No.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46Fresh out of art college,
0:12:46 > 0:12:4922-year-old Shan Osman was the next artist to face the judges.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53She currently works part-time as a teaching assistant,
0:12:53 > 0:12:57but her dream is to one day become a full-time artist.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00If she manages to sell her work at our exhibition,
0:13:00 > 0:13:04she wants to put the money towards having her own art studio.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07I'm just happy to be here, at the end of the day,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10but, obviously, if they say yes, it's going to be like a dream come true!
0:13:10 > 0:13:12Shan has submitted this painting,
0:13:12 > 0:13:16which she hopes will make an impact with the judges.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26Welcome to the Hanging Committee.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29Would you like to tell us something about your painting, please?
0:13:29 > 0:13:31This piece is called Untitled 29
0:13:31 > 0:13:33and it's a portrait of the little boy that I met in Mangochi,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36which is the village in Africa that my nan was born in.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40Whilst I was in Africa I became really fascinated with people,
0:13:40 > 0:13:42and also representation...
0:13:42 > 0:13:45which is why my paintings are very much about seeing,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48you know, using the brush strokes to define the figure.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51The reason I chose to paint this portrait of this boy,
0:13:51 > 0:13:54was cos he really reminded me of my brother...
0:13:54 > 0:13:57but I feel that my use of brush strokes
0:13:57 > 0:14:00make the figure almost abstract.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02And how much would you sell this work for?
0:14:02 > 0:14:06I'd say about 280.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09- Right, I think we should have a closer look at it.- Yeah, course.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13It's a confident start from such a young artist
0:14:13 > 0:14:17but will the painting stand up to the penetrating scrutiny
0:14:17 > 0:14:18of our eagle-eyed judges?
0:14:18 > 0:14:20If she manages to sell her work,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23she has her heart set on having her own studio.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25So she needs this to go well.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32- Shan, we're just going to ask you a few questions individually.- OK.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35- David, would you like to start?- Yes.
0:14:35 > 0:14:3729, what does that signify?
0:14:37 > 0:14:41With all my portraits, I've done quite a few,
0:14:41 > 0:14:43so I see them all, not as part of one work,
0:14:43 > 0:14:45but, obviously, each one,
0:14:45 > 0:14:47- the first one I just entitled it, Untitled One.- In order?
0:14:47 > 0:14:50Yeah, and then ongoing.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54This one, how long did it take you to do it? It is a quite quick exercise?
0:14:54 > 0:14:57- It is a quick exercise.- With quite a large brush, you're using?
0:14:57 > 0:15:01Yeah. And I use it with just one size brush for all of them.
0:15:01 > 0:15:02- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04What strikes me about this
0:15:04 > 0:15:07is that it's a very sculptural way of working.
0:15:07 > 0:15:13- Yeah.- It is kind of an aggressive attack you've got in execution.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16You're making very big, bold strikes,
0:15:16 > 0:15:19defining the volume of the cranium, for example.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23Again, in just so few brush strokes,
0:15:23 > 0:15:25that's quite an accolade to pull that off.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28It's a really credible, three-dimensional head.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32Shan, so you think this portrait captures enough of the sitter
0:15:32 > 0:15:34to be a portrait?
0:15:34 > 0:15:37Or do you think it relies, do you think you're,
0:15:37 > 0:15:41you're doing it in this way more to show off your unique style
0:15:41 > 0:15:43that you've created or adopted?
0:15:43 > 0:15:45No, I think that it does actually capture,
0:15:45 > 0:15:49you can definitely see a likeness with the boy
0:15:49 > 0:15:52but it is very much about my style, obviously.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56That's, you know, I definitely wanted to have my own unique style.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58Shan's painting technique
0:15:58 > 0:16:01has definitely struck a chord with the judges
0:16:01 > 0:16:04but is the portrait strong enough for a fine art exhibition?
0:16:04 > 0:16:10I think it's not quite as precise in some areas as...others, I must say
0:16:10 > 0:16:14but the fact that you've done 29 suggests to me
0:16:14 > 0:16:17that you are trying desperately hard to refine your technique.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19Mmm, yeah.
0:16:19 > 0:16:24You're getting there but I've seen this kind of approach in classes
0:16:24 > 0:16:28and particularly from sculptors before.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31Am I emotionally involved with it? It is striking.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35- There's a power to it...- Thank you.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38..for a young artist that's rare and it's convincing.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40I get the form, I understand the person.
0:16:40 > 0:16:46You have a lovely confidence and an attack in your approach.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48There are areas that worry me -
0:16:48 > 0:16:52under the chin, those pale marks are coming too far out,
0:16:52 > 0:16:54when really the chin should be in shadow,
0:16:54 > 0:16:57if that's what you're going for.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00MAYBE this is just good enough. Maybe it's not.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04So we're going to vote now.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08- OK.- Erm, we'll take, we'll just take a moment to ponder.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28Right, well I think I'm going to go first.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31- I've pretty much put my cards on the table already, so yes.- Thank you!
0:17:31 > 0:17:32Yes, please.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37Shan, it's a study, it's not the finished article here. No.
0:17:37 > 0:17:38(OK.)
0:17:38 > 0:17:40It's now all down to Charlotte.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42A place at our exhibition
0:17:42 > 0:17:46and the chance to raise money for that studio all hang on this vote.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51I want to keep looking at it. Yes.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55Oh, my God, thank you! Thank you, thank you! Oh! Great!
0:17:56 > 0:17:59What a result for the young art graduate.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02She's earned a spot at her first London exhibition
0:18:02 > 0:18:07BUT will her unique style attract a buyer?
0:18:07 > 0:18:10The Mall Galleries, London.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12Shan's portrait may have been one of the smallest in the room,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15but it certainly wasn't going unnoticed.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18And Shan was in her element as she rubbed shoulders with art dealers,
0:18:18 > 0:18:21collectors and the public alike.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24There's been a lot of people interested in my work, actually,
0:18:24 > 0:18:28and it's really nice to hear, it's definitely boosted my confidence,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31and...yeah, I've got a real buzz at the moment.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34Shani, who has produced some beautiful,
0:18:34 > 0:18:38sort of, enigmatic portraits using quite minimal paintbrush marks.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42She has a very expressive way of treating the paint
0:18:42 > 0:18:45and it's just really connected with me.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47There may have been plenty of interest
0:18:47 > 0:18:49but would anyone want to own the piece
0:18:49 > 0:18:52and earn Shan some cash for that studio?
0:18:52 > 0:18:55Any offers will be subject to a 10% commission.
0:18:55 > 0:18:56Any bids were made in secret
0:18:56 > 0:18:59and were only revealed after the exhibition,
0:18:59 > 0:19:03when I opened the sealed envelope for the first time.
0:19:03 > 0:19:04What was it like?
0:19:04 > 0:19:07- Amazing!- Was it?- It was so good, I can't even say in words.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Yeah, it was really good.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11- Meet loads of people? - So many people.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13- Influential people? - Very influential people!
0:19:13 > 0:19:16- Really?- Yeah, really, it was just so good.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18I mean, just talking to, like, collectors
0:19:18 > 0:19:22and people that own galleries and stuff, so it was, yeah, pretty good.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25- Ooh, sounds exciting!- Definitely! - Is this Mum behind you?
0:19:25 > 0:19:28- Yeah.- How do you feel about this? Are you proud of her?
0:19:28 > 0:19:30- I am so proud of her.- Yeah.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33- She's doing really well. - She is doing really well.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35Right, how much did you want?
0:19:35 > 0:19:38- 310.- 300, that's different to the Hanging Committee was it?
0:19:38 > 0:19:41Yeah, originally I said 280
0:19:41 > 0:19:44but with obviously with the ten percent commission and stuff, yeah.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47- So you want to make sure you get your cash!- Yeah!- OK.
0:19:47 > 0:19:48Shall we find out how you got on?
0:19:48 > 0:19:50(Yeah.)
0:19:51 > 0:19:52Deep breath...
0:19:55 > 0:19:57Well, Shan...
0:19:58 > 0:20:04- ..you wanted £310 cos you want to make sure you get the exact amount of cash, right?- Yeah.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06You got five offers.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10OK, the lowest offer...
0:20:10 > 0:20:12was for £200.
0:20:12 > 0:20:13OK.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16Then we had another offer...
0:20:16 > 0:20:20for £378.65.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23- Then we had another offer...- Uh-huh.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25- ..for £400.- Wow!
0:20:25 > 0:20:29- That's good!- Granny, you're getting excited now, aren't you?- Yes!
0:20:31 > 0:20:37Now we're getting serious. You had a fourth offer...for £476.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39OK.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44- And then we had our fifth offer... - Mm-hmm.
0:20:44 > 0:20:45Come on!
0:20:47 > 0:20:50..that was for £600.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Oh! That's good!
0:20:55 > 0:20:58- I've got goosebumps, I don't know about you!- I'm so chuffed!
0:20:58 > 0:21:01Your mum is dying to give you a big kiss and a cuddle, aren't you?
0:21:01 > 0:21:06- Yeah, look, there you are! £600 Shan!- That's amazing!
0:21:06 > 0:21:08- Yeah?- Yeah, that's really good.
0:21:08 > 0:21:09It's better than that, isn't it?
0:21:09 > 0:21:11- Yeah!- What are you going to do with the money?
0:21:11 > 0:21:15Well I'm saving up for my studio at the moment, so, yeah.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18- Looks like that's going to probably happen!- Yeah. Isn't that brilliant?
0:21:18 > 0:21:20Big round of applause!
0:21:20 > 0:21:22'What a result for the young artist -
0:21:22 > 0:21:23'a bidding war for her portrait
0:21:23 > 0:21:27'and a sale price of nearly double what she hoped for.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30'She's definitely one to watch for the future.'
0:21:30 > 0:21:33We invited artists from all over the country to send in their work
0:21:33 > 0:21:36and we were overwhelmed by the response,
0:21:36 > 0:21:39as artists both young and old sent in their paintings, photographs,
0:21:39 > 0:21:42drawings and sculptures.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47Next in was 54-year-old farmer Chris Robbins, from Cornwall.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51He spent 30 years raising cattle, while also building a reputation
0:21:51 > 0:21:54as an award-winning wildlife photographer.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56And when ill health prompted him to retire from farming early,
0:21:56 > 0:22:01Chris seized the opportunity to push his photography even further.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04I gave up full-time farming because of my arthritis problem.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06My goodness, so you were out and about...?
0:22:06 > 0:22:10Yeah, seven days a week for 30 for years
0:22:10 > 0:22:12and I thought, "Time for a change".
0:22:12 > 0:22:13OK, and you have problems with your hips?
0:22:13 > 0:22:16I've had nine hip operations in total.
0:22:16 > 0:22:17Both my hips have been replaced now.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19I'm a bit like a second-hand car -
0:22:19 > 0:22:23- get one bit mended, something else breaks!- When was your last service?
0:22:23 > 0:22:24Three months ago, I had a shoulder...
0:22:24 > 0:22:25The shoulder's all right?
0:22:25 > 0:22:29- Yeah, I got it, I'm waiting for the other one!- My goodness gracious!
0:22:29 > 0:22:32- So where does art fit in?- I've always been interested in wildlife,
0:22:32 > 0:22:34so I do, like, wildlife photography.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37If it got to the exhibition, what would it mean to you then?
0:22:37 > 0:22:39Oh I'd be delighted to go to the exhibition.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43It'd be quite prestigious to, you know, just to be part of.
0:22:43 > 0:22:44Yeah, and if you sold?
0:22:44 > 0:22:47I'm going to take my wife out for a slap-up meal...
0:22:47 > 0:22:48So there's a lot at stake, mate?
0:22:48 > 0:22:51- There is!- I wish you the best of luck.- Thank you very much.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53The judges are awaiting you through that door.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55Thank you very much. Thank you. Bye.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58'Farmer Chris may have won awards for his wildlife photography,
0:22:58 > 0:23:02'but he now wants to cut it in the fine art world.'
0:23:02 > 0:23:03He's submitted this photograph,
0:23:03 > 0:23:07which he's hoping will impress the Hanging Committee.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17- Chris, hello.- Hi there.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20Could you introduce us to your photograph please?
0:23:20 > 0:23:24Yes. This is my piece of work called the Seven Sisters.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26I took it during a trip to India.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29This is the River Ganges, the sacred River Ganges
0:23:29 > 0:23:31and it's just an incredible atmosphere
0:23:31 > 0:23:33and a really special place.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37How much do you charge for prints like this?
0:23:37 > 0:23:40- For this size, £150. - Thank you very much.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42- We'll have a closer look.- Thank you.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45Well, there's no doubting Chris's commitment to his work,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48travelling across the globe to capture this shot
0:23:48 > 0:23:50but if he wants a spot at the Mall Galleries
0:23:50 > 0:23:53he still has a long way to go.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10Chris, where were you when you took this photograph?
0:24:10 > 0:24:13- As in, were you on a boat, were you in...- I was crouching down,
0:24:13 > 0:24:15kneeling down in the bottom of a boat.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19- I was probably that above the water...- I was going to say cos our eye line is their eye line...
0:24:19 > 0:24:21- A very shallow boat... - ..and they're immersed.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23..it was wet in the bottom of the boat.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27So I was just kneeling in this mucky water...
0:24:27 > 0:24:30- but, so I could get the shot. - You suffered for your art!- Yes!
0:24:30 > 0:24:32Impressive.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34Crouching down at the bottom of a boat
0:24:34 > 0:24:38after nine hip operations is true dedication.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41Have you ever sold any work to a magazine?
0:24:41 > 0:24:42Yes.
0:24:42 > 0:24:43Which ones?
0:24:43 > 0:24:45Countryside, Trout Fisherman,
0:24:45 > 0:24:49Practical Photography, various magazines like that.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51So you're a travel and documentary photographer?
0:24:51 > 0:24:54No, not really, to be fair, I'm a wildlife photographer.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56But my wildlife pictures,
0:24:56 > 0:25:00I didn't think would fit into your competition or exhibition.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03What gave you the idea that travel photography might?
0:25:03 > 0:25:07I just thought that this picture, sort of,
0:25:07 > 0:25:08it's almost got a Biblical feel to it.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12It looks like it could have been taken 50, sorry, 500 years ago,
0:25:12 > 0:25:13or whatever, 1,000...
0:25:13 > 0:25:16You were lucky to get them all doing different things...
0:25:16 > 0:25:18That's what I like about it...
0:25:18 > 0:25:20I mean that was a real stroke of luck as you went past.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23You said it's luck but a good photographer, it isn't luck.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25- You can't, you can't predict that. - You can't...- No.
0:25:25 > 0:25:30- ..let's not undermine the fact that this was chosen out of others... - I'm not underestimating his skill.
0:25:30 > 0:25:35The decisive moment is very important in a photographer like you
0:25:35 > 0:25:36because you don't get much of a chance
0:25:36 > 0:25:39to get the one good shot which counts.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42Well, no-one doubts Chris's abilities as a photographer
0:25:42 > 0:25:45but has he made the leap to fine artist?
0:25:45 > 0:25:50I would not be surprised to open National Geographic and see this.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53You know, they use the best photographers in the world
0:25:53 > 0:25:57- and it fits in that genre, in that kind of method of presentation.- Yes.
0:25:57 > 0:26:02But to make a photograph in this style, travel photograph,
0:26:02 > 0:26:07transcend it into art, it has to have something more, some depth beyond that
0:26:07 > 0:26:11and I feel, sadly, that's just where it's lacking.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13Roy?
0:26:13 > 0:26:15Chris, the women are a stunning group,
0:26:15 > 0:26:17you've done fantastically well.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21It's a great photograph in every technical way I can think up.
0:26:21 > 0:26:26You know, it's very evocative, but...sadly, it is of a type,
0:26:26 > 0:26:29and the type is travel photography.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33Chris, I don't think anybody could take exception to that
0:26:33 > 0:26:36as anything other than a really remarkable picture.
0:26:36 > 0:26:37It's a beautiful thing.
0:26:37 > 0:26:42It's perfect in a Sunday supplement, which is where it should be,
0:26:42 > 0:26:45so that millions can enjoy it.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47And I hope that over the years
0:26:47 > 0:26:50you make a vast amount of money out of it.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54Some seriously high praise for Chris's work...
0:26:54 > 0:26:57but it sounds like the judges have made up their minds
0:26:57 > 0:27:00when it comes to a place at the exhibition.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05Roy?
0:27:05 > 0:27:08Chris, for the reasons I've given, it's a no I'm afraid.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10Charlotte?
0:27:10 > 0:27:12Chris, it's no.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14And it's a regrettable no from me.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16I think that's marvellous work, Chris,
0:27:16 > 0:27:18but it's not for an art exhibition.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20- Thank you very much for showing it to us.- Thank you.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22Thank you very much, Chris.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24It's three noes for Chris
0:27:24 > 0:27:28but at least confirmation he is a world-class photographer.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32- Chris...- Hello again, Chris! - ..bad luck mate.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34Nil points!
0:27:34 > 0:27:37- Nil non!- Still have to be fish and chips, won't it now, for the wife?
0:27:37 > 0:27:40It'll have to be, yeah! You're eating in for the next three weeks.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43- Absolutely.- Never mind. - Thanks very much, Chris.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45- Lovely to meet you. - Nice to meet you.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48- A remarkable photograph.- Thank you. - Brilliant, breathtaking, but no!
0:27:48 > 0:27:50- Thank you! Cheers. - Nice to meet you.- Bye.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55Next to face the Hanging Committee
0:27:55 > 0:27:59was 39-year-old art teacher Donna McGlynn, from Edinburgh.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02Donna dreams of becoming a professional artist
0:28:02 > 0:28:05but with a teaching job and a two-year-old daughter to look after,
0:28:05 > 0:28:08finding time to pursue her passion is almost impossible.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15My opportunities to paint are quite sparse
0:28:15 > 0:28:19but I try to get in as much painting as I can, when I can.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23I have a husband who, when he's home, he works abroad quite a lot,
0:28:23 > 0:28:27he's very good, he'll take her out, just to the park,
0:28:27 > 0:28:29just so I can get on with some painting,
0:28:29 > 0:28:32- which is really, it's really, really supportive.- OK.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35If you got to the exhibition and you sold,
0:28:35 > 0:28:38- what would you spend the money on? - I'd really like to go back to Rome.
0:28:38 > 0:28:42We went to Rome, my husband and I, last year,
0:28:42 > 0:28:46it seems such a long time ago now, and it was just amazing.
0:28:46 > 0:28:47It was just fabulous.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49So I would like to go back and spend some more time there.
0:28:49 > 0:28:50- Good luck.- Thank you.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53- I hope you get that trip, it'd be fantastic.- Thank you very much.
0:28:53 > 0:28:54The judges are through that door.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00'Donna's clearly got her hands full -
0:29:00 > 0:29:03'juggling her painting, job and family life.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06'Now she's about to find out if all that juggling and struggling
0:29:06 > 0:29:08'has been worth it.'
0:29:08 > 0:29:12She's hoping that this oil painting, entitled Life Goes On,
0:29:12 > 0:29:16will have what it takes to send her life in a new direction.
0:29:26 > 0:29:27- Hello, Donna.- Hi.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30Tell us about your work.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34This painting was made last November.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38I don't know if you remember the really bad weather we had.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42I was trapped in the house with my two-year-old daughter
0:29:42 > 0:29:47and this was basically the view I had from my living room window.
0:29:47 > 0:29:49I felt quite bleak at the time,
0:29:49 > 0:29:54and I think I was basically projecting my own state of mind
0:29:54 > 0:29:59onto the people I saw passing my living room window, so...
0:29:59 > 0:30:03Donna, how much do you charge for a picture like this?
0:30:03 > 0:30:05Up to £1,500.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08OK. We'll take a closer look.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13Donna's wet and windy painting
0:30:13 > 0:30:16is now coming under some serious scrutiny.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20Let's hope the bleakness doesn't rub off on the judges!
0:30:20 > 0:30:22I'm looking for a rainbow here,
0:30:22 > 0:30:24maybe even a pot of gold at the end of it.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40Hi, Donna...
0:30:40 > 0:30:43If we read this as an emotional state of mind, of you at the time,
0:30:43 > 0:30:44you've still got quite a lot of humour
0:30:44 > 0:30:47cos the woman and the dog are quite, quite amusing.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51Well, I do have quite black humour myself!
0:30:51 > 0:30:53I'm quite a...
0:30:53 > 0:30:54quite a pessimistic person
0:30:54 > 0:30:59but I can still laugh at some of the situations I find myself in.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04Well, that's a relief. The forecast may have been gloomy
0:31:04 > 0:31:07but at least Charlotte has spotted some sunshine on the horizon.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09I can see, when I got close,
0:31:09 > 0:31:12that when the, as the lights catch the painting there,
0:31:12 > 0:31:16there are two enormous human heads from a previous painting underneath
0:31:16 > 0:31:19that can be seen quite clearly when you catch it in the light!
0:31:19 > 0:31:23- It's the lights, I know! - It's just one of those things
0:31:23 > 0:31:29but, yeah, I think, for a picture to go into, with your name on it,
0:31:29 > 0:31:32to be sold to the public,
0:31:32 > 0:31:34that sort of thing shouldn't be there really,
0:31:34 > 0:31:35unless you intend it to be?
0:31:35 > 0:31:39No, I can see it under the lights now, how, how that must look.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41Oops! That's a bit embarrassing;
0:31:41 > 0:31:44Roy spotting an earlier work showing through her painting.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48She looks as if she wants the ground to swallow her up.
0:31:49 > 0:31:53I don't get the impression I'm looking at a painting
0:31:53 > 0:31:58that's been seriously thought about before it was actually started.
0:31:58 > 0:32:02Did you work very quickly on this, or did you plan it out?
0:32:02 > 0:32:06I didn't do a huge amount of groundwork, I tend not to.
0:32:06 > 0:32:10I do tend to work from just thumbnail drawings, compositionally,
0:32:10 > 0:32:13and, really, I just wanted to get it down quickly.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16On technical ability, I think there's some lovely moments in this painting,
0:32:16 > 0:32:21particularly the wall and the way that you, in a very simple style,
0:32:21 > 0:32:25actually capture the horrendous nature of the weather
0:32:25 > 0:32:27on this particular day that you observed
0:32:27 > 0:32:30but it is not a style I warm to,
0:32:30 > 0:32:32I just think it could be...
0:32:34 > 0:32:36..slightly more original.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41A place at the exhibition would give Donna the chance to make some cash
0:32:41 > 0:32:44for that romantic break with her husband in Rome...
0:32:45 > 0:32:49..but I have a feeling this stormy scene hasn't blown the judges away.
0:32:50 > 0:32:52Roy?
0:32:52 > 0:32:53No, I'm afraid.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55Charlotte?
0:32:55 > 0:32:57- No, sorry.- That's fine!
0:32:59 > 0:33:03Not quite ready yet but keep at it.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06- It's a no from me too.- OK, thank you. - Thank you.- Lovely to meet you.
0:33:07 > 0:33:12Three noes and it's a disappointing end to Donna's journey.
0:33:12 > 0:33:14- Oh!- Oh!
0:33:14 > 0:33:16Bad luck.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18Oh! But they made some fair points.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21- Yeah.- Constructive criticism's always good, so...
0:33:21 > 0:33:23OK. Not too downhearted?
0:33:23 > 0:33:26No, I'm not downhearted at all.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29It's been quite a nice experience, so I'm glad I did it.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32- Good. Well, commiserations this time.- Not at all.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35- Thanks for having me.- Safe journey back to Scotland with your painting.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37Thank you!
0:33:37 > 0:33:40- All right, good luck! - Thanks very much.
0:33:44 > 0:33:45For many aspiring artists,
0:33:45 > 0:33:48the Hanging Committee was the chance of a lifetime
0:33:48 > 0:33:51but, unfortunately, only a select few would leave the palace
0:33:51 > 0:33:53with a spot at our exhibition.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56Charles Williams is a professional painter from Kent,
0:33:56 > 0:34:00and he's an artist with rather impressive credentials.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02He was trained at the Royal College of Art,
0:34:02 > 0:34:04has published his own book on how to draw
0:34:04 > 0:34:07and has exhibited his work all over the world.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12So why has he entered Show Me the Monet?
0:34:12 > 0:34:15'Any exposure is good for an artist.
0:34:15 > 0:34:17'It's kind of what you do the thing for,
0:34:17 > 0:34:19'so that other people can see your work.'
0:34:19 > 0:34:23Showing anybody my work and talking to anybody about it is,
0:34:23 > 0:34:26especially strangers, and especially people in the art world,
0:34:26 > 0:34:27is a bit frightening.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29So, yeah, I'm nervous.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31I'm quite excited but mainly nervous.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35And he has every reason to be nervous.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37This is a HUGE risk.
0:34:37 > 0:34:41If the Hanging Committee goes badly his reputation is at stake.
0:34:41 > 0:34:46He's submitted this oil painting, simply entitled Girl.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50Like every other artist, his work will be critiqued
0:34:50 > 0:34:53by three of the best in the business.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00- Hello.- Hi. - Welcome to the Hanging Committee.
0:35:00 > 0:35:04Would you like to tell us something about your painting, please?
0:35:04 > 0:35:06Well, the first thing to say about my painting is
0:35:06 > 0:35:12I don't work from a photograph or, photographic or drawing reference.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14Don't work from any kind of reference at all.
0:35:14 > 0:35:15It's all from my imagination.
0:35:15 > 0:35:19So I'm working in order to find some kind of resolution,
0:35:19 > 0:35:22and something to do with the figure,
0:35:22 > 0:35:26and something to do with form, and how I represent it.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28Yeah. I think that's about it.
0:35:28 > 0:35:32What would you value this painting at?
0:35:32 > 0:35:335,000.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37- £5,000. And is that based on sales of previous, similar works?- Yeah.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39Er, yeah.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42OK. Have you, so you've been selling works for quite some time?
0:35:42 > 0:35:44Since 1992.
0:35:44 > 0:35:48I've been showing pretty regularly, on and off, in...
0:35:48 > 0:35:54Well, in England, London, and, sort of, around the world.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56- And you've shown in galleries and...?- Yeah, yeah.
0:35:56 > 0:35:58Let me buzz in.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01He is a very significant painter
0:36:01 > 0:36:05and a very important officer in the New English Art Club,
0:36:05 > 0:36:12which is a, itself a very important body of considerable painters.
0:36:12 > 0:36:16So I think we can take it for granted that the price of his work
0:36:16 > 0:36:20is based on considerable sales and is accurate.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25OK, well we'll finish on that one then!
0:36:25 > 0:36:29- Which brings us to looking at it more closely.- Ah.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33David's clearly aware of Charles's reputation...
0:36:33 > 0:36:36but he's not being judged on his reputation.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38If he wants a place at the exhibition,
0:36:38 > 0:36:41his painting must stand on its own merit.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55Charles...
0:36:55 > 0:36:59if somebody came up to you and said...
0:36:59 > 0:37:05"That painting looked as though you'd deliberately painted that figure badly," what would you say?
0:37:09 > 0:37:14Actually, you know, that's, that, it would be a very valid question.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17A painting like this is, kind of,
0:37:17 > 0:37:20it's the product of lots and lots of knowledge of how to draw,
0:37:20 > 0:37:23and then way too much knowledge of how to draw,
0:37:23 > 0:37:27and going beyond the point of caring about whether or not you know how to draw.
0:37:27 > 0:37:31OK. It sounds as if Charles has painted this picture badly -
0:37:31 > 0:37:32on purpose.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35Looking at this, there's an, there's interest in the body,
0:37:35 > 0:37:36I am interested in the body,
0:37:36 > 0:37:41but the face, what we read as a face...
0:37:41 > 0:37:42is not there.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45Although there's a, kind of, hint of a nose, possibly a forehead bulge,
0:37:45 > 0:37:47there is no face there.
0:37:47 > 0:37:51Now it's obviously conscious but it's not.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54I don't really feel it's working for me
0:37:54 > 0:37:56and I wondered what your thoughts were on that.
0:37:56 > 0:37:58With this painting I've, kind of, taken out
0:37:58 > 0:38:02as much as I possibly could, while still retaining a figure,
0:38:02 > 0:38:06while still retaining somebody, or the presence of somebody.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09Why would you want to get rid of all those things that,
0:38:09 > 0:38:13for the vast majority of people, make a painting interesting?
0:38:13 > 0:38:15Partly to see, partly to see what there is,
0:38:15 > 0:38:18partly just to see what happens when you do that.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21Charles's piece is obviously experimental
0:38:21 > 0:38:24and you have to wonder if he's about to lose face.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26A bit like his painting!
0:38:29 > 0:38:30Charles...
0:38:30 > 0:38:33up close and personal...
0:38:33 > 0:38:38I quite like the way I can see what's changed on the picture.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41Some areas are painted fat, some tin, some scratched,
0:38:41 > 0:38:44some going in opposite directions, swirls here and there.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46That gives it some, some depth for me.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49Standing back a hundred yards,
0:38:49 > 0:38:51I could live with the picture like that.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53That gives me the emotional connection I need.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56I'm disappointed, in a way, that it's,
0:38:56 > 0:39:02it's an attempt at sophistication which is kind of elitist.
0:39:02 > 0:39:06You're not giving me very much to go on.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10I keep coming back, when I look at it, to the face and the head,
0:39:10 > 0:39:13and so therefore I read the little green space you've left as a face,
0:39:13 > 0:39:14and it's not resolved for me.
0:39:14 > 0:39:19It's time for us all to give our votes.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22So we'll take another few seconds to consider it.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25Very mixed reactions from the judges.
0:39:25 > 0:39:29I think they're questioning if they love it or hate it.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31And it seems to be finally dawning on Charles
0:39:31 > 0:39:35that his gamble might not pay off when it comes to the vote.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42Right, voting time it is.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45I like the picture on lots of levels, so for me, my vote is yes.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50Charlotte?
0:39:52 > 0:39:54I just can't resolve it. I'm afraid it's a no.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58David.
0:39:58 > 0:40:02It's all down to David now. He seems torn -
0:40:02 > 0:40:04is it genius...or a bit mistake?
0:40:06 > 0:40:10I don't like it, Charles...
0:40:10 > 0:40:14..but, yes, I think we'll have it in the exhibition.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16Thank you very much!
0:40:16 > 0:40:18It certainly raised debate with us, didn't it?
0:40:18 > 0:40:21See you at the galleries. The Mall Galleries.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24- All right. Thank you.- Thank you very much, Charles.- Thank you.- Bye.- Bye.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26He's done it. The painting just scraped through,
0:40:26 > 0:40:29and Charles looks a very relieved man.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36The Mall Galleries, London.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38Charles's painting, Girl,
0:40:38 > 0:40:42took its place on the walls of our prestigious exhibition.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44The room was filled with art dealers,
0:40:44 > 0:40:46collectors and the general public
0:40:46 > 0:40:50but would anyone take an interest in Charles's experimental work?
0:40:50 > 0:40:53I love the Charles Williams piece cos the woman is...
0:40:53 > 0:40:55I don't know, there's something very vulnerable about her,
0:40:55 > 0:40:59and the paint disappears, and she's not this strong figure.
0:40:59 > 0:41:01She kind of looks like she's possibly sitting on a toilet,
0:41:01 > 0:41:05which may sound a bit random, but in that way it at least touches me.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08She looks like she's pregnant but she's not.
0:41:08 > 0:41:13The way she's sitting, the way it's set out, it's outstanding.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16Any interested buyers could make a secret, sealed bid
0:41:16 > 0:41:18to an independent agent,
0:41:18 > 0:41:20who would take a 10% commission of the sale.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23The results of the bidding were handed to me in a sealed envelope
0:41:23 > 0:41:27and only revealed to the artist after the exhibition.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31- Charles, good to see you.- Hello. - How was it for you last night?
0:41:31 > 0:41:34As someone who's been to so many exhibitions, was it boring?
0:41:34 > 0:41:37- It was terrific.- Oh, good! - Excellent, really good private view.
0:41:37 > 0:41:41Met lots of interesting people, lots of galleries,
0:41:41 > 0:41:44and some people I knew, some people I didn't, it was great. Good mix.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46Well, we said we had it all to lose, originally,
0:41:46 > 0:41:48- and you still got through to the exhibition.- Yeah!
0:41:48 > 0:41:50- So you didn't lose at all, you gained.- Exactly.
0:41:50 > 0:41:54Now tell me, remind me how much you wanted for this?
0:41:54 > 0:41:56- 5,000.- £5,000.
0:41:56 > 0:41:58And I can almost hear a couple of gasps back there
0:41:58 > 0:42:00but with a man of your reputation, that's what you sell it for.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03Yeah, I think that's a normal price for something like that.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06OK. I've got, inside this envelope, possibly an offer.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09- Uh-huh. Oh, right. - I don't know, we'll find out.
0:42:09 > 0:42:10I don't know.
0:42:14 > 0:42:15OK, Charles...
0:42:17 > 0:42:19..you got through to our exhibition...
0:42:19 > 0:42:23and you wanted £5,000 for your piece of work.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29- Sadly, we didn't get any offers on the night.- Right, OK.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31It's not unexpected.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33- No.- You don't sell every time you put a show up,
0:42:33 > 0:42:36so it's not the end of the world if it doesn't,
0:42:36 > 0:42:39- and you kind of have to deal with not selling things.- OK.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41- That's part of the deal. - Really lovely to meet you.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44- Thank you.- Give him a big round of applause anyway. Thank you, Charles.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46'Charles may not have sold
0:42:46 > 0:42:48'but the good news is that shortly afterwards
0:42:48 > 0:42:52'he secured a solo show at a fine art gallery in Canterbury.'
0:42:52 > 0:42:57Join us next time when more hopeful artists face the Hanging Committee.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd