The Shock of the New - Ep 1 - The Mechanical Paradise

[@artconsciousness]

If you are an artist, either amateur or professional, or even if you are just art interested, this series is obligatory watching. Robert Hughes is a greatly missed force of good in the world of art.

[@madamedellaporte4214]

Indeed. What would he say about the state of the at scene today?

[@yugsnave1]

​@@madamedellaporte4214 he did a follow up programme or series even surveying contemporary art. He also visited David Hockney in his studio.

[@yugsnave1]

​@@madamedellaporte4214 here's his take on contemporary art... kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4G4gGl8Yp2jZ9E

[@dfwdfw9544]

Honestly I find him mediocre at best

[@mrgone7613]

@@dfwdfw9544Of course you do…

[@EyeLean5280]

I remember when this first aired. I was in my mid teens and this was the first TV series I committed myself to watching on my own. I kept mindful of the days it was on and made sure to see every episode. It made me feel very grown up. I learned a lot, too.

[@YHCho-xl9gh]

EyeLean5280 whoever you are, you are my intellectual twin. I was spellbound, too, and this show opened the world of modern culture to my adolescent eyes

[@hykkoh]

Me too

[@jimjones2061]

I've watched numerous times.I still don't know why they play a piano with a vacuum cleaner.perverse adolescent novelty for the sake of novelty. Imho

[@YHCho-xl9gh]

You have done humankind a great service uploading this mythical series. The magnum opus of a truly important man - one of the very few deep, yet comprehensible, art critics of our time

[@WalterTonetto]

'The Fatal Shore' is his *magnum opus*, surely .... :-)

[@Palifiox]

While it is worth reading, I don't agree with it.

[@tomglenn485]

@@WalterTonetto And 'Things I never Knew' ... worth the read if only for Dame Melly Melba's 'critique' of Caruso.

[@MichaelFlynn0]

This show first watch 40 years ago transfixed me...It still does.

[@carrie82853]

Dear wanted robot, I can't thank you enough for uploading this series 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏❤

[@owlofminerva2564]

What is so good about this (and lacking these days) is that this is someone who is immensely knowledge but also happy to hold strong opinions: but he's not trying to persuade anyone to his point of view, or achieve a consensus. He doesn't care if you agree or disagree: he simply wants you to care. And yes, when I saw this in 1980 it changed my life for the better. And his despair at Jeff Koons is the most depressingly wonderful thing I've ever seen.

[@cliffdariff74]

Saw this in the 80s during college. The artists immediately became my heroes. Robert Huges is unmatched to this day.

[@user-lz6dm5lk9y]

Agreed. 🙂

[@jayburgh]

Thank you from the bottom of my bottomless heart for uploading this series wantedrobot!

[@johngraves6878]

So glad I found your posting as my VHS of the series is shot! Thank you, we love Robert Hughes over here and his bold commentary!

[@pamelaingold5601]

I remember this series when it first came out. So glad to see it again.

[@SomnathBhattacharjeewwe]

So lucky to have found this in this day and age. Thanks!

[@boristabareag3598]

The great adventure of modern art. It´s good to know this treasure has been saved for newest generations. Greetings from Mexico.

[@tayahs2796]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR POSTING THIS SERIES, IT REALLY HELPS IN MY ART EDUCATION CLASS

[@TomSuntotheMax]

If you want to understand the avant garde this is the series for you. Hughes was a stunning critic and his loss is immeasureable: there is no one to replace him at all.

[@mathewgreen4099]

Many thanks for posting this series. I haven't seen it in it's entirety since I was at art college 20 years ago.

[@hoopoe7429]

What an amazing Christmas present! I first saw this series at the National Festival of the Arts in Grahamstown, South Africa, from 1st to 9th July, 1988. Ever since then I have wanted to see the programmes again. Today, by sheer chance, I stumbled upon your KZbin site. Thank you! I am thrilled to at last be able to watch the series again.

[@KXKVIByron]

I saw this program in 1980 and loved it. I looked for a VHS copy for years in museum gift shops. Finally in the mid-90's an Alta Vista search showed a university library had a copy, and I was able to find the publisher. It was expensive, as it came with the right to show it to an audience. Heavily copy protected, though. This is much better! Thanks for posting!

[@TheDaddyO44]

Wonderful stuff. And some eerie 70s synth soundtracking too - it just doesn't get any better! :D

[@almightyrat]

Theme tune by Peter Howell who also worked on Doctor Who: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Howell_(musician)

[@bortstanson2034]

What a magnificent find when I pressed next whilst watching the fantastic The Ascent of Man

[@Dabberontour]

Landmark series, brilliantly presented. A masterpiece

[@ghall7894]

Still the best authority on the subject as far as tv is concerned. Even after 30 years.

[@notu9462]

to live today, and see the near past again is a pleasure. this is great.

[@SwordOfTheRaven]

These need to be remastered

[@Amphy002]

Add my thanks for posting these. I haven't seen it since it aired on the BBC. Imagine British TV commissioning anything like this now..

[@henrybyrne7265]

they do but its on bbc4 now

[@michaelbushell9828]

Txs KZbin I'm from Australia and have never seen b4 62yrs young 👍

[@spoonerbooner]

S of the N. has always been standard reading for my Fine Art courses. glad to know other tutors are here, pilfering Hughes mind for lesson ideas and references. well done that man.

[@gareth9862]

Absolutely brilliant! Thank you.

[@MonchoAldamiz-r9v]

Thank you very much for sharing this incredible series. I am learning loads and my visual art students really appreciate it.

[@hellyh6081]

Wonderful. Thank you so much for posting this.😊

[@ebbanjenkins5960]

I remember watching this at college aged 16..I failed my A level because tutor taught the wrong syllabus 😆 But really enjoyed series brings back some good memories too

[@ZadenZane]

39:46 that Futurist manifesto sounds hopelessly naïve🤪

[@RakuRadio]

14:20 "Cubism was like a small parody of the Imperial model." Robert Hughes, never pulling punches, 40 years ago.

[@alynames7171]

I had to check what year this was from when he said that and holy shit he is NOT FUCKING AROUND.

[@User.preference]

I've seen it years ago... - I'll enjoy it again... & I hope everyone will also benefit from it... '' LA DIVERSITE: C'EST LA SANTE!... " -

[@marcbrasse747]

I did not know this series until now. I Just stumbled over it. Beautiful! Full of worthwhile and wise comments. Take the last remark in episode 2 for instance. Such viewing points would however never be aired nowadays. It's like listening to a posh socialist. I love it! I also love Andrew Graham Dixons "The Art Of ..."" series and his viewpoints, although comparable in spirit, seem to be much more restrained. Many thanks for posting this!

[@perttiheinikko3780]

I just love the fact that there's very little music and sound effects here. So many documentaries have terribly noisy sound tracks these days.

[@realityisanalog]

thank you again for putting this together - !

[@CandeaBeeldend]

Thank you so much for posting these!

[@andrewbellavie795]

that bit on the cubist landscape was very interesting

[@rosezingleman5007]

Robert Hughes indelibly influenced me as an art historian and architect/engineer. His “way of seeing” was without equal. He makes Sir Kenneth Clarke seem like a dilettante. Now that AI is upon us in everything the examination of man’s “romance with the machine” seems very timely.

[@stevengill1736]

Yes - why I commented my wondering what these artists would have thought of AI art? I'm sure some, like Andy Warhol would have freaked out, but probably others would wonder about their carrier opportunities. What do you think? But 100% agree on the quality of these videos - it's the kind of thing that made one appreciate the BBC and public broadcasting in general. One 9f my childhood friend's parents watched this kind of stuff all the time & I'm forever grateful to them for helping me develop a taste for such things...

[@jamesony]

perfect for all my essay needs :D

[@wkenneth7916]

Thank you so much for uploading this. I was able to incorporate some of this information into the lesson I gave a few weeks ago.

[@SpaceLab-ei5sq]

Thanks for the uploads!!!

[@JohnAutry]

Thank You, Truly insightful, informing, and useful information. Presented flawlessly.

[@luckyman1071]

Satie, orchestrated from the original piano, question: Is anyone able to share a link/info to an orchestrated version of the Satie's "Pièces froides No. 2 Modestamente"? heard at about 21:27. Thanks in advance!

[@iang1119]

thank you very much for uploading

[@ilovepavement1]

really good series.

[@basicregisters]

Thank you!!!! Great! :)

[@michaeljudge5437]

This is a great public service.

[@tinnycringe]

as we get older we rely more on more on conventions. the shock of the new is what new art tends to be: shocking convention.

[@rollandaaronalexandealhobe5009]

..marinetti . ... .we turn now away, from futurists..to the past. Stone stillness, quietly dreaming, dreamed.. waiting.. .🐝.

[@vanishy0urself]

My understanding of modern art has changed, my low opinion of it has not. Epic synth music, though, the title theme is spellbinding. Looks like a very informative documentary -- thanks for the upload!

[@mileshall9235]

My, a real critic. A low opinion of all modern art. Genius. Congrats on that.

[@CharlesDickens111]

Myaaah!

[@communication001]

It's all a bit clever I agree. Clever is one of the worst insults. But if you view it as a niche joy for a few people, a bit like metal music, it becomes really interesting. Because you ask what Matthew Collings cleverly kept asking til it became his catch phrase, 'But is it any good.' If you don't like it then maybe you're right. If you learn a bit about it though,, some doors start opening but it's still a bit of a non-event. Soo for instance the conceptual art thing- that's all about the idea that really it's the concept that is the good bit in a work of art, so why not just have the concept. Nice idea, not the be all and end all of everything though is it. So john cage's three minutes thirty three seconds of silence is supposed to get us to listen to ambient sounds. But I wanted my art to actually have some art to it. It's not art. It's quite borign listening to ambient sounds quite quickly John and all your other art is basically about trying to get any human decision out of it whcih is also really borig. Heres a list of conceptual art I like. The concrete house by sarah lucas. The award to sarah lucas under threat of burning it by KLF for the worst bit of art. Tracy Emin's bed, as it holds the truth, the hrror of the dirty tampax (and sex rumpled bed clothes and alcohol and tissues). The bit where damien hurst put the organs in the preserved cow's body in a different order. Nothing else. I think, I suppose, that Martin What's is name's light turning on and off in a room is actually almost a finger pointing to the new thing, which is performance art. So I like it on that level.

[@samuelelsby1800]

Doesn't make sense..unless your understanding has changed by diminishing. Art is not just skilful craft but partly about ideas and a comment on the real world. Anyone who understands this (and this series explains the context of modern art better than any) must have a higher opinion of that art. No?

[@alynames7171]

No shit, he's criticizing the ideas!

[@moonriverdiver]

No subsequent art critic can match the eloquence and pizazz of Robert Hughes. A great writer too and not just on art (the Fatal Shore). Amazingly he was Australian-born and as I can attest it is not as if Sydney screenings of the great Exhibitions on Screen are well attended - although also available on DVD exhibitiononscreen.com/ and warmly recommended on many great artists, modernist or not.

[@bortstanson2034]

The Ascent of Man The World at War Civilisation The Shock of the New Status Anxiety -Alain De Botton Please add to this list

[@murat_yurttas]

This is so good!!

[@clemfitzsimmons685]

From what I can gather this is something of a treasure. Very cool and rare. That said, I have taken issue with this guy in particular for his garish and dismissive criticism of Jean Michel Basquiat. What many of these artists that he seems to admire and respect put forth was something of the new. Well, JMB was something of a force himself and what he deigned to do was to bring art to a group of people that had never experienced art before. That’s not only genius, but it’s something beyond that.

[@4-dman464]

Superb.

[@Psychokitten113]

very impressive

[@meaganmattaboni5313]

excellent :) could u possibly upload the shock of the new that was made in 2004? thanku :)

[@kennethbrady]

This is amazing. Thank you WantedRobot.

[@KTone3X9]

any chance you can send the entire series to me? much appreciated. thanks!

[@edgarbeat275]

21:25 What's that music piece? Its beautiful. I can't find it.

[@janeking9540]

I appreciate that Robert Hughes recognised that Picasso's access to African masks (which he so admired in formal and stylistic terms and which were an inspiration to him as he forged a new language); were a result of French + colonialism and notes that this would not have been an issue for Picasso. That picasso would not have been preoccupied by the origins of the mask's meaning. (I like to think he might have been but maybe not). The point I'm trying to make is that Robert Hughes had a very progressive and conscious attitude, demonstrated by his inclusion of this enlightened view in 1980.

[@stevengill1736]

I wonder what these artists would have thought of Imagen, Dall-E or stable diffusion or other text to image LLMs?

[@corrupt1238]

Thank you

[@krustopia1]

Is there a playlist for all the music in this show?

[@yugsnave1]

cheers so much for these uploads. just been watched whole series. amazing. btw the wonky/wobbly/jumpy camerawork/footage.. was that part of the original series 'look' or cos of dodgy vid playback, or transfer to digital? whatever is it it's really effective. jarring, disorientating, bizarrely 3-D esp in Ep 6 'the view from the edge'.

[@aliceturton5432]

yes! the wonky/wobble made me feel sicky

[@gerryarty8342]

GREAT THANK YOU :)

[@BlockMafiaOfficial]

I like the shock of the new

[@MoonSafariFilms]

Please turn off stabilization. It's causing weird motion artifacts. Thanks for uploading this great series though.

[@anoldprimate1941]

+FoundObjectFilms I think those weird motion artifacts are perfect this episode: the mechanical paradise indeed!

[@aliceturton5432]

@@anoldprimate1941 No!

[@craignunnallypurcell]

All good fun and part of the Modern understanding of today which the deployment of the James Webb satellite will shatter.

[@jeannerobin4187]

great video, but if anyone could help me, I'm looking for the musice from 35:00 to 36:08 thx in advance

[@kevinbeach8743]

David Perell sent me here.

[@limkhemara7085]

ខ្ញុំចូលចិត្តណាស់

[@FCuss]

Anyone else seeing a crazy similarity between the presenter and Gilderoy Lockhart??

[@ОкиТоки-в5э]

Привет! Классное видео! Здорово! Давайте дружить каналами :).

[@janisfroehlig7744]

"... the sports car of the dog world..." (44:08)

[@rollandaaronalexandealhobe5009]

..the windows need to open, like orange's. Let in light, let in life.🐝.

[@xavieralexander5805]

where my cput gang at?

[@bradford_shaun_murray]

43:56 sports car of the dog world.

[@monakw]

YES !

[@brotherkellymatthewbarnes8882]

This Video Is for Very educational purposes Exclusively, and with Great Intent.

[@dorianleakey]

Anyone recognise the music at 21:25?

[@AlexDeLarge77]

The analysis of the cubists was they engaged in cultural appropriation of African art, and had a fear of women based on the influence of the brothel. A Post modernist interpretation if ever there was one. I bought the book of the series during my degree at University. Always a point of reference; along with anything Johnathan Meads made.

[@geeknee551]

a cult classic.

[@michaelsweeney8229]

Demoiselles d'Avignon I would describe briefly as a provocative ugly picture. I can imagine gallery patrons saying "où se trouve la sortie?" (how do I get out of here?)

[@altonwashington]

PHLOTE WAS HERE

[@antoniofuturatiani74]

Ciao tutte, miei nome Antonio Alessandro Zeppo Michael Aniceto Futura Tiani. Mi piace Futurismo, Cubismo, Minimalismo, Surrealismo, Espressione astratta, Arte povera, Destructivismo e Constructivismo, Pop d'arte, Rennaissaince e Impressionisme. Ho completo 1,101 Composizione di musica incluso Rock e Elettronica e Posta Punca di più anche 974 Disegna di l'inchiostro su carta di più 74 Classici del musica avanta-guarda. Buon fortuna. Cose'e bene. Va bene e così via etcetera. Antonio Futura Tiani Jacqui Lucia. Ancoats Milesplatting N/Qtr M/cr 808 101 303 The Fall Acr Mcr Fx Gerald Ifach Trelik Pal Sl Futura 3000.

[@giudycat]

The keyword is 'mudurnity'

[@ongdjafebadivoc2958]

Not a single word about the greatest inventor of them all Nikola Tesla????

[@hunterluxton5976]

Tesla had dark private life, hence he was omitted.

[@sarahkane5144]

Watch this

[@SamuelWoodB]

4:16

[@SamuelWoodB]

12:36

[@stringsamurai]

Interesting to rediscover this series after a while and notice the absolute absence of any female artists. Not to mention ethnic and other minorities. Informative but also VERY dated.

[@douglasfairmeadow]

Who should have been included, Alistair?

[@hunterluxton5976]

Snowflake.

[@lizziesmith4485]

He literally mentions within the first 10 mins that Picasso and Braques "plundered" ethnic minority art for formalistic gain

[@Designandrew]

god art is such a load of bullshit! I had to watch this crap back when I was in high school.. my perspective has changed dramatically in the last ten years on a great many things, but I remain resolute in my opinion of art theory! Total wankfest!

[@marcbrasse747]

+Designandrew Art is in essence decadent and most of the people you learn about in art school came / come from well to do backgrounds. How else would they have been able to "waste" their lives on it. Normal people are too busy coping, now are they? But is there a better sort of decadence? A more productive and creative one? Real art, so excluding the excesses of snobyness and speculation, is one of the best thing that we can do when we have time on our hands and are too nice or intelligent to fuck up the world. Maybe that is an interresting enough new thought for you? :-)

[@royaletreatment5157]

Moorish empire architecture, what the Caucasians of that time lied and called worlds fair that they still to this day haven’t been able to duplicate moorish design. But it’s amazing to see how far the lies go.

[@jasonbourne4670]

Yeah the moorish look nothing like those people in the sculpture though, so your theory that brown people created anything in Europe is deluded.

[@susieingred]

oh my I miss this guy if he was still alive today we probably wouldn't be on home arrest suffering under a fake Chinese pandemic because the world health is too weak to speak out , along with the united nation's and the European Union - Robert a soldier of truth

[@magicgrandpa8205]

Lay off the glue Susan

[@Dabberontour]

Have you had covid?

[@noiseworks]

Hughes's critique is limited by its time, perhaps even coming off as pompous to contemporary audiences. What was once seen as groundbreaking may later be viewed as just one perspective among many

[@ariannazevallos2574]

boring

[@MM-op6ti]

Why is modern art is so bad? my morning movements have more artistic value than the waste of canvas going on here 😂