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10 July 2009
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Robert Hughes against the Manhattan skyline
  THE NEW SHOCK OF THE NEW
Friday 30 July 2004 9.30pm-10.30pm
 
 

Twenty-five years ago the renowned art critic Robert Hughes made The Shock of the New, a landmark television series that examined the key cultural movement of the 20th Century. Now he's back to look at more recent work and to question whether modern art can still be shocking in its originality and understanding.

 The Shock of the New: See the original series

In an age of media saturation it's perhaps even harder to tell what is good art and what is bad; but Hughes cuts through the marketing and the hype to reveal the art that is vital and will last; the art which defines the times in which we live.

In a film which features interviews with David Hockney, Paula Rego, Jeff Koons and Sean Scully, Robert Hughes makes the case that painting, drawing, and the search for beauty matter more than ever before.

Previous documentaries on BBC Four

 
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THE SHOCK
OF THE NEW

BBC Four: 8 July - 29 July
See the original series
Robert Hughes

 ART & THE SIXTIES
Major new series on BBC Four

 ART SAFARI
Another chance to see Ben Lewis' excellent series on contemporary art

Further Links

Paula Rego
Listen to an audio interview with the Portuguese-born British painter

Jeff Koons
Article on the 'King of Kitsch' from bbc.co.uk/news

Robert Hughes Interview
Detailed interview on salon.com from 1997

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