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Show me the Monet anyone? (1 Viewer)

Woody

Woody

Well-known member
Is anyone else here watching 'Show me the Monet' on BBC2 early evenings? (iplayer in my case).

The programme makers have tried to make it into some kind of xfactor-come-Dragons den nonsense which doesn't really work, but it has been fascinating me all week.

There have only been two pieces of wildlife art so far; Jackie Garner's excellent woodpigeons made a very fleeting appearance in a sort of montage of 'here's some that we won't even bother to show you', and a small bronze sculpture of a gorilla by Peter Gillies that I recognised from NEWA at least got through to the 'judges'. (Reading between the lines, it was decided that 'Natural history art' wouldn't ever have a place alongside 'Real Art').

I also know that Paul Apps has a piece appear briefly at some point in a future programme, probably in another one of the montages.

The 'hanging commitee' of three 'judges' decide whether they will allow a particular piece through to a special, one-off exhibition at the RCA, with all the attendent hyperbole about 'launching lucrative careers as fine artists' and making 'serious amounts of cash' from some irritating little sports presenter. (I smirk every time the cash gets mentioned!)

One of the 'well respected art critics' that the BBC have dragged in is so far up his own ar5e that it's pure 5h1t coming from his mouth and it makes him a joy to watch. (Let me hear you sing: The King is in the all-together! The all-together!)

There have also been a couple of more 'traditional' landscapes that have been rejected, one because it wasn't original (re-invent the wheel anybody?...) and one because the technique wasn't up to the panel's exacting standards.

I'm so glad I'm not an artist...

Mike
 
I don`t see this...no BBC2 here

but

Art can be defined no one really because it is the highest form of individualism and is interpreted differently by each viewer.

and so I sing "The King is in the all-together! The all-together!" :-O

greetings Gaby
 
Seen a few fleetingly, not sure about the 'butt' cast of her boyfriend painted in the style of mackintosh....very 'out there on the edge' for me personally.....but some half decent pieces being aired...
 
Peter Gilles Gorilla was 'marked down' for being small / not monumental so, presumably if he'd made it 20ft high it would have had more of a chance ( probably "made a statement"! ) As it was the first excursion into sculpture by him, and he paid for it out of his own pocket, they were lucky it wasn't half the size it was.

Chris

p.s. He only wanted £ 295 for it - £200 of that was the cost of the materials.

C
 
I'd seen this program advertised and promptly forgot about it...[so thanks Mike for reminding me]...!

Just iplayered the first episode....and i was glad to see an artist...John...sell his oil painting of blokes fighting in an office...[great composition and color]..!

As for the program itself...well....i'll watch some more episodes before deciding what i really think...[tho i'm not keen on this Britains got Talent type format with judging panels]....

Having said that...it is good that unknown artists are given the potential chance to exhibit... !

http://username-beast.blogspot.com/
 
chris butterworth said:
Peter Gilles Gorilla was 'marked down' for being small / not monumental so, presumably if he'd made it 20ft high it would have had more of a chance ( probably "made a statement"! ) As it was the first excursion into sculpture by him, and he paid for it out of his own pocket, they were lucky it wasn't half the size it was.

Chris

p.s. He only wanted £ 295 for it - £200 of that was the cost of the materials.

C
Click to expand...

One of the criteria for sculptors entering was that their piece had to be portable by the artist. I don't think he'd have stood a lot of chance of sticking a 20ft high bronze in a carrier bag and just 'popping it on the table'!:-O

But seriously, I don't think any piece of pure wildlife art stands any chance whatsoever of getting into an exhibition of such pretention. I hope I'm wrong.

There have been some nice bits and bobs, the office scene being one of the best imho. There has also been a great deal of tripe, such as the plugs and sockets; What does he do next?

What I find fascinating though is the way it illustrates all the unadulterated BS that surrounds art, artists and critics. The former ballet dancer who forgot his script was a classic example; When asked to introduce his piece he began spouting a whole load of meaningless cr*p, then he forgot his lines and couldn't continue, precisely because it was meaningless cr*p! The real shame was that the painting was actually none too shabby.

Five more episodes to go, what are the odds on a pure wildlife piece making it through?....

Mike
 
Nope, serious artists put a roll of bog roll on a pedastal and call it something mind-bendingly ridiculous just so the luvvies can gush over it and proclaim in a modern wonder. Absolute b*llox.....which is why I couldn't bring myself to watch the programme as this is why I hate the art world in general!! Too many pretentious tw*ts spouting too much pretentious bull!
I remember seeing David Shepherd on a TV interview some years ago with a recognised 'art critic' by his side who proclaimed that Shepherd was merely an illustrator, not an artist. David just looked at him and replied something along the lines of "...that may be your opinion, yet you'll have to wait 6 years to commission one of my illustrations..." Up yours mate, brilliant retort!
 
Must admit..this thread is making me laugh...[and is, therefore, worthy of a bouncy giggling grape]...:-O

Mike....do you think that you should really be watching anymore episodes of this program....[perhaps watch 'ice road truckers' instead]...? ;)
You will end up putting your foot thru the TV screen at this rate...[chuckle]...!

Agree entirely with the sentiments you and birdyboy express...

The only talent that a lot of critics have are those akin to estate agents...or politicians....[ie slippery tongued individuals who will say anything to sell 'stuff']...

I have not watched anymore episodes of 'show me the monet'...[the first episode was enough]...!

The 'plugs n sockets' piece that was exhibited in that first episode was chosen..quite obviously...because of the artists/mans physical condition...[Parkinsons decease]...and it would have been a harsh critic indeed when faced with the bloke to have been verbally blunt about his 'work'...

ps...on a birding blog recently there was a great piece of 'art' concerning 'plugs'....[for those with a sense of humor of course]...;)
 
Woody said:
I'm watching episode 5 on catch-up and I've just been swearing at David lee's comment: (In condescending tones) "In the end John, serious artists don't paint elephants."

AAAAAHHHHHRRRGHHH!!!
Click to expand...

:-O This was EXACTLY the quote I was going to mention! I'm on holiday this week so had the digibox (or whatever it's called, Sky box possibly?) set to record the series and couldn't believe the arrogance of the guy :smoke: Just goes to show what a load of poncy buls**t modern art is these days :C MY first thought was of David Shepherd.....what an amazing amateur he must be then ;)

I'm going to dust off my pencils and paintbrushes if this is the standard of 'art' that is selling ;) :-O I should make myself a fortune as long as I remember two things: no animals whatsoever and no detail ;):-O
 
Woody said:
I can't help myself! I've got to keep watching
Click to expand...

Me too :-O

On tonight's episode we get to see Stephen Lingham's piece Polonnaruwa- City of Kings
take a bashing from the 'experts'
Click to expand...

Now this one I didn't like :smoke: Stone statues were good but the peacocks just looked 'wrong' somehow.....and I hated the blurry background at the top - reminded me of one of those naff Paul Doyle dog paintings :smoke:
Yet looking at Stephen's website he's done some really good stuff :t:
 
I admit that I was thoroughly surprised to hear a yes from David Lee but then I realised he would only have given that verdict based on the certain knowledge that the other two would be saying no. I agree I don't think it was Stephen's strongest work but it was nice to see wildlife art represented in at least a small way. As the sports presenter said, flying the flag for wildlife artists everywhere.

Mike
 
I have been watching it,it is not my sort of art,but it is interesting what rubbish gets through,and how much they want for there art,there was one on the other day,I think it was 82 self portraits,in the style of famous artists,the price he wanted was £100,000.it got through,but there was no takers.
 
perlin said:
I have been watching it,it is not my sort of art,but it is interesting what rubbish gets through,and how much they want for there art,there was one on the other day,I think it was 82 self portraits,in the style of famous artists,the price he wanted was £100,000.it got through,but there was no takers.
Click to expand...

David Cobley is actually a well established artist, a member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters. I do agree that the price tag was a little inflated and somewhat optimistic on his part though!

Mike
 
Gill Osborne said:
Stone statues were good but the peacocks just looked 'wrong' somehow.....
Click to expand...

Art critique, don't you just love it :t:. I thought his stone work was apalling. Texturally very poor and the whole structure looked skewed. The uppertail coverts of the birds were more than heavy, they appeared to have been painted with a 2" brush. How it got that far I can't imagine. Not to say that some people wouldn't like it - and good luck to them ( Specsavers do a good line in cheap specs though! :eek!:)

Chris
 
. . . and I've just watched a whole episode. Funny though isn't it - The Critics are banging on about emotional response and new ways of seeing, and they come up with THE most tired and uninspired TV format; 3 judges 'and it's down to the wire'. We even had 'an emotional journey' tonight. F*ck me!
 
I've not seen any of it but I'm guessing that phrases like:
"Winning this just means everything to me" and "I'd be devastated if I had to leave the competition at this stage" are not far from the contestants' lips.
 
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