15 minutes of exploring hundreds of years of art history at a time in James Payne’s “Explanation of the Great Art”

The art world is full of persistent myths and associations, some based on prevailing socio-economic factors. For example, historically, wealthy customers have been one of the few systems that benefit from exclusive and elitist. Whether we are talking about the rich Romans, the Medici family of the Florentine Renaissance, countless kings and queens, or the major art collectors today, most importantly, money is most often. For many, this is a reliable barrier to entry.

Another term that is thrown away in large quantities is “gatekeeper.” Gallery, art dealer, museum curator, scholar, publisher, etc., serve as tastemakers and evaluators, establishing (or not) often determines which artworks end up in public institutions, which ultimately attract attention, or displaying which works of private collection artists are destined to join. By definition, gatekeeping is the act of monitoring who “enters” and strengthens the notion of exclusivity. In short, it describes many potential obstacles.

So if history has been indulging in the realm of the rich or feeling like scholars and intellectuals, how can it be made more accessible? That’s what James Payne, a curator, gallerist, educator and self-described passionate art lover, does in the great art.

He said the video series began with the May 2020 pandemic, with a simple premise that “great art can be explained clearly and clearly in 15 minutes.” Payne’s YouTube channel records precise works of art throughout the century, focusing mainly on European and American art textbooks Titans by Marcel Duchamp, Sandro Botticelli, Georgia O’Keeffe, Jackson Pollock, Johannes Vermeer, Vermeer, Salvador Dalí and others.

Payne distiles the story of the iconic work into 15-minute explanations, entering some of the most groundbreaking moments in art history. Recent videos highlight turning points in American art through shots of Jackson Pollock’s splash paintings, including the footage of Jackson Pollock painted on the floor of a Long Island Barn in 1950.

Pollock’s approach, lifestyle, and perspectives have long been polarized, but he is known for avoiding traditional brushes (actually by pouring in, dripping water and applying paint to canvases). Not only that, he removed the substrate from the wall and placed it on the floor, with challenging forms and precious ideas. There was even a discarded cigarette and some rogue insects stuck to the surface permanently.

“January 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist)” and similar works were an artistic breakthrough for Pollock during that time, which once embodied the myth of loneliness, troubled, troubled, so-called “cowboy painter”. (He was born in Cody, Wyoming, and was known to drink; he died in an alcohol-related car accident in 1956.) This period also stimulated the abstract expressionist movement in New York City and marked a huge change in our appreciation of what we can achieve in painting.

Payne is interested in these pioneering moments, but he emphasizes the release of “talking art” and bringing us closer to important works of art through mini documentary formats. He releases a new video every month, plus a sub-series called Great Art Cities, which is a city that works with travel writer Joanne Shurvell to highlight various destinations.

“Sometimes the artwork is a springboard for other broader issues I want to explore, and sometimes it’s a simple exploration of technology and meaning,” Payne said. “For me, setting the work in the context helps us appreciate them more.”

Payne’s work is supported by Patreon. Great art explains The book is scheduled to be released from the Thames and Hudson later this year. For the literature fans among us, he also ran another YouTube channel in a similar language called “Great Books.” (via Kottke)