Only Artists

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Only Artists brings two artists together to talk about their creative work.

Only Artists from BBC Radio 4 brings two artists together to talk about their creative work. The agenda is theirs, the conversation is free-flowing, and there is no presenter.

Only Artists from BBC Radio 4 brings two artists together to talk about their creative work. The agenda is theirs, the conversation is free-flowing, and there is no presenter.   The title derives from the art historian EH Gombrich, who began his highly influential book The Story of Art with the famous line “There really is no such thing as art. There are only artists”. Here are some of them…

Only Artists Podcast

Only Artists: Series 6: Norman Ackroyd meets Robert Macfarlane

Norman Ackroyd meets Robert Macfarlane

Series 6

BBC Radio 4 - Only Artists, Series 6, Norman Ackroyd meets Robert Macfarlane

The painter and print-maker Norman Ackroyd meets the writer Robert Macfarlane.

The Yorkshire-born painter Norman Ackroyd meets the writer Robert Macfarlane, whose books include The Old Ways, a best-selling exploration of Britain's ancient paths.

The landscape painter and print-maker Norman Ackroyd meets the writer Robert Macfarlane. 

Norman, who celebrated his 80th birthday this year, invites Robert to his studio in Bermondsey, London. They discuss their fascination with wild landscapes and islands,  and how they attempt to come to a deeper understanding of place.  They also share their thoughts on their working methods: for Norman, printmaking is like writing music - trying to capture and fix light and weather. For Robert, writing is a strange and solitary process: he reflects on the rhythm of prose and reads his latest “selkie” or seal-folk song.

Norman has been etching and painting for seven decades, with a focus on the British landscape - from the south of England to the most northerly parts of Scotland. His works are in the collections of leading museums and galleries around the world. 

Robert has written widely about the natural world: his book The Old Ways is a best-selling exploration of Britain's ancient paths. In 2017 he published The Lost Words, a collaboration with the artist Jackie Morris, in which they aimed to bring nearby nature – the animals, trees and plants from our landscapes – back into the lives and stories of Britain’s children.

Producer  Clare Walker

Only Artists: Series 6

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Series in which two artists discuss creative questions.

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Only Artists

Series 6

Norman Ackroyd meets Robert Macfarlane

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