Age of the Image

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BBC Four

BBC 4

Documentaries

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media: Arts

How images have changed the way we look at the world.

Documentary series in which art historian James Fox explores how the power of images has transformed the modern world.

Series 1

BBC Four HD

James Fox

Richard Bright

Alexander Leith

Ben Ryder

Age of the Image: Series 1: Fake Views

Fake Views

BBC Four - Age of the Image, Series 1, Fake Views

How images have become more powerful – and less trusted – than ever before.

James Fox examines how images have become more powerful – and less trusted – than ever before, from hyper-real paintings to movie special effects and deepfakes.

James Fox explores how the image has become both more powerful and less trusted than ever before. Images increasingly surround us - on our phones, on billboards and in our homes. And the distinction between reality and image has become increasingly tenuous, from the hyper-real paintings and sculptures of artists like Audrey Flack and Ron Mueck to the seamless trickery of Hollywood special effects. But this goes hand in hand with the power the image has to shape our attitudes and outlook. Our ability to share images within seconds has had a profound effect on the way we see and respond to the world around us.

In an age of 24-hour rolling news, smartphones and the internet, the image has taken over from the written word as the most powerful engine of change. In an era of easy image manipulation - from Photoshop and green screens to deepfake technology – can we really trust what we see?

Age of the Image: Series 1

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