The
fifth episode of Landscape Artist of the Year 2023 - again at Royal Ascot - was broadcast on Wednesday night (repeated yesterday).
First up, I apologise for the negative notes which are creeping into my posts this series.
My irritation and disappointment with this series means I've now actually got to the point where I've decided that I will be writing an additional critique post - after it's finished - at the end of this series highlighting the critical issues associated with production values and competence in delivery which are now actively DETERRING PEOPLE from:
- wanting to watch
- wanting to apply for the next series or future series.
I find this very, very sad - and something which must be addressed if this
series is to continue and not become a figment of fun.
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a top down view of the location of Episode 5 at Royal Ascot - in Car Park
7D in between the picnics (behind them) and the racecourse (in front of them) with the WildCards in front of them and the Royal Enclosure in the far distance |
As always, my review covers:
I am still completely bemused about what connection Ascot Racecourse has with the commission relating to the Van de Velde brother painters or the Netherlands.
Personally I think they'd do an awful lot better to move filming of LAOTY
out of the summer months and into Spring or Autumn.
Episode 5 pod artists are listed BELOW in the alphabetical order of their
surnames.
- the location and weather
- the artists' profiles
- themes arising during the episode
- who was shortlisted and who won
Episode 5: Ascot
Location
Some of the locations in this series now appear to be actively
deterring people from applying to be pod artists or wildcards for the
filming this summer.
It ought to be doing quite the reverse!
I have a number of VERY negative vibes about this location:
- absolutely useless location re landscape
- there was a strong reek of being gimmicky combined with "a jolly for the Judges and the Presenters"
- numerous comments about it being a very bad choice given the current economic context
- I had a suspicion that the programme makers were working with the hosts so that it was advertising Ascot. We certainly got far too much footage of what the place is like during Royal Ascot. Maybe that was the condition or "quid pro quo" for filming there?
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| Pod artists behind Wildcard Artists in the car park / picnic area next to the very wide racecourse at Royal Ascot |
The main problem for me is with where the pods were sited (in both episodes) in terms of what they did to try and resolve the "how to be at one location and have two totally different
views" conundrum (it's what happens in ever series - and they mostly pull it off
reasonably successfully)
by
- putting the Pods next to the racecourse yet again
- but this time further back so they had the Wildcard artists in front of them!
It simply didn't work. Which prompted the following comments
"We've never had so much in the foreground before" Katheleen Soriano
"so densely populated"
"There's just such a lot of 'things'!""The scene does not lend itself to an organic approach" Peter Latchford"It's very artificial in a sense" Tai Shan Shierenberg
Or as one of the viewers commenting afterwards put it
Thought Ascot was a dead loss as a venue the first time it was shown and this was just reinforced by the second airing. Felt so sorry for the artists. I noticed that the judges even seemed a bit bewildered and came close to criticising it - one of the times they were filmed sitting or standing together, they said something like "this is the most populous landscape we've ever had". "Full of people and not much landscape" but didn't actually go so far as to say "this is ridiculous". There was also far too much emphasis on how much they were enjoying the occasion - that's irrelevant IMO. It's an art competition first and foremost - not primarily a social occasion.
Says it all really. Except for the one artist - Luke Adam Hawker - who caught the location perfectly! (see below)
I am still completely bemused about what connection Ascot Racecourse has with the commission relating to the Van de Velde brother painters or the Netherlands.
It strikes me some of the planning for each series is done the wrong way
round.
The Weather
It was an absolutely scorching hot day - with repercussions because
of the heat.
I think the programme makers might well think twice about having very
elderly painters in the show. They had to move the 91 year old lady pod
artist out of the pod and put her in the shade and then surround her
with fans so she could keep painting. I bet this had a few programme
makers reaching for their third party liability insurance cover
document! (i.e. irrespective of anything it might say in the terms and
conditions, they have a duty of care to avoid and make provision for
anything injurious to your health - not optional!)
- You can get rain and wind anytime of year
- but you're more likely to run into problems with heat during high summer - which is when they currently film.
TIP: Bright sunlight is the enemy of
the plein air painter.
Apart from the obvious potential risk to your health (i.e. sunstroke!),
painting in bright sunlight is
an absolute plein air painting "no no" (because it distorts colours
and tones)
- as they would know if they had anybody who was involved with plein air
painting involved with the programme!
- READ my blog post about Plein air art - 10 tips for working with sunshine and shade which provides a number of very practical tips for those unused to working plein air.
- If you are a wildcard artist remember to bring something to shade you and your painting if the weather forecast indicates sun.
- If you are a programme maker provide shade covers for the pods for all artists so they can see colours and tones more accurately on their supports - and artists don't boil over during the process! (I'm basing the comment on the fact I can see LOTS of shadows on the floor of the pods)
The Artists in the Pods
- Links to their websites are embedded in their names.
- Social media platforms are also referenced.
