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Front Row: Front Row: The Blue Edition

02/04/2021

Front Row: The Blue Edition

BBC Radio 4 - Front Row, Front Row: The Blue Edition

An exploration of the colour blue in contemporary culture.

Tonight's Front Row is a blue odyssey as we explore the confluences and the contradictions surrounding the use of the colour blue in contemporary culture.

Tonight's Font Row is a blue odyssey led by John Wilson as he talks to:

Dr Narayan Khandekar, Director of the Forbes Pigment Collection and one of the first people in the world to recognise the significance of the accidental creation of new pigment, YInMn Blue;

Artist Idris Khan is known for the use of blue in his work.  He accepted Front Row's invitation to play with the newest blue pigment on the block.  Idris Khan's work can be seen online as part of a group show at Victoria Miro, themed around the colour blue. The exhibition is called The Sky Was Blue the Sea Was Blue and the Boy Was Blue and runs until the end of April.  Idris’s solo show, The Seasons Turn, will mark the reopening of the Victoria Miro gallery to the public, on April 13. His show runs until 15 May;

Science journalist Kai Kupferschmidt who has written a new book, Blue: In Search of Nature's Rarest Colour which will be published in the UK in June;

Architect Huang Wenjing who has designed a new blue building - the Pinghe Bibliotheater - in Shanghai;

Saxophonist and composer Branford Marsalis who has written the blues soundtrack for the new film Ma Rainey's Black Bottom which can be seen on Netflix;

and Colourist Jodie Davidson on the significance of blue when telling stories on the big and small screen.

Presenter: John Wilson
Studio Manager: Sue Maillot
Producer: Ekene Akalawu

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