Brian Sewell

Brian Sewell (born 15 July 1931) [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4159/is_20030928/ai_n12745922 A Life In Full: Nothing if not critical] , by Andrew Barrow, "The Independent on Sunday", September 28, 2003] is a British art critic. He writes for the "Evening Standard" and is noted for his artistic conservatism, as well as the acerbic reviews he writes regarding the Turner Prize and conceptual art.

Early life

His father, a composer, committed suicide before he was born. [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1641132,00.html 'We pee on things and call it art'] , by Rachel Cooke, "The Observer", November 13, 2005] Sewell was born and raised in Kensington, London, attended Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School (to which he has referred as "bloody fucking Haberdashers'"), and then the Courtauld Institute of Art, where he was tutored by Anthony Blunt and became his friend as a result. Sewell graduated in 1957, and worked at Christie's auction house, specialising in Old Master paintings and drawings. After leaving Christie's he became a successful art dealer. He did his National Service in the Royal Army Service Corps, in which he was commissioned. He has since been a regular commentator on the ITV series "Bad Lad's Army", giving some insight as to what 1950's military was like.

Art criticism

In 1984 he became the art critic of the "Evening Standard" (replacing "avant-garde" critic Richard Cork), in which post he has won many press awards, including Critic of the Year in 1988, Arts Journalist of the Year in 1994, the Hawthornden Prize for Art Criticism in 1995 and the Foreign Press Award (Arts) in 2000. In April 2003 he was awarded "The George Orwell" prize for his political/current affairs column in the "Evening Standard". In his criticisms of the Tate Gallery's art, he coined the phrase, the "Serota Tendency", after its director Nicholas Serota. It was not until the late 1990s that he became a household media figure through his appearances on television, though he had some exposure on BBC Radio 4 before this date.

Sewell is noted for his somewhat formal, old-fashioned diction and anti-populist sentiments. He offended people in Gateshead by claiming an exhibition was too important to be held only at the town's Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and should be shown to "more sophisticated" audiences in London; he has also disparaged Liverpool as a cultural city.fact|date=October 2008

Sewell's attitude towards female artists has been controversial. In July, 2008 he was quoted in The Independent as saying:

"The art market is not sexist. The likes of Bridget Riley and Louise Bourgeois are of the second and third rank. There has never been a first-rank woman artist. Only men are capable of aesthetic greatness. Women make up 50 per cent or more of classes at art school. Yet they fade away in their late 20s or 30s. Maybe it's something to do with bearing children." [ [http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art-and-architecture/features/theres-never-been-a-great-woman-artist-860865.html "There's never been a great woman artist"] , The Independent - Sunday, 6 July 2008.]

Television

In 2003, Brian Sewell made a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, as a travelogue-cum-architectural criticism documentary called "The Naked Pilgrim", produced by Wag TV for Channel 5. Although he has not practised the religion for several decades, Sewell still considers himself to be a member of the Roman Catholic Church, prompting an emotional response to the faith of pilgrims in Lourdes. The series attracted large audiences and won the prestigious Sandford St. Martin Trust award for Best Religious Programme. [ [http://www.five.tv/aboutfive/press/pressreleases/20040510_nakedpilgrim/ five's naked pilgrim wins award] ] Following the success of the "The Naked Pilgrim" Sewell was given presenting duties on two more series for Channel 5: "Brian Sewell's Phantoms & Shadows: 100 Years of Rolls Royce" which aired in 2004 and "Brian Sewell's Grand Tour", which aired 2006.

In "Dirty Dalí: A Private View" broadcast on Channel 4 on 3 June 2007, Sewell described his acquaintance with Salvador Dalí in the late 1960s, which included lying down in the foetal position without trousers in the armpit of a figure of Christ and masturbating for Dalí who pretended to take photos while fumbling in his trousers.cite web |url=http://living.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=869862007 |date=2007-06-04 |title=Dali's surreal world of orgies and onanism |first=Paul |last=Whitelaw |accessdate=2007-07-19 |work=The Scotsman] cite web |title= The Dali I knew |url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/arts/article-23398918-details/The+Dali+I+knew/article.do |first=Brian |last=Sewell |work=ThisIsLondon.co.uk |date=2007-06-04 |accessdate=2007-07-19]

Sewell has also appeared twice as panellist on the BBC's satirical news quiz "Have I Got News For You?" and more recently he tried to teach cricketer Phil Tufnell about art in ITV's programme "Don't Call Me Stupid".

He acted as Big Brother during 2008's "". [Kilkelly, Daniel [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/bigbrothercelebrityhijack/a82175/big-brothers-celebrity-hijackers-revealed.html "Big Brother's Celebrity Hijackers revealed"] , digitalspy.co.uk, 22 December 2007. Retrieved 24 December 2007]

He was also the voice of Sir Kiftsgate in an episode of the children's cartoon "The Big Knights".

Currently, on Voom HD Network's Art Channel: Gallery HD, Brian Sewell has a show called "Brian Sewell's Grand Tour" where he tours beautiful cities (primarily in Italy) visiting museums, towns, churches, historic sights, public squares, monuments, profound archetictural spots while occasionally meeting with a local to discuss and share intellect on culture and art. Throughout the hour long show, Brian offers his expertise and intellectual insights with his sometimes bittersweet and facetious humor. During these narrative travels, Sewell historically reflects back to the 18th century giving viewers the perspective of what it would have been like as a 'Grand Tourist'. Then, inevitably, he unravels his insights back to real time elaborating on what has become of these sights, for better or for worse, what has been preserved and/or lost throughout history.

Television credits

Other activities

Sewell is a museum adviser in South Africa, Germany and the United States. He is also patron of the British charity NORM-UK which raises awareness of circumcision and other forms of surgical alteration of the genitals. From August 2006, Sewell has provided the tongue-in-cheek voice-over for television advertisements for Apetina brand Feta cheese, the "conceit" being that the salads on which the cheese is used are works of art.

Brian Sewell is also a noted aficionado of classic automobiles, a fan of stock car racing and over several decades has written extensively about cars, classic and contemporary, in the "Evening Standard" and elsewhere. In both his TV series, on the pilgrimage to Santiago and the Grand Tour ("supra"), he drove his venerable Mercedes-Benz 560 SEC coupe.

Personal life

In a television programme broadcast on Channel 4 on 24 July 2007, [cite web
url=http://www.channel4.com/culture/microsites/0-9/40_years_on/how-gay-sex-changed-the-world.html
title=40 Years On
publisher=Channel 4
date=2007-07-24
accessdate=2008-01-26] marking the 40th anniversary of the passing of the Sexual Offences Act 1967, Brian Sewell said, "I never came out... but I have slowly emerged".cite web |title=How Gay Sex Changed the World |first=Alison |last=Graham |accessdate=2007-07-19 |work=Radio Times |url=http://www.radiotimes.com/ListingsServlet?event=10&channelId=132&programmeId=63613076&jspLocation=/jsp/prog_details.jsp] He has 'describe [d] the homosexual condition as an "affliction" and a "disability" and [told] readers, "no homosexual has ever chosen this sexual compulsion"'. He has been perceived by some commentators as 'violently homophobic'. In the first episode of the "The Naked Pilgrim" Sewell alluded to the loss of his virginity at the hands of a 60 year old French woman "who knew what she was doing and was determined."; Sewell was 20 at the time.

In an interview for "That's Mad" website, Sewell revealed that he suffers from depression, and as a cure usually just sleeps for a long time during the more severe phases. [ [http://mccooke.blogspot.com/2007/11/is-brian-sewell-actually-best-thing-on.html That's Mad: Is Brian Sewell the Best Thing on Television? ] ]

John Humphrys, in his book "Lost for Words", writes "They (people who deliberately speak 'poshly') try to speak like the Queen or even Brian Sewell, the only man I have ever met who makes the Queen sound common."

ee also

*David Lee
*Adrian Searle
*Louisa Buck
*Sarah Kent
*Waldemar Januszczak
*Matthew Collings

Notes and references