Jack Vettriano & Iain Rankin meet and discuss life and stuff
Discussion
For fans of the artist Jack Vettriano and the writer Iain Rankin there is a TV program on IPlayer where they discuss their respective craft, where they come from and what inspires them.
Good stuff actually. They come across as normal blokes who are a bit surprised at their success.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00kdwfk/ArtW...
Now I absolutely love Vettriano's work (so much so my house looks like a flipping gallery now, obsessed, moi?!
) but I have never read any Rankin. Any recommendations?
Trace
PS Mods, this is about books and art, not telly!
Good stuff actually. They come across as normal blokes who are a bit surprised at their success.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00kdwfk/ArtW...
Now I absolutely love Vettriano's work (so much so my house looks like a flipping gallery now, obsessed, moi?!
) but I have never read any Rankin. Any recommendations?Trace
PS Mods, this is about books and art, not telly!
Ace-T said:
but I have never read any Rankin. Any recommendations?
Trace
Start at the beginning with Rebus. Each book is a different story but the character development builds as you go through the series all the way through to his retirement in book 18(?). They're all good IMO.Trace
If you don't want to start a series then try Doors Open which is his latest book and is his first since Rebus finished.
Interesting one this. Doesn't Jack Vetriano have a very poor standing with art critics and the art establishment (despite early success) as they feel his material is very derivative, too retro in feel, not exactly ground breaking and very poster friendly?
The most dammning was the discovery that the figures and poses in his most famous painting were based on images from a drawing manual.
However, the public and rich and famous love his work (not really my cup of tea), he sells lots and has made loads of money so does that really matter, when he is arguably our most financially and recognisably successful painter alive today?
Compared to the complete crap in the Turner prize perhaps his stuff is seen as too accessible and therefore not worthy of being classed as quality art.
The most dammning was the discovery that the figures and poses in his most famous painting were based on images from a drawing manual.
However, the public and rich and famous love his work (not really my cup of tea), he sells lots and has made loads of money so does that really matter, when he is arguably our most financially and recognisably successful painter alive today?
Compared to the complete crap in the Turner prize perhaps his stuff is seen as too accessible and therefore not worthy of being classed as quality art.
prand said:
Interesting one this. Doesn't Jack Vetriano have a very poor standing with art critics and the art establishment (despite early success) as they feel his material is very derivative, too retro in feel, not exactly ground breaking and very poster friendly?
hard to see a link with the constant stream of Rebus novels churned out for train stations and airports....oh waitpop singers, pop painters, pop writers, what's the difference?
prand said:
Interesting one this. Doesn't Jack Vetriano have a very poor standing with art critics and the art establishment (despite early success) as they feel his material is very derivative, too retro in feel, not exactly ground breaking and very poster friendly?
The most dammning was the discovery that the figures and poses in his most famous painting were based on images from a drawing manual.
However, the public and rich and famous love his work (not really my cup of tea), he sells lots and has made loads of money so does that really matter, when he is arguably our most financially and recognisably successful painter alive today?
Compared to the complete crap in the Turner prize perhaps his stuff is seen as too accessible and therefore not worthy of being classed as quality art.
Yes he does have a very poor standing with the "art establishment". Depsite his prints outselling the likes of Monet there is not one of his works hanging in the National Gallery of Scotland. As you say, he is seen as derivative and not "ground breaking". The sexual side of his pictures , seen as voyeuristic almost seems to hold him back too. Some might say it is down to him being entirely self taught and not having been to the "right" art school. Others that tis down to his 'umble background in Fife. Finally a lot of his early stuff, when he was painting under his real name (Hoggin maybe? Vettriano is his mother's maiden name) were copies of famous pictures, mainly he says to learn technique. The most dammning was the discovery that the figures and poses in his most famous painting were based on images from a drawing manual.
However, the public and rich and famous love his work (not really my cup of tea), he sells lots and has made loads of money so does that really matter, when he is arguably our most financially and recognisably successful painter alive today?
Compared to the complete crap in the Turner prize perhaps his stuff is seen as too accessible and therefore not worthy of being classed as quality art.
I guess it must rankle with him a bit, but hes rich enough to have homes in Scotland, London and The south of France, and he is now not represented by Portland, so I suppose he is keeping more of the cash for himself. I would have thought he would tell the art establishemnt to go f
k themselves. prand said:
Doesn't Jack Vetriano have a very poor standing with art critics and the art establishment (despite early success) as they feel his material is very derivative, too retro in feel, not exactly ground breaking and very poster friendly?
I think that much is obvious whether one knows about art or not (I don't). But it's not like it's a bad thing. Many great 'pictures' aren't necessarily art, but we know what we like Edited by Balmoral Green on Tuesday 12th May 18:29
Nobody You Know said:
He did the BlueBird on the Salt flats stenciling didn't he? I have a full canvas print on my wall.
He did - I have a framed print over my fireplace (£30 from a cash & carry).I think the art world is sniffy about him because he's popular, or came from the wrong side of the tracks.
There's another geezer - Yorkshire I think - who keeps painting stuff in house and can't keep up with demand.
His paintings have a certain depth to them with and such vivid colours and over the top definition, there's nothing abstract or conceptual about them. One almost feels that it's possible to reach out and touch the subjects yet they still look unreal, slightly dreamy, and the scenes certainly evoke the senses.
Perhaps it is that he is neither mad, affected nor dead that is the problem with the critics!
Perhaps it is that he is neither mad, affected nor dead that is the problem with the critics!
The art establishment disappeared up their own backsides many years ago and are so far out of touch with your average bod on the street it's comical. Not that I'm averse to challenging art, but quick frankly an awful lot of stuff that's paraded as 'art' these days is little more than an opportunity for mutual masturbation sessions amongst the pretentious nobbers who like to feel smug and superior because they 'understand what the artist is saying' (unlike us common plebs) 
It's amusing to watch the art establishment recoil in horror at the thought of being associated with anything 'popular'.
Anyhow, I'm a huge fan of Vettriano and hope his popularity continues to grow - not least because of our collection of limited edition prints that (so far - touch wood) would return a very healthy profit if we sold them
It's amusing to watch the art establishment recoil in horror at the thought of being associated with anything 'popular'.Anyhow, I'm a huge fan of Vettriano and hope his popularity continues to grow - not least because of our collection of limited edition prints that (so far - touch wood) would return a very healthy profit if we sold them
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