Chance to ask them any question you like might be causing you. A video. On to scotland theres a famous scene in the orson welles classic. Where his character to flick italy under the turmoil of the 30 years. Leonardo da vinci and. 500 years of brotherly love and produced cook thats going to have to be run by the boys but has been moving through. The key point. Of change and. Alex is in conversation with the one. General welcome to the alex salmon show great to speak to you great to speak to you now im looking at you who said you seem to have a pretty fair enough to stick set up that we do use that your home is your youre made studio of wives out work and this was the hostess create a big decision we we moved to this and this and hosts a 1000 years ago as part of a plan b. Sickly to try to get me effectively opened the gallery system we decided we were going to train maybe do it differently omer not a to do the famous piece so ive got a huge should you up at the back of the garden and what we do is we used as hosts twice a year we have a formal exhibition here. Where we as invitation only there were basically people who were interested in my work are able to come and see the paintings and the beauty of that as ive discovered is that the scene the war within the context of a home rather than a and a galley space which i always feel was a bit awkward people can come normally not just what theyre enormously on an ongoing basis. And theres a good selection of everything i do. All of the videos different facets of what looks good examples of just. Them on display really all the same does what i believe in quarantine the uniform theyre just bite from from a spade im wondering if we discount the global tragedy for a 2nd as as law for you soft of a plastic udev or is that a benefit of being able to get peace and quiet to go mia your painting or are you like so many professors fighting the whole thing a bit a bit difficult and challenging so you would imagine the lot during would have been a dream come true but the truth of it for me was i really struggled a really struggled sort upson all of the. Other inputs all of the other stimulation i phone to the the get up in the morning go to the studio a phone and a phone heart and i actually have. Probably many people that it forced me in the way and i had to ask soliloquy hard questions. Why am i am if this isnt a dream come true. What am i as an artist. What was that it was an odd experience. As a consequence why i was able to do is to really use that same as it said to dig deep and what i did was a pushed into any area in trying to get some tame and not been working with sculpture of the market 3 dimensions i dont need a couple of what i think are really quite a short piece saw so thats been distorted locked on for me the painting i cant do it every day i can do all day every day i can just. Exhausts me so have an extra facet by extra thing that i could go to that was the thing that the balanced equation for me was lets talk about there been started that as a painter i mean for scott my generation and i dont think i was particularly lucky either fell the subjects like art or music for that matter got any sense of priority at school maybe a bit i was just one unlucky but all things so it was a unix period and argue be the teacher yourself of course things change you know as a binocular revolution to to put these these subjects farther forward than the chemical im sure think in the i think this is a difficult one when it comes to teaching art because you go you asked the question what is it youre teaching. And i suppose i could answer that by telling your story of why i was the head of artisanal which is College EnglishSchool Private school very academic and i argued the case successfully. Art and music were an essential part an absolutely essential part of any any person any Young Persons school experience. The college went west but and they committed some some tame some money and all it means to go to a department so we really kicked about our revolution isnt our wishes we taught one still to be taught to hold the pencil besley hold the brush up we mix the pin up that we do this then do that then do this and injured us and it was astonishing with then theres a generation of kids lunatic a few years from its no worked at what we were doing but that our generation of kids and their future were watching us and that we know what it should is like the old draw every single one of the mess whole nonsense of well shes good r. And he hasnt. We tripped up our completely with the re train it. Everybody can can can obtain the huns cokes no that isnt the same at the end of the day as as being an artist you need that extra element and who do you. See that thats another question completely but always course aleisha good 100 skills unless you have some means to express just. The key its a. Lot that we novices caught in this produced great artist great musicians but it wouldnt have been the obvious career choice for a working class liar didnt settle scotland in the seventies and eighties when or what did you put in what was the reaction from your dad the the buttons hosts hold when you came home and said look the same geneva stuff no what im off to go has a good college of art but commit yourself what if you can sass the opposite that stuff would have been the worst engineer in the wont couldnt get mad at the for the force to mollify understood a lot of different brains there was in a room full of people who were open ordering him and that a lot of the stuff i just couldnt get or so i should i apply with telling my parents 1st. Syria the planning architect them planning up their Gloucester School and go except its. And when back in said some i died i think it must be true that its one that makes house of his life that i dont mess with really speaking to him and he actually said or not thats an acceptance you dont do turning country turning he said this is a big school fight like you quit your school and it was like a a bomb going off in the head of the rope. So race to get a portfolio together and was accepted by the team. Was almost through our school hours thoroughly disillusioned us to buy the whole thing so i wanted to be a costar i i decided. Being smushing and enjoyed a book. The room for me was music and deborah came in our school had a record deal and try really hard up for a way of of the name of your band old goodness here we go a band called volley and the week of wonder whats the greatest band never to comerica law school. And i mean isnt band actually. Just to say that your style janet was for example would be cane of the creek and she quietly and quick or spoke. Very guitar based and open to towards the end of the tale almost towards a can of americana. As a sig a good one for st in m. Recounts. And just didnt get it reeks basically we were having a good 1st open. Which was a shame its a shame your new book which ive seen which occasionally sent mia a copy off. Bombs that the ultimate table top of i mean. The people doing interviews disincentives all over the world to do what that on the on the camera shot. To death of a. That is. So that the book well be this is something ive been trying to put together for for many years as a result exercise to rate yourself similar to biographical on a lot information came from me and basically was reshaped by our wonderful rates will go coaching great. But its a bizarre new exercise youve got you always think of yourself and d in the pearson moment did you know. Thats nest guy what did you do name with it too and then what happens. Is at the point were i in terms of my my work in terms of literally or there should be a trigger work and actually this is something that probably should harkens many years ago and it is the last game until a moment just over a year ago an introduction. A Company Called bill and then in glasgow. And the moneys in people and basically almost on the sport the sedes will do it for you and if i what they said was real definitely. Leave you to us as a career hype christie jj project for them so as you see it will produce the best up salute the beautiful beautiful. Highest quality paper quality everything i said so its a statement is a statement of the in my 15th year this is where i am as an artist. And then traditionally actually even since that was published mentioned to the sculptures that as a next chapter so thats the way i feel a bit at a 2nd elaine or the sunday thats not what it was about the most evil happens next one jerk to embalm say he was thinking about himself as if he was deep i should say that means as if he was dead for the fields i dont know what all based nor deep all day it is very much alive and when you join us after the break were going to go through some of the themes of mott the work of one of scotlands most famous office. Knew that the belleville it is near the city really can surely. Take you just be suitably. To it. Without a supposed home you know distressed by something that. You know none of us could be amenable episodes didnt go to scene just you cure the disease the slayer during your force where you could be near mushed up mr with not threats about spit id be doing was more than 6 pm and then in the. Stadia cruel. Shows to serve as a script. For you to post here to post to or to move to will. Kick your butt is. Ringback what weve got to do is identify the threats that we have its crazy confront cation let it be an arms race based on often scary Dramatic Development the only really im going to resist i dont see how that strategy will be successful very critical time time to sit down and talk. Welcome back in this special Program Marking to fix anniversary of the Scottish Independence referendum i like to think conversation with top scottish artists get it going. General you know after youre spell teacher good and you got into being not easily because these things are easy but but a good to be a very notable and successful artist know some good manly paintings were just the. Themes that i rode in the salt out of the National Flag of scotland who was your inspiration and what were the ones that you know major name as an artist the saltire this is a theme which is which is and what works well and truly in my work but i remember the very 1st one that i made and up the last of the things he called the rodent. Which youll know will excuse should equate to the view of the violin was a painting ended up in my office when i was 1st minister of scotland because i hope to see it to a race course but theres a really interesting story behind the paper going to go tell it tell it when asked you know why this old timer. When i meet a painting i would probably just escape myself as being a political it wasnt intended to be a click statement basically. A lot of the solitaire because im scottish and as an artist you little it same for things that hold your illusion for that thing that catches your eye again and again and if you had a window in the world but ever so photographs the souls have just. So for me it was almost a case of can you believe i can believe anybody as people are doing something with us so i decided i would make a spec painting with the whole tale so felt almost 80 percent of the canvas the crew in contemporary culture has quite a glossy. Connotation quick dark connotation but in pictish culture because of this so that the cool leaks that crop crop which a lot since c. R. T. s literally means hawk or to morrow so what youve got has that our leaders with an appeal to people see in the cold meat initially think theres something quite sinister but when you unpack it and when you tie in with the graffiti on the wall it takes on a completely new meaning that talk was intended there for fidelity and as a city youve got different generations within it and these are all elements in my paintings make pins in quick child of explored as of going on but in the road and it was the very forced paymah used to feed it and it was probably the very 1st thing a used an animal or bird with a symbolic d element was without intention so that i was basically a paid thing about hope which is why i saw. Another 50000000 air live up what religious themes have been you know the famous canvas of st john ogilvy for example a fact of war with your own past and of religion and that expression of your art. I think im always drawn to stories and i was brought up. A catholic a very religious boy and. As a young adult i would have defamed myself of the logistics and my religious beliefs have changed. Fief said johnny at this point in the johnnie i can all go home to. The things that i believed when i was a younger man and thats the best there i can see the story of john over this as his death who won so i decided to take but it was p. T. To go on a plane to school. To the point where the young man a boy makes quite clear different quick difficult decision and thus life choice to pick this up point at which he made a decision to become a religious person in which they were going to shape the rest of his life familiar religious paintings edu present religious figures historical figures at a modern setting so that was a deliberate choice of words and the figures would be recognisable from biblical stories or for the john ogilvy. Catholic mater in scotland they they are presented that in modern day as a font of ordinary people. I was fastened fascinated by the aspect of the obvious a deliberate choice of yours and contrasting for example were full of its gotta be the house and present his religious figures very much were fatal back in the real or some of that they would be you present them in modern settings what part of course of the game behind it change the context you change the story is received. There are a number of paintings. On the theme of the deposition christine to condone from the tourists. And other thats nuts and quite seriously negative reactions to these things because almost and some respects trigger is actually us thats who can you depict traced when. We think about the story im in full groups and appear 0 in on these these people and it becomes almost romantic trace being taken to improve the choice being taken to the tune the iset 1st seems to already in the streets of classical and youve got theories mates basically that money has to go order the body and the hook limits the streets the glasgow that changes the nuggets of profoundly so we International Prominence and what youre left with is the role the brutality. Doeuvre youre known as an outstanding portrait artist and one of your straight exhibitions was in the the calm of games and in glasgow in 2014 where youre in 14 portraits of of various paths now it is your 14 for 14 as it were. But i was lucky enough to be to be in that exhibition but i was also tested by the settings you gave some people could tell us about. The real lennon the celtic manager because some of the background there and some of that the spirit of leather them to that and to that picture and of course have the a celtic support yourself so when bigley hardship persons were painted with celtic manager and. It was a complex character and in fact. Possibly of all the paintings are made not still remains one of the most controversial you help this man standing straight to camera are surrounded by this this maelstrom over defeated which one should understand all of it is there isnt probably milam still is the only one who can really unpack it because this was just most often the hour when she understand all those leaders you get some sense of the man and the one or a few more recent very famous portraits of other sporting heroes scott with the dirty were which has caused a something of a sensation when the thought his own personal battles been featured on this on this program is very very much iconic forgotten skull tell us about that painter gosh thats just the most wonderful eyes to me until he was even thinking about it. Opportunities present themselves as a slightly convoluted story but basically i offered to make a painting of dorothy. To help to raise funds for his show nation i think thought he was a bit nervous uproot the idea initially all that confidence the radiates from it would be surprised to know that its theres about a front there i think he was quite nervous about it. When did to me on. And the idea was that we were we would take the painting as a big big fundraising event in hong kong and my idea was that if we meet this painting and we get rate will quote fund it will quote fund and hold call and basically were trying recent money so i went to meet doherty and he had really nor no idea of war be doing what is the portrait until so i had to kill him what i got was this amazing series of images of this this incredible man st tacoma and you can see in the quarter you see the picture painted i think in his eyes and you can see a fear that more than anything because of the cause you can see his. Store system is sickly. Short of park with a gorgeous soft borders landscape. I think its one of the strongest paintings ever made up and im going alone myself to be a weaver. I think we did that for the rate reason we raised a fortune and the reached 150000 pounds i think and sort of pins and and of course the bodies battle the famine the capture of the hearts of the nation and the rugby world an internationally a good lot of the. Latest team of noticed in your work is of a bally versus uprising the part of some amazing sort of behind the scenes portrait corps was behind the latest feed more for of your work. Ive been working with done source for years on officially. Ballet dancers and a tech killer of our most amazing teachers. If you want if you will by the way your soap opera do you know how you look you have a nose going stand a state a few belly dancers they are just remarkable i got to go backstage for the rehearsal of d a poly contraries just thinking mark willacy i may get something and it just absolutely blew me away and what i discovered to my amazement is im not really interested in the dunstan. More im interested in is that moment before the layoffs that slickly wway restitch looking from teach and in most cases beyond a dancer who is just a bit to go on and perform and actually did something on radio scotland christensen a sylph where we spoke about the pins hes been fascinating and different perspectives he spoke about that he got that completely he spoke to our former beast he talked to group the brutality of the performance piece the white horse keep up the performance based produce its role at my cheek its full of grace for a dancer its brutal tell above in your 2 birthing success though in your career your paintings have in the galleries the National Galleries and scotland but let me take you back to st aloysius when youre a teacher now lets just say for the sake of argument one of the boys or girls came along and said please tell him im thinking of a become an artist what would you say to that youngster now. Whats your joke how do you get to come in your whole. Practice. Practice practice practice tell bardens what is called the greatest artist thank you so much for joining me on the alexander show my pleasure. Rather than a conventional cliff today we thought we would end this special show when scotland would have to be upright get it started according artists trying just to find not a place to fight with what some people consider to be the most beautiful love song ever written robert burns is a point. On. The. New gold rush is underway and going to thousands of ill equipped workers off flocking to the gold fields hoping to strike it rich is a book. That yoko i suppose. Children are torn between gold. My family was very poor i thought i was doing my best to get back to school which side will have the strongest appeal. Very mechanism some plasticity that enables threats to get under the skin and to have any negative effect on our mind in our body those same very mechanisms can be harnessed for the good to promote resilience to promote flourishing. Is your media a reflection of reality. In a world transformed. What will make you feel safe from. Thyssen nation community. Are you going the right way or are you being led. Direct. What is true what is faith. In a world corrupted you need to descend. To join us in the depths. Or a made in the shallowness. Seem wrong. All just all. But yet to shape out these days to come to advocate and engagement equals betrayal. When so many find themselves worlds apart. Just a look for common ground. The European Union adopts a resolution urging tougher sanctions on russia over what happened. U. S. Troops die. American president ial hopeful joe biden fails to recall the country he infamously helped to send the military into 2003. 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