BBC Radio 4 LW

Sound Painting

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Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

04/03/2013

BBC Radio 4 - Sound Painting

Tim Marlow explores the kinds of sounds and music that influence an artist's art and work.

Tim Marlow meets four of the UK's leading artists, exploring the kinds of sounds and music that influences their resulting work of art.

An artist's studio is a unique setting, littered with the debris of creative endeavour - photos, drawings and images all offering inspiration. 

However many artists also draw on audio stimulus from the music of their hi-fis and ipods. In this revealing programme, Tim Marlow meets some of the UK's leading artists to explore the sounds and music they use and how it influences the creative process.

Artist-in-residence at the National, Michael Landy, is happy to listen to the sounds of the gallery as he works, expressing an interest in the PA announcements and the gentle hum of Sir Peter Blake's fridge, left by the artist after his spell working at the National studio. 

The use of music was something that used to move one of Britain's leading sculptors, Sir Anthony Caro. He talks about his past use of the classics to enhance the mood of his studio. But these days, as he nears his 90th birthday, he prefers silence as "Beethoven is just too distracting".

Rachel Whiteread also enjoys music when she is drawing but explains how everyday sounds affect her work and demonstrates some of the noises that punctuate her day. 

The programme culminates with Tracey Emin at her Bethnal Green studio revealing the sounds and music that influence her work.


Producer: John Sugar
A Sugar production for BBC Radio 4.

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