Five years ago the idea that an art programme would make for compelling viewing by âthe massesâ would have been scoffed at. But with artists like Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and that ever-elusive Banksy overtaking celebrity chefs in superstardom status, BBC2âs recent show School of Saatchi went where no other show has gone before â bringing contemporary art to prime time TV.
Sure, the show drew on the proven reality TV formula of pitting unknown talent against each other to battle it out for the ultimate prize of recognition, but this one had the added drama of raising a very big question mark in viewersâ minds, âwhat exactly is art?â
To the untrained eye, the two finalists couldnât have been more different. One laboured around the clock to create a meticulously mystical caravan â his ever-growing beard and eye bags proof of his dedication. The other spotted a tree on a blue fence while out doing something else, called it âFound Artâ and trumped the caravan creator.
The expert panel admired the chutzpah of convincing the council to remove said tree â complete with fence â and this seemed to be the deciding factor in who would exhibit at the Hermitage. This raises another question, is chutzpah an art form?