Art Matters

Author and curator Margaret Timmers offers a brief history of art in the modern Olympics, from art events to poster designs.

Art historian and presenter Kate Bryan shares some of the artist's love stories from her book 'The Art of Love'.

Map Librarian Nick Millea discuss the history of map-making and the artists who have explored maps as a subject.

Head Curator at the London Transport Museum Matt Brosnan takes us on a journey through the history of London Transport poster designs.

Artist and food historian Tasha Marks discusses the history and symbolism of food in art.

Historian Rebecca Rideal talks through artworks and illustrations to show explain how fires, plague and war made 1666 one of the most dramatic years in British history.

Psychoanalyst Vanessa Sinclair explains how Freud and psychoanalysis inspired the art of the Surrealists.

Michele Bogart discusses the relationship between artists and ad design since the late nineteenth century.

We speak to Director of Chisenhale Gallery Zoé Whitley about her work co-curating the 'Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power' exhibition and art in the context of Black Lives Matter.

We speak to David Bownes to learn about the history of British railway poster artists and how poster designs developed over the twentieth century.

Writer and classicist James Cahill gives an introduction to mythological themes in art.

Raissa Bretaña tells us how costume designers look to art history to inspire the fashions for films set across history.

We speak to Giovanni Aloi to discover why animals have inspired artists for thousands of years.

Director of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. Kim Sajet discusses the origins of the gallery and presidential portraits. (Part 2)

Director of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. Kim Sajet discusses the origins of the gallery and presidential portraits. (Part 1)

Tarot expert Rachel Pollack discusses the origins of tarot cards and how artists have engaged with tarot iconography since the 15th century.

We took a trip to the Bank of England to find out about the new J. M. W. Turner £20 note and how money is designed. Guests include Chief Cashier Sarah John, Bank of England Museum Curator Jenni Adam, and banknote designer Debbie Marriott.

We speak to Anna Jamieson about early representations of mental illness in art and how this has developed over the centuries.

Animation critic and historian Charles Solomon tells the story of early Disney cartoons and how fine art inspired the films we've come to love.

We dive into the story of vaginas and vulvas in art with the help of Sarah Creed, curator of the newly-opened Vagina Museum in London.

Take a mental journey to the moon with this discussion on how our lunar companion has influenced artists across centuries.

Caroline A. Jones gives a history of the origins of the world's fair and how art factored into displays industry and innovation.

We speak to Bendor Grosvenor, co-host of 'Britain's Lost Masterpieces' to discuss the latest series.

Discover the story of the museum and cultural professionals who joined the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program during the Second World War to help protect heritage sites and cultural objects. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-the-monuments-men-and-preserving-art-during-war

We discuss the long history of depicting witches in prints and painting with artist and art historian Deanna Petherbridge.

Michael Ohajuru discusses the journey of the presence of black figures in European art history.

Discover the history behind the UK's (possibly the world's?) online Sculpture Town with guest Kate Harding. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-harlow-the-sculpture-town

Jon Sleigh draws connections between beauty and power across art history.

There’s a new film out titled Mrs. Lowry and Son telling the story of beloved Mancunian artist L. S. Lowry and his relationship with his mother. The film is directed by Adrian Noble, while Lowry is played by Timothy Spall and Vanessa Redgrave plays his mum, Elizabeth. I had a chat with Adrian about the relationship between the artist and his mother, and Adrian’s visual inspiration for the film.

We chat to Rebecca Morril, the Commissioning Editor (Art) at Phaidon, about the new book 'Great Women Artists', which highlights over 400 women artists across 500 years. We dive into why now was the right time to publish this book and the importance of continuing to sharing women's stories. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-writing-about-great-women-artists

Art historian Peter Vergo explains how music theory and mathematical ratios inspired artists for centuries as they aspired to elevate the status of visual art. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-music-theory-maths-and-elevating-visual-art

This episode explores the history of stamps and the stamp design process, featuring guests Paul Skinner, Lead Curator for Philatelic Collections at the British Library, and Antonio Acala, Art Director for the U. S. Postal Service. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-the-art-of-stamp-design

Architecture & Design Collection Specialist at the MoMA Paul Galloway talks us through the history of emoji and how the Museum of Modern Art came to add them to their design collection. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-the-story-of-emoji

We speak to Klemens Ludwig, astrologer and author of the book 'Astrology in Art', about the long history of astrology and how artists have engaged with the signs and symbols of the zodiac. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-decoding-astrology-in-art

Curator and author of the book 'Eroticism & Art' Dr Alyce Mahon discusses the subject of eroticism in western art. We find out how to look beyond iconography like nude figures to find ideas around sexuality and love. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-lets-talk-about-erotic-art

Uncover the stories of the artists behind classic Ladybirds Books children's readers like 'Peter and Jane', and find out how the First and Second World Wars influenced the development of the publishing house. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-artists-of-classic-ladybird-books

Dr Michael Newton to guides us through the magical world of fairy tales so we can explore how the stories have inspired artists and writers since the seventeenth century.

Ahead of the 2019 Met Gala themed on 'camp', curator Zorian Clayton helps explain the origins of the camp aesthetic, how it's developed and where to look for it within fine art. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-an-introduction-to-the-camp-aesthetic

We sit down for chat with actor and art collector Russell Tovey. Surrounded by some of the beautiful pieces in his collection, we discussed his ever-growing passion for art, the new 'Talk Art' podcast, which artist he’d love to paint his portrait and, of course, his gorgeous French bulldog Rocky, who’s a star in his own right. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-talking-art-with-russell-tovey

We speak to Anna Fineman and Sally Booth from the charity VocalEyes to learn about how blind and partially sighted people engage with visual art materials and institutions. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-how-blind-and-partially-sighted-people-engage-with-visual-art

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