Art Matters

This week we speak to Zing Tsjeng, UK editor for Broadly and author of the 'Forgotten Women' series, about how women's contributions can get lost in history and discuss some brilliant women artists you may not have heard of. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-forgotten-women-artists

Step into the Technicolour world of polychromy as we speak to Cecilie Brøns, Senior Researcher at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen, about colour classical sculptures from Ancient Greece and Rome.

We speak to Head of Art on the Underground, Eleanor Pinfield, to find out the long history of the Tube's collaborations with artists and see what has the team 'on edge' in 2019. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-art-on-the-underground

Time travel back to the 1950s with us as we look into the history of the paint by number craze with our guest, William L. Bird, Jr. Find out how the art hobby became so popular, inspiring artists like Warhol and Damien Hirst. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-the-history-of-paint-by-number

We speak to John Holmes about the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood's use of scientific methods in their art practice. What was the extent of their relationship with science, and how can we see their work in a new context if we re-examine it through this lens? https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-the-pre-raphaelites-relationship-with-science

We speak to author and Historical Consultant for the award-winning BBC series 'Horrible Histories', Greg Jenner about weird and wonderful Christmas cards from the Victorian era. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-weird-dark-and-wonderful-victorian-christmas-cards

We speak to art crime specialist Noah Charney on lost art, stolen paintings and why art crimes are the third highest grossing criminal trade behind drug and arms dealing. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-lost-art-forgeries-and-the-theft-of-the-mona-lisa

We speak to Jaleen Grove – artist and researcher in the history of illustration – about fine artists who've illustrated books, and why there's historically been a distinction been artists and illustrators. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-artists-as-book-illustrators

We chat with writer and self-proclaimed Alfred Hitchcock geek, Joel Gunz, about Alfred Hitchcock’s deep love of art and the ways the director worked with artists to incorporate fine art references in his iconic films. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-how-alfred-hitchcock-created-artful-suspense

We speak with curator Bee Tajudeen and artist Rosa Uddoh about what #blackgirlmagic means and what it means to be a black woman working in art.

We speak with Katy Barrett, Curator of Art Collections at the Science Museum, London, about how the Science Museum Group incorporates art into its collection and exhibitions. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-art-in-the-science-museum

We talk to Corrie and Natalie from the Art History Babes podcast about the pop culture phenomenon, RuPauls Drag Race. We discuss the ‘Pop Art Ball’ episode of the series, the shows creative queens, and touch on some of the overlaps between the worlds of drag and art. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-the-art-of-rupauls-drag-race

As the third series of the BBC series 'Britain's Lost Masterpieces' comes to a close, I sat down with presenter Dr Bendor Grosvenor to discuss the paintings featured in the three episodes, and to get some behind-the-scenes insight into how the show is put together. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-finding-britains-lost-masterpieces

There's a touring exhibition called 'Virginia Woolf: An Exhibition Inspired by Her Writings' exploring art through the lens of Virginia Woolf's work. We speak to the curator of the exhibition, Laura Smith, about the exhibition, feminism, and women artists' representation of self. We also catch up with contemporary artist, Venetia Berry, to get her perspective on female nudes in art history. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-virginia-woolf-feminism-and-women-painting-women

In this episode, we speak with self-proclaimed mermaid hunter, Sacha Coward, about the connections between the queer community and mythological creatures. We discuss how some of these connections came about, origins of The Little Mermaid, and where to look for these mythical creatures within art and heritage. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-mermaids-and-mythical-creatures-in-art-and-the-queer-community

This week, we have a conversation with Emily VanDerWerff, critic at large for Vox, discussing the iconic series, 'The Simpsons', and how the cartoon has used art as a way to deepen conversations around pop culture and 20th C Americana. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-the-simpsons-art-and-capturing-20th-century-america

In this special episode, we look at Beyoncé and Jay Z's recently released video for 'APESH**T'. Set in the Louvre and filled with some of the most famous art in the world, the video feels like an ode to the history of art. We discuss the cultural impact of the video and how Beyoncé has been building up to this artistic moment for over a decade. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-when-beyonce-goes-apest

How have paintings played a part in medical education? How has our approach to treating illness changed over time? And why are there so many paintings of physicians examining urine? This week’s guest, Dr Jack Hartnell, tells us about why medieval medicine doesn’t deserve its bad rap, the role art played in practising medicine, and how human anatomy was considered so important to artists that it was taught at the Royal Academy of Art. This episode's guest: Dr Jack Hartnell is an art history lecturer at the University of East Anglia and author of the new book Medieval Bodies: Life, Death and Art in the Middle Ages. His book is published with the Wellcome Collection, and is an exploration of the ways in which people thought about medicine and the human body in the medieval period. In addition to studies in medical imagery, his medieval research explores cultural exchanges during the period between Europe and the Middle East. Images: https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/a-surgeon-letting-blood-from-a-womans-arm-

Why did the Futurists want Italians to stop eating pasta? Would you try Henri Toulouse-Lautrec sheep’s feet recipe? On this episode we discuss the relationship between art and food via creative cookbooks by artists and chefs. Discover some famous artists who have dabbled in gastronomy and determine whether you would be brave enough to try their recipes. Cookbooks discussed: 'The Futurists Cookbook' by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti 'The Art of Cuisine' by Henri de-Toulouse-Lautrec and Maurice Joyant 'Cooking for Artists' by Mina Stone 'Food for Thought' by Ferran Adria, edited by Richard Hamilton 'Wild Raspberries' by Andy Warhol and Suzie Frankfurt This episode's guest: Cedar is an artist, writer, and curator who frequently explores the crossover between art and gastronomy. He’s worked with institutions like Tate and the British Council, and also taught classes on the history of food and art for the Royal Academy. He’s currently curator of a three-year project, Outside The Cube, for HangarBicocca foundation in

Have you ever thought much about the politics of fashion? How can paintings help us understand the social context of fashion throughout history? Is the woman in the famous Arnolfini portrait pregnant or does her dress make it appear that way? This week we chat with Amber Butchart, fashion historian and host of BBC’s ‘Stitch in Time’ series, about the hidden meanings we can glean from the fashions in paintings. This episode's guest: Amber Butchart is a fashion historian exploring the intersections between dress, politics and culture. She began her career as the Head Buyer for Beyond Retro, where she also helped establish their print and design archive. Amber went on to presented the six-part BBC series ‘A Stitch in Time’ wherein she explored the stories of figures in paintings via the clothing they wore. She’s also written four books on fashion for the British Library, Thames & Hudson, and the Octopus Publishing Group on nautical fashion, fashion in film, and fashion illustration. Images: https://artuk.org/d