FINALLY! One small step after very many moans over very many months and years.
We have a new Judge for Landscape Artist of the Year. Kate Bryan has stepped away!!!
Plus they have announced the new Judge - who is Eva Langret, Director of Frieze - of which more below. Note: tomorrow I'll be discussing locations for the new series.
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| At Dover Castle: the new Judge Eva Langret (in yellow) with Kathleen Soriano, Tai Shan Shierenberg and presenter Stephen Mangan |
Kate Bryan no longer judging LAOTY
We can speculate as to the reasons why - but this is what has been said....This is what she said
After ten incredible and memorable years on the show, it feels like the right moment to hand over the baton. It’s been a privilege to be part of something that means so much to so many people and to witness such extraordinary talent from the wildcards to the artists to the exceptional crew that make it all possible. Eva is a wonderful addition, and I can’t wait to see how the series evolves with fresh eyes on the panel. I am delighted to be still be continuing with Portrait Artist of the Year alongside my brilliant fellow judges, Tai and Kathleen.”
Press releases are often designed to obscure the reason why.
I’d like to thank Kate for a) opening up arts criticism to me and our millions of devoted Landscape Artist of the Year viewers, b) looking windswept and interesting at all the sunny and not so sunny locations she’s travelled to as a brilliant judge on the show, and c) being a total delight to work with.
Kate is a real expert in her field – she wears it lightly and communicates brilliantly, opening up the visual arts in an intelligent and accessible way. The Landscapes will miss her, but luckily for us she’ll continue to lend us her eyes and ears on Portrait Artist of the Year for which we are grateful.
Phil Edgar-Jones, Executive Director of Unscripted at Sky
NO we're not. Many regular viewers would be very happy if the very obviously bossy and on occasions completely inarticulate Kate stepped away completely and waved Bye Bye forever.
I'm not going to labour this, but would merely ask
- how many times has she browbeat the others into going with her choice?
- how many times has she come out with "bryanisms" - words which are not recognisable in the lexicon of terms for describing art?
Personal theory - she's pregnant and is happy to do judging at Battersea - which means sleeping at home every night - but no longer wants to travel with a small child at home and another on the way - which would be compoletely understandable. Or just the latter minus the pregnancy.
About the new Judge: Eva Langret
The new Judge is Eva Langret, Director of Frieze and Vice Chair of Camden Art Centre. She has a MA in Art History from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.
In some ways it's similarish to the job Kate Bryan does as Chief Art Director for the Art Collection at the exclusive Soho House (a global network of clubs etc for creatives) - but on a much bigger scale.
Eva Langret started as Director of Frieze in November 2019 and now leads the strategic development and artistic programme of the London art fair and act as a liaison for galleries, collectors and curators in collaboration with Global Director. In her first year she had to create a virtual iteration of Frieze i.e. take it online and wholly digital - in the context of Covid.
An interview with Vogue suggests she grew up in the suburbs of Paris
- championed the work of Black British artists at Brixton’s 198 Gallery
- supported creatives from the Middle East and North Africa at the non-profit Delfina Foundation
- spent five years at Tiwani Contemporary (known for its boundary-pushing African art).
“You have to think about who’s represented, who’s not, and what you can do to bring them to the table,” says Langret, who is sharp and gloriously unpretentious – quick to grin and roll her eyes when asked “the diversity question”. Vogue Interview
So a lean towards promoting diversity and opportunities for artists from different backgrounds which provides something of a counterpoint to Kate's association with Soho House. She is very much about widening opportunities for access to art for all and avoiding art being thought of as something that happens in exclusive galleries for rich art collectors.
Her comment for the press release gives some hint as to her perspective and direction.
“I’m honoured to join Landscape Artist of the Year, it’s a brilliant celebration of artistic practice and offers a unique lens on how we engage with our environment through creativity. I’ll be looking for bold ideas and work that pushes the boundaries of landscape art while demonstrating personal expression"Eva Langret
Her Instagram account actually suggests she likes "innovative" 3D art much more than painting....
Should be interesting!
Of course, the really big question is whether judging on the programme to date has deterred decent artists from applying......
Postscript - thank you Elaine
I must thank Elaine Chumbley for alerting me to the fact the press release came out two days ago while I was submerged in the last of the back to back botanical art exhibitions. If she hadn't told me I wouldn't have noticed - but for the fact I'd have gone looking for signs of the locations at some point!
Do feel free to contact me any time you think I might have missed something I'm bound to be interested in!
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