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WHAT I HATE ABOUT ART!😒
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Posted
Received an e-mail from BBC last week informing me of an art programme coming up that I might like. Must have pressed a little button on my computer at some time requesting the info. (Either that or there is a little person housed inside my computer who knows my every move - scary!!) Anyway Artist Chris Ofili had been requested to design a tapestry to hang in the Tapestry Company's hall. This may not interest you but I craft as well as paint. Outcome was a thing of beauty. Thoroughly enjoyed the programme. Chris, despite being awarded a CBE is the most approachable and down-to-earth person imaginable.
I noticed, with interest that there were two more programmes showing on the I player from the BBC Archives, one featuring a sculptor and one from 2006 featuring Sir Howard Hodgkin (who I had never heard of). I decided to watch the latter programme and settled down to an hour of pure enjoyment! Alan Yentob was the presenter/interviewer who explained at the beginning that it had been very hard to arrange this interview because Sir Howard put many obstacles in the way - the programme makers were not allowed to see his paintings in progress, see him painting, talk about his extensive Indian art collection etc etc. Alan Yentob was awaiting the "big man" in his studio, who finally arrived by slowly climbing the stairs to his studio (back view) - he paused nearly at the top (imaginery drumroll) and then approached Yentob with, in my view, a stare in his eye which seemed to be challenging him to put a foot wrong.
What was the point of the programme - I never found out because I zoned out into the "World of Adele" and turned off. Such pretentiousness. I have today looked up Sir Howard's art and feel (unkindly perhaps) that I understand why he didn't want anyone to witness his "daubing". Of course this style of painting doesn't appeal to me, but it is not his style I am questioning because we all have our own styles - I was totally put off by such pretention. I look at the Gallery on POL every day and am struck by the brilliance and variety of styles and the great attitutude of a lot of the painters here. What makes some of these artists like Hodgkin so pretentious. I find myself cringing at their behaviour.
Posted
Ah ha - Howard Hodgkin, who has since died by the way, loathed being filmed as he painted and made it abundantly clear to anyone who tried to impose on his privacy. A film about him by Yentob was always going to be excessively reverential, whatever one thinks of Hodgkin's paintings. And if it wasn't, there wouldn't have been a programme at all. I know very little about him as a human being, so will not pass judgement on his character, which seemed to be forbidding - but then, I wouldn't much like being filmed as I painted either; especially if it all went wrong, which it regularly does.
Nor do I feel qualified to speak of his paintings - because I simply don't understand what he was trying to do and for the most part don't enjoy it. Once you've seen one frame within a frame, it seems to me, you've had quite enough and expect to move on. I've heard theories about his pleasure in paint, but for me that wasn't enough: and others tell me I should see the paintings in the flesh rather than rely on film or photography - and they may have a point. Although I appreciate Rothko, and have never seen his paintings other than via a camera - but then; different painter. What I can tell you is that Brian Sewell loathed Hodgkin's work - someone showed him a painting he'd done, and was pleased when Sewell replied that it was very like a Hodgkin; not realizing that in Sewell's mouth, these were not words of praise.
In defence of Alan Yentob, it's not exactly the easiest thing in the world to make a film about a painter who won't let you into his studio while he's working, hence the hamming of it up: the great man approaches his studio, but at this point we must respectfully withdraw ..... yes; how thrilling.