TV review: Great Artists In Their Own Words
The world of art is often seen as somewhat posh and pretentious, but BBC4's latest documentary series bucks the trend by showing the people behind some of the most important works of the 20th century.
Great Artists in their Own Words looks back at some of modern art's most influential artists from Roy Lichtenstein to Andy Warhol.
Using archive footage from the channel's own vast archives, the series explores the background behind some of the works, and also hears from the artists themselves on what truly inspired them.
This particular episode started with an insight into the mind of sculpture and sketcher Henry Moore, who's depiction of the human form has influenced countless other artists since.
Best known for his large stone and bronze monoliths, this archive shows the softer side of the great man whose early work was based upon his experience during the London Blitz, in the Second World War.
The show is interlaced from start to end with comments and observations from some of the UK's top art critics and experts, who explain the significance of the works and discuss the influence of their works on subsequent artists.
However these are not the real stars, but rather the recordings of the artists whose influence these days survives only in their artworks.
One of the more macabre stars which the show looks into is Francis Bacon, a man whose early works were based upon the ugliest chapters of the Second World War.
The programme then moves on to more light hearted offerings from the 1960s and the easily recognised works of Andy Warhol, whose iconic images have become so popular in modern culture.
What stood out most for me in this particular chapter was the fame that these men and women held; a kind of fame that exists these days only in the Hollywood obsessed world of celebrity.
To think that someone like Jackson Pollock could hold as much influence back then as a modern day A-list celebrity such as Rihanna may seem unbelievable to some, but this archive shows that these people were, at that time, some of the key characters of our cultural conscience.
For art lovers, this programme had everything from in-depth knowledge of the subject to a unique look into the lives of the great artists of the last century.
But that isn't to say that it didn't also put forward something for everyone and showed the changes from existentialism to Pop Art and the culture that changed so much with them.
However, even I admit that some modern art makes no sense to me, but in many ways this programme helped you get into the mind of those people that influenced the Damien Hirsts and Tracy Emins of the modern art world.
It's important to note that this isn't the first time that the channel has used its vast archives to chronicle Britain's changing hobbies and culture.
It is a collection that has been enjoyable not only for those that lived during the times, but for anyone who has even the smallest interest looking at what influenced us to do what we did in the past.
Let's hope that BBC4 keep it up. It may not pull in the ratings of other 'reality' shows like The Only Way is Essex or Made in Chelsea, but this kind of programming provides a unique and much needed break from the drudgery of most modern TV.
Tom Mason
