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Your Art, Unlocked

Your Art, Unlocked

by Art UK

Season 2

John Duncan Fergusson’s whirling nudes at the Hunterian, Glasgow

In this episode of Your Art, Unlocked, writer and broadcaster Damian Barr visits the Hunterian in Glasgow to unlock a very large and very naked painting by Scottish painter John Duncan Fergusson. Join Damian as he gets to grips with Fergusson's six dancing figures and listen to Anne Dulau, Art Curator at the Hunterian, tell us about the influence of Paris on this famous Scottish Colourist. But more importantly, find out how many bums you can fit in one picture! This is your art in your museums and galleries, so let's get to know it a little better. Your Art, Unlocked is produced by Art UK and supported by Bloomberg Connects. Sound editor: Chris Sharp

Season 1

Matt Smith’s cheeky ceramic at the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool

In this episode of Your Art, Unlocked, arts educator, learning officer and curator Jon Sleigh visits the Walker Art Gallery to unlock a cheeky ceramic piece by Matt Smith. Two figures are linked together, one wearing a dress and one trousers. But look closely and you'll see that they are both sporting the most indulgent mutton chop sideburns! The two figures are in fact male presenting – the work was made to mark the 2013 UK marriage equality act. Jon talks to Matt about queer representation and his love of camp, while Charlotte Keenan, Head of the Walker Art Gallery, explains how Matt's work prompted her to radically rethink the Walker's own collection. This is your art in your museums and galleries, so let's get to know it a little better. Your Art, Unlocked is produced by Art UK and supported by Bloomberg Connects. Sound editor: Chris Sharp

Megan Watts Hughes’ Voice Figures at Cyfarthfa Castle Museum and Art Gallery

In this episode of Your Art, Unlocked, curator, facilitator and artist support worker, Steph Roberts visits Cyfarthfa Castle Museum and Art Gallery in Merthyr Tydfil to unlock an unusual series of visual sound works by singer and scientist Megan Watts Hughes. Megan’s ‘Voice Figures’ were made in the nineteenth century using glass plates, powders and coloured pastes. But the secret ingredient? The human voice. In her quest to discover more about these pioneering works, Steph talks to Rob Mullender Ross about how Megan recorded her voice, while contemporary sound artist Cheryl Beer reveals the impact the Voice Figures has had on her own work. At Cyfarthfa, Michelle Lewis details how these fragile works entered the collection. So what does the human voice look like? Let’s find out! This is your art in your museums and galleries, so let's get to know it a little better. Your Art, Unlocked is produced by Art UK and supported by Bloomberg Connects. Sound editor: Chris Sharp

Lynette Yiadom-Boakye's enigmatic portrait at The Box Plymouth

In this episode of Your Art, Unlocked, arts journalist and writer Precious Adesina unlocks a quietly subversive work by British painter Lynette Yiadom-Boakye. Against a loosely painted background, a woman in a green jumper looks away from the viewer. Who is she and why isn’t she looking at us? Hear Precious explain how Lynette’s paintings are based on fictional figures, and listen to Rhys Morgan, curator at The Box, tell us about how this work fits into a wider history of portraiture. What's more, find out how Lynette's spontaneous approach is inspired by the improvisational rhythm of jazz. This is your art in your museums and galleries, so let's get to know it a little better. Your Art, Unlocked is produced by Art UK and supported by Bloomberg Connects. Sound editor: Chris Sharp

F. E. McWilliam's Chocolate Soldier at F. E. McWilliam Gallery and Studio

In this episode of Your Art, Unlocked, art dealer and art historian Dickon Hall visits the F. E. McWilliam Gallery and Studio in Banbridge, Northern Ireland, to unlock a surreal, headless sculpture by Frederick Edward McWilliam. As curator Dr Riann Coulter explains, McWilliam used many found objects in his work, including things we might think of as rubbish. Chocolate Soldier (1977) was in fact cast from the insides of a chocolate box, so this is no ordinary military figure. What does an old chocolate box have to do with art? Quite a lot actually! This is your art in your museums and galleries, so let's get to know it a little better. Your Art, Unlocked is produced by Art UK and supported by Bloomberg Connects. Sound editor: Chris Sharp

Donald Urquhart’s Scottish alphabet at Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums

In this episode of Your Art, Unlocked, writer and lecturer Shane Strachan unlocks a playful print by Scottish artist Donald Urquhart in the collection of Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums. Taking the form of an alphabet, the work challenges us to think about what or who represents Scotland – the Loch Ness Monster perhaps, or Irn Bru and Sean Connery? Hear from Griffin Coe, Art Curator at Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums, who tells Shane not to be fooled by the simplicity of an Urquhart print – there’s a lot of personality and wit hiding inside! This is your art in your museums and galleries, so let's get to know it a little better. Your Art, Unlocked is produced by Art UK and supported by Bloomberg Connects. Sound editor: Chris Sharp

Jann Haworth's soft sculpture at Wolverhampton Art Gallery

In this episode of Your Art, Unlocked, writer and curator Ruth Millington visits Wolverhampton Art Gallery to unlock a curious work by the American artist Jann Haworth. Hear Ruth talk to Jann about soft sculpture and sexism, and listen to senior curator Sanna Moore explain the importance of this 1962 work to Wolverhampton's unrivalled Pop art collection. But more importantly, find out what donuts have to do with modern art… This is your art in your museums and galleries, so let's get to know it a little better. Your Art, Unlocked is produced by Art UK and supported by Bloomberg Connects. Sound editor: Chris Sharp

Your Art, Unlocked: Trailer

What’s a soft sculpture? How do you make art using your voice? And do you need to paint a real person for it to count as a portrait? Find out in Your Art, Unlocked, a new podcast that brings to life some unexpected objects in museum collections. Join our six hosts as they visit the UK’s museums and galleries to unlock some surprising art treasures. This is your art in your museums and galleries, so let’s get to know it a little better. Your Art, Unlocked is produced by Art UK, the online home of the UK’s public art collection. This podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform that provides access to over 1,300 museums, galleries and cultural spaces around the world.