The Sculpture Diaries
You might like to know that the exhibition Statuephilia, now on at the British Museum, heralds a major television series on the history of sculpture: The Sculpture Diaries. Produced by ZCZ films, the series will be broadcast on Channel 4 this autumn. One to watch out for. See what I mean about gold being a poor medium for sculpture? The ancient lion in the background is more easily discernible than Marc Quinn's Siren 2008.
Update: I've been reminded that The Sculpture Diaries was screened from late August to the middle of September. I viewed half the first episode and gave up on it, because it was awful. ArtDaily used an out-of-date press release issued to coincide with the opening of Statuephilia. Sorry, folks. I should have remembered or double checked.
posted by Unknown @ 5.10.08
9 comments
9 Comments:
The Sculpture Diaries has been and gone, you are a bit late sadly.
http://www.channel4.com/video/brandless-catchup.jsp?vodBrand=the-sculpture-diaries
Cheers
Nick
Hi, Nick
Thanks for the correction and the link. I failed to check ArtDaily's source. ArtDaily publishes press releases and often publishes them months before or after an event. Trouble is, I don't like the Channel 4 website or it's useless search engine. So I didn't bother. Naughty. Slapped wrist!
P.S.
I previewed The Sculpture Diaries on 31 August. It was such rubbish that I switched off half way through and promptly forgot all about it. What a missed opportunity that show was! It needed a far better presenter, cameramen who could stand still long enough to photograph a statue properly, a less intrusive score and a lot less dashing around all over the globe. You didn't miss anything, folks.
It is being repeated on 11th October - and the so-called "best bits" are already on Channel 4 "Watch Again".
However it is my opinion that it was a totally boring series for either the average viewer - or those who already know something about sculpture.
Sculpture Kris
Hi, Kris
Glad you agree. The weather forecast is more exciting and artistic.
The Sculpture Diaries needed the knowledge and gravitas that Sir Kenneth Clark brought to his Civilization, if you're not too young to recall it. That major series was a success with public and critics alike.
I proved how forgetable The Sculpture Diaries was!
But there's a huge gap in the market for a quality programme which looks at sculpture, old and new.
Now I am not going to defend anyone. However you must at least give C4 and Waldemar Januszczak some marks for doing it. I too only saw the first episode but I am not aware of any programme ever being done on sculpture before. I am sure you will be able to put me right there?
We are talking about the premier art form here, perhaps no one has dared do it before.
Here was my 'wet' introduction!
http://dorsetsculpture.blogspot.com/2008/08/sculpture-is-be-all-and-end-all-in.html
Hi, Robert
I'm fairly knowledgeable about art, but I'm not a walking encyclopedia, so I can't say for sure whether anyone has attempted a series of TV programmes on sculpture before. I can't recall one other than the recent Channel 4 attempt. This is what I mean about a gap in the market. I suppose we should give 4 credit for having a go, but it certainly didn't come up to scratch as far as I'm concerned. It needed a much more stable hand at the tiller. Why not approach the BBC and tell Auntie that Coxsoft is willing?
You may be partisan about sculpture being the premier art form! There is a school of thought that declares architecture to be the premier art form and views sculpture as merely a decoration for buildings!
Take Michelangelo. He began with sculpture, then moved on to painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and finally became the architect of a huge piazza outside the Vatican. From your point of view, his career was downhill all the way. I doubt if he saw it that way, nor the popes who employed him.
Personally I think the greatest art form historically was landscape gardening. It was living sculpture on a huge scale and required imagination to predict how it would look in a century's time.
Today it's the movies, but digital art is fast catching up.
You will not change my mind on that Ian, but I have posted a couple of ideas I have in mind for your garden!
As for a beeb Sculpture series yes I will propose you. We'll talk!
Thanks, Robert. I shall look forward to hearing from Auntie.
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