Tim's Grand Tour

Tim Marlow

The National Gallery is reaching out and exhibiting reproductions of famous works of art around the capital. It is hoped that by seeing the richness and beauty in this "Grand Tour" people will be encouraged to go and see the real thing for themselves. Art is often seen as serious, cultured and highbrow but it can also be fun, beautiful and entertaining. Art critic, broadcaster and Director of Exhibitions at The White Cube Gallery Tim Marlow returns to five with his Tim Marlow On… series to look at the National Gallery's project for the people.

He is not being stuffy about it either. “What matters about art is looking at it, “ he says.
Tim discovered art at an early age after being taken on annual family trips to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
One year his cousin found a dead bat and they took it to a local museum. “It turned out that it was quite a rare bat,” says Tim “And it was displayed in the museum.” Each year when they went to Edinburgh, Tim would go to the museum and visit the bat but while he was there other bits of art caught his attention such as Salvador Dali’s Christ of St. John of the Cross.
His love and taste in art have changed and matured but it was this chance occurrence that helped it to develop and the National Gallery’s Grand Tour may well do the same for a generation of up-and-coming art critics and historians.
“Some of the reproductions are good, some are not so good,” Tim says.

 “On some, crucial details are missing due to them being cropped out.” Tim believes that this may have occurred  because the reproduction artists copied the painting as it was in the frame but then the canvas was pulled and framed itself, sometimes cutting out important details from the picture.

He does praise the galleries placing of the paintings in their urban settings for “not trying to be too clever or having over cheesy connections.”
 He believes that Christina of Denmark and the Rembrandt are elegantly displayed however Ruben’s Sampson and Delilah does suffer by being hung on a ugly concrete building. He points out that the most interesting placement is Caravaggio's Salome Receives the head of John the Baptist, which is hung in Brewer Street next to a sex shop.

After nine years of presenting his art show Tim Marlow On…, Tim believes that the British public are “becoming more visually literate”.
“Art will never be for a mass audience, but it shouldn’t be elitist either,” he says.
For those people who want to start collecting art themselves, Tim provides a few pointers.

“ Discover art of your own generation. You should trust your instincts and explore why certain pieces make an impact on you,” he says.
“Buy what you like and not the pieces you think will make money.”
He suggests spending time at some of the smaller East End galleries such as The Approach Gallery and getting to know the curators who can tell you what else is coming in that you may like. Another great place to discover art is at art fairs.
The Zoo Art Fair (12–15th October 2007 Royal Academy of Arts) is great for seeing all these younger galleries in one spot and the artists that they promote.
Finally we asked Tim which city he loved visiting for its art and his unequivocal answer was Venice.

“You can consistently go back to discover new things,” he enthused. “I love the city, the architecture and the installations.”
Some of his favourite pieces are the Titians in the Church of the Frari and the San Sebastiano, which is one of the great monuments to Italian art.

Venice is also becoming a home for contemporary art too as French billionaire Francois Pinault, who owns one of the most important collections of modern art in the world, is displaying his vast collection at the Palazzo Grassi in Venice.
So after a leisurely look at National Gallery’s Grand tour why not head for the City of Bridges for a taste of summer and a dose of culture.

Belinda Wanis
 
Tim Marlow On...The National Gallery's Grand Tour, five, Tues 17th July at 7.15pm.
Tim Marlow also presents arts radio programme Culture Shock on the World Service.



Other Art Shows on the Box

The Southbank Show (Sundays, ITV1, 10.45pm)
Melvyn Bragg continues to present his award winning show that combines popular culture and high art. This show is so popular that it is longest running arts show in the country starting way back in 1978.

The Culture Show (Returning on Saturday nights in Autumn to BBC2)
Lauren Laverne will return to host this magazine style show that provides the latest from the worlds of music, fashion, film, art and performing arts.

Artland USA (Tuesday and Saturday on SkyArts at 8pm)
Presenters Toby Aimes and Mame McCutchin travel across America to discover the best and worst art, sculpture and architecture the country has to offer.


Andy Warhol – The Complete Picture (Wednesday 18 SkyARTS, 8pm)
This is a second chance to see the documentary about the works and influences of American Pop artist Andy Warhol, which includes interviews with many of friends including Debbie Harry, Dennis Hopper and even The Dandy Warhols. Continues the following Wednesday.

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