The Way I See It

Alastair Sooke Dec 20, 2019

Over the last 29 editions art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, has dived into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

In this final edition, Alastair makes his own selection. And, as with several of his guests in the series, he goes for two choices. The first, a painting that bowled him over as a young visitor to MoMA, Matisse’s Red Studio, but what will the second be, and has making this series changed the way he sees art?

Producer: Tom Alban

Main Image: Henri Matisse, The Red Studio, 1911. Oil on canvas, 71 1/4" x 7' 2 1/4" (181 x 219.1 cm). Mrs. Simon Guggenheim Fund. Museum of Modern Art, NY, 8.1949.© Succession H. Matisse/ DACS 2019

David Henry Hwang on Martin Wong's Stanton near Forsyth Street Dec 19, 2019

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, continues his deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Today's edition features playwright, librettist and screenwriter, David Henry Hwang. He chooses a painting by the artist Martin Wong - Stanton near Forsyth Street (1983).

Producer: Tom Alban

Main Image: Credit: Martin Wong, Stanton near Forsyth Street, 1983. Acrylic on canvas, 48 x 64" (121.9 x 162.6 cm). Courtesy of the Estate of Martin Wong and P.P.O.W Gallery, New York, NY. Museum of Modern Art, NY, 863.2011

Yves Behar and the IEC's Power Symbol Dec 18, 2019

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, continues his deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Today's edition features Swiss designer Yves Behar, whose choice is a powerful one - literally. He chooses the internationally recognised power symbol, the circle broken with a vertical line. Is it really art? That is how he sees it.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

Main Image: International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)’s Power Symbol (2011)

Lady Ruth Rogers on Henri Rousseau's The Dream Dec 17, 2019

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, continues his deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Today's edition is the choice of award-winning chef, Ruth Rogers: The Dream, by Henri Rousseau.

Producer: Tom Alban

Main Image: Henri Rousseau, The Dream, 1910. Oil on canvas, 6' 8 1/2" x 9' 9 1/2" (204.5 x 298.5 cm). Gift of Nelson A. Rockefeller. Museum of Modern Art, NY, 252.1954

Stanley Tucci and Giacometti's Head of a Man on a Rod Dec 16, 2019

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, takes us on a deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Leading cultural figures in the series include Grammy- and Emmy-award-winning Hollywood actor and comedian Steve Martin, one of the founders of minimalism – composer Steve Reich and stand-up comedian Margaret Cho. Each episode introduces us to an important art work in the collection, but asks how our own perspective affects our appreciation of the piece.

In this edition, American actor Stanley Tucci chooses Alberto Giacometti's "Head of a Man on a Rod" from 1947.

Producer: Tom Alban

Main Image: Alberto Giacometti, Head of a Man on a Rod, 1947. Bronze, 23 1/2" (59.7 cm) high, including bronze base 6 3/8 x 5 7/8 x 6" (16.0 x 14.9 x 15.1 cm). Gift of Mrs. George Acheson. Museum of Modern Art, NY, 595.1976. © 2019 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris

Isabella Boylston on Maya Deren and Talley Beatty Dec 13, 2019

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, continues his deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Today's edition features the choice of American ballet dancer Isabella Boylston, currently a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre. It's a short Black and white film: A Study in Choreography for Camera by Maya Deren and Talley Beatty, made in 1945

Main Image: A Study in Choreography for Camera (film still), 1945. 16mm film (black and white, silent), 4 min. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Purchase from the Estate of Maya Deren

Producer: Tom Alban

Liz Diller on Marcel Duchamp's Network of Stoppages Dec 12, 2019

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, continues his deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Today's edition features the choice of leading American architect Liz Diller. How will the designer of New York's High Line and MoMA's new galleries see conceptual artist Marcel Duchamp's 1914 painting Network of Stoppages.

Main Image: Marcel Duchamp, Network of Stoppages, 1914. Oil and pencil on canvas, 58 5/8" x 6' 5 5/8" (148.9 x 197.7 cm). Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Fund and gift of Mrs. William Sisler. Museum of Modern Art, NY, 390.1970. © 2019 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris / Estate of Marcel Duchamp

Producer: Tom Alban

Orhan Pamuk on Taglioni's Jewel Casket by Joseph Cornell Dec 11, 2019

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, continues his deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Today's edition features the choice of Nobel Prize winning Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk. He picks American artist Joseph Cornell's jewellery box - a homage to Marie Taglioni, an acclaimed 19th-century dancer.

Main Image: Joseph Cornell, Taglioni's Jewel Casket, 1940. Velvet-lined wooden box containing glass necklace, jewellery fragments, glass chips, and glass cubes resting in slots on glass, 4 3/4 x 11 7/8 x 8 1/4" (12 x 30.2 x 21 cm). Gift of James Thrall Soby. Museum of Modern Art, NY, 474.1953

Producer: Tom Alban

Sarah Sze and Siddhartha Mukherjee on Louise Bourgeois's Quarantania, I Dec 10, 2019

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, continues his deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Today's edition features the choice of husband and wife Sarah Sze and Siddhartha Mukherjee. Sarah is an award-winning sculptor and Siddhartha Mukherjee is a Pulitzer Prize winning oncologist. Will the artist and the scientist see Louise Bourgeois’s "Quarantania, I" sculpture differently?

Main Image: Louise Bourgeois, Quarantania, I, 1947-53. Painted wood on wood base, 6' 9 1/4" (206.4 cm) high, including base 6 x 27 1/4 x 27" (15.2 x 69.1 x 68.6 cm). Gift of Ruth Stephan Franklin. Museum of Modern Art, NY, 1076.1969. © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY

Producer: Paul Kobrak

Mark Morris on Florine Stettheimer's Costume Design for Orphée Dec 09, 2019

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, takes us on a deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Leading cultural figures in the series include Grammy- and Emmy-award-winning Hollywood actor and comedian Steve Martin, one of the founders of minimalism – composer Steve Reich and stand-up comedian Margaret Cho. Each episode introduces us to an important art work in the collection, but asks how our own perspective affects our appreciation of the piece.

In this edition, American dancer, choreographer and director Mark Morris casts his gaze on painter and set designer Florine Stettheimer's painting of her costume for her ballet Orphée.

Main Image: Florine Stettheimer, Costume design (Procession: Zizim of Persia, Agnes of Bourganeuf, the Unicorn, and Pierre d’Aubusson) for artist's ballet Orphée of the Quat-z-arts, c.1912. Oil, fabric, and beads on canvas, 17 1/8 x 35 1/8" (43.5 x 89.2 cm). Gift of Miss Ettie Stettheimer. Museum of Modern Art, NY, 83.1947.6. © Estate of Florine Stettheimer

Producer: Tom Alban

Zac Posen on Constantin Brancusi's Bird in Space Dec 06, 2019

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, continues his deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Today's edition features American fashion designer, Zac Posen. His outfits have been worn by British royalty and Hollywood stars like Glenn Close and Reese Witherspoon, but what has caught his eye in the collection at MoMA?

Producer: Tom Alban

Main Image: Constantin Brancusi, Bird in Space, 1928. Bronze, 54 x 8 1/2 x 6 1/2" (137.2 x 21.6 x 16.5 cm). Given anonymously. Museum of Modern Art, NY, 153.1934. © Succession Brancusi - All rights reserved (ARS) 2018

Madeleine Thien on Vija Celmins’s Bikini Dec 05, 2019

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, continues his deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Today's edition features a work by a Latvian-American visual artist best known for photo-realistic paintings and drawings of natural environments and phenomena such as the ocean, spider webs, star fields, and rocks. Award-winning novelist Madeleine Thien has chosen "Bikini" Celmins's depiction of an atomic blast which took place in Bikini Lagoon on 25 July 1946, part of the United States’ Operation Crossroads – one of a series of twenty-three nuclear detonations in the western Pacific. What has drawn the novelist's eye to this work - and how does she see it?

Producer: Paul Kobrak

Richard Serra on Jackson Pollock Dec 04, 2019

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, continues his deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Today's edition features the choice of heavyweight sculptor of steel, Richard Serra. He chooses Jackson Pollock’s "One: Number 31, 1950" - but why choose this work, and how does it inform his own?

Producer: Paul Kobrak

Main Image: Jackson Pollock, One: Number 31, 1950. Oil and enamel paint on canvas, 8' 10" x 17' 5 5/8" (269.5 x 530.8 cm). Sidney and Harriet Janis Collection Fund (by exchange). Conservation was made possible by the Bank of America Art Conservation Project. Museum of Modern Art, NY, 7.1968. © 2019 Pollock-Krasner Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Bryan Stevenson on Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series Dec 03, 2019

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, continues his deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Today's edition features the choice of American lawyer and social justice activist Bryan Stevenson. He has chosen The Migration Series, a set of paintings by African-American painter Jacob Lawrence. Depicting the migration of African Americans to the northern United States from the South that began in the 1910s, this a moving piece for Bryan Stevenson - but what does a civil rights lawyer see in the work that others might not?

Producer: Tom Alban.

Main Image: Jacob Lawrence, And the migrants kept coming, 1940-41. Casein tempera on hardboard, 12 x 18" (30.5 x 45.7 cm). Gift of Mrs. David M. Levy. Museum of Modern Art, NY, 28.1942.30. © 2019 Jacob Lawrence / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Fiona Shaw on Georgia O'Keeffe's Lake George, Coat and Red Dec 02, 2019

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, takes us on a deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Leading cultural figures in the series include Grammy- and Emmy award-winning Hollywood actor and comedian Steve Martin, one of the founders of minimalism – composer Steve Reich and stand-up comedian Margaret Cho. Each episode introduces us to an important art work in the collection, but asks how our own perspective affects our appreciation of the piece.

So, how does a jazz pianist see Mondrian’s Broadway Boogie Woogie? How does one of the first black women to write for Marvel comics see the difficult truths in Kara Walker’s sweeping image of African-American history? What does a top fashion designer decode from the clothes painted by an artist in Harlem in the 1930s?

We begin this second part of the series with the gaze of Emmy award-winning Irish actor Fiona Shaw, currently playing the sinister secret agent Carolyn Martens in the hit TV series "Killing Eve". She has chosen a work by an artist who has been described as the "Mother of American modernism" - Georgia O'Keefe. Best known for her paintings of enlarged flowers, New York skyscrapers, and New Mexico landscapes, Fiona has chosen an excellent example of her style; "Lake George, Coat and Red". But why has she chosen it - and why does she declare that she wouldn't like to own it?

Producer: Tom Alban

Main Image: Georgia O’Keeffe, Lake George, Coat and Red, 1919. Oil on canvas, 27 3/8 x 23 1/4" (69.6 x 59 cm). Gift of The Georgia O'Keeffe Foundation. Museum of Modern Art, NY, 65.1995. © 2019 The Museum of Modern Art / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

The Director's Choice Nov 01, 2019

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, continues his deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

As the series reaches its halfway point, we're in the company of MoMA's director, Glenn Lowry. Overseeing a museum of the scale and prestige of MoMA, which of the works in his care stands out for him personally? Glen explains why Dayanita Singh’s Museum of Chance speaks to him above all the others.

Producer: Tom Alban

Main Image: Dayanita Singh, Museum of Chance, 2013. 162 pigmented inkjet prints and teak structures, variable dimensions. Acquired with support from The Contemporary Arts Council of The Museum of Modern Art, The Modern Women's Fund, and Committee on Photography Fund. Museum of Modern Art, NY, 494.2017. © 2019 Dayanita Singh. Courtesy of the Frith Street Gallery, London

Renee Fleming chooses Colors for a Large Wall Oct 31, 2019

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, continues his deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Today's edition features American operatic soprano, Renee Fleming. Winner of the National Medal of Arts and Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Medal winner, she is the only classical singer ever to have performed the U.S. National Anthem at the Super Bowl. Renee has chosen Ellsworth Kelly’s 1951 work, Colors for a Large Wall - a collage of painted, multi-coloured squares. What is it about this work that hits Renee Fleming's high notes?

Producer: Paul Kobrak

Main Image: Ellsworth Kelly, Colors for a Large Wall, 1951. Oil on canvas, sixty-four panels, 7' 10 1/2" x 7' 10 1/2" (240 x 240 cm). Gift of the artist, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1067.1969.a-b. © 2019 Ellsworth Kelly

Hisham Matar with Man Sleeping Along the Seine Oct 30, 2019

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, continues his deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Today's edition features Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, continues his deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Today's edition features Hisham Matar , the American-born British-Libyan writer whose memoir of the search for his father, The Return, won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Biography. He has chosen a photograph by Hungarian–French photographer Brassaï, which is biographic in its own way, featuring a man sleeping by the River Seine, taken in 1932. What inspiration will the award-winning novelist take from this image?

Producer: Tom Alban

Main Image: Brassaï (Gyula Halász), Man Sleeping Along the Seine (Homme endormi au bord de la Seine), 1932. Gelatin silver print, 11 5/8 x 9 1/8" (29.6 x 23.2 cm). David H. McAlpin Fund, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 2526.1967. © Estate Brassaï-RMN

Es Devlin on Felix Gonzalez-Torres's Perfect Lovers Oct 29, 2019

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, continues his deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Today's edition features British stage designer and sculptor Es Devlin. Devlin has made large scale touring stage sculptures in collaboration with Beyoncé, Kanye West Adele, U2, and the Royal Opera House in London, as well as designing the London Olympic Closing Ceremony in 2012. She has selected Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ Perfect Lovers - in which two synchronized clocks, like those typically found in offices and public spaces, are displayed side by side. One will inevitably stop before the other. Created whilst Felix Gonzalez-Torres's partner was ill, it embodies the tension that comes from two people living side-by-side as life moves forward towards death. Laycock died of AIDS six years before Gonzalez-Torres's own death in 1996. What will one of the world's greatest set designers see in this simple, poignant work?

Producer: Tom Alban

Main Image: Felix Gonzalez-Torres,"Untitled" (Perfect Lovers), 1991. Clocks, paint on wall, overall 14 x 28 x 2 3/4" (35.6 x 71.2 x 7 cm). Gift of the Dannheisser Foundation, The Museum of Modern Art, 177.1996.a-b. © 2019 The Felix Gonzalez-Torres Foundation, Courtesy Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York

Roxane Gay and Christ's Entry into Journalism Oct 28, 2019

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, takes us on a deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Leading cultural figures in the series include Grammy- and Emmy-award-winning Hollywood actor and comedian Steve Martin, one of the founders of minimalism – composer Steve Reich and stand-up comedian Margaret Cho. Each episode introduces us to an important art work in the collection, but asks how our own perspective affects our appreciation of the piece.

So, how does a jazz pianist see Mondrian’s Broadway Boogie Woogie? How does one of the first black women to write for Marvel comics see the difficult truths in Kara Walker’s sweeping image of African-American history? What does a top fashion designer decode from the clothes painted by an artist in Harlem in the 1930s?

This week we begin with American writer and commentator Roxane Gay, author of The New York Times best-selling essay collection Bad Feminist. She chooses a work by Kara Walker, best known for creating black-and-white silhouette works that invoke themes of African American racial identity. Roxane has selected Walker's massive 11-by-18-foot collage “Christ’s Entry into Journalism” from 2017. Riffing off “Christ’s Entry into Jerusalem,” the piece is covered with ink drawings depicting figures real and imagined, past and present, from James Brown to Martin Luther King, Jr. and Donald Trump.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

Main Image: Kara Walker, Christ's Entry into Journalism, 2017. Ink and pencil on paper, cut-and-pasted on painted paper, 140 1/2 × 196" (356.9 × 497.8 cm). Acquired through the generosity of Agnes Gund, the Contemporary Arts Council of The Museum of Modern Art, Carol and Morton Rapp, Marnie Pillsbury, the Contemporary Drawing and Print Associates, and Committee on Drawings and Prints Fund, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 198.2018. © 2019 Kara Walker

John Waters on Lee Lozano's Untitled 1963 Oct 25, 2019

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, continues his deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Today's edition features film director John Waters. He chooses Lee Lozano's depiction of a head of a hammer, "Untitled 1963", but what will cult film specialist and director of Pink Flamingos make of such an apparently utilitarian subject?

Producer: Tom Alban

Main Image: Lee Lozano, Untitled, 1963. Oil on canvas, two panels, 7' 10" x 8' 4" (238.8 x 254 cm). Gift of Jo Carole and Ronald S. Lauder, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 26.2004.a-b. © 2019 Estate of Lee Lozano

Michael Bierut on Ed Ruscha's OOF Oct 24, 2019

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, continues his deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Today's edition features graphic designer Michael Bierut selects Ed Ruscha's large blue and yellow painting of the word "OOF". Will the man who designed the Visa credit card symbol see three letters?

Producer: Paul Kobrak

Main Image: Edward Ruscha, OOF, 1962 (reworked 1963). Oil on canvas, 71 1/2 x 67" (181.5 x 170.2 cm). Gift of Agnes Gund, the Louis and Bessie Adler Foundation, Inc., Robert and Meryl Meltzer, Jerry I. Speyer, Anna Marie and Robert F. Shapiro, Emily and Jerry Spiegel, an anonymous donor, and purchase, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 256.1988. © 2019 Edward Ruscha

Duro Olowu on William H Johnson's painting Children Oct 23, 2019

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, continues his deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Today's edition features London-based fashion designer Duro Olowu. Duro chooses the 1941 painting 'Children' by William H Johnson from MoMA's collection. Johnson depicted scenes of everyday African American life in Harlem and in the south - but what will a modern fashion-conscious eye spot in the work?

Producer: Tom Alban

Main Image: William H Johnson, Children, 1941. Oil and pencil on wood panel, 17 1/2 × 12 1/2" (44.5 × 31.8 cm). Gift of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller (by exchange), Agnes Gund, Marlene Hess and James D Zirin, and the Hudgins Family, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 6.2016

Margaret Cho and Lady Vengeance Oct 22, 2019

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, continues his deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Today's edition features stand-up comedian and author Margaret Cho. She has chosen the film "Lady Vengeance", a South Korean film directed by Park Chan-wook. How does she react to rewatching this psychological thriller?

Producer: Tom Alban

Main Image: Park Chan-wook, Lady Vengeance, 2005. 35mm film. Gift of CJ Entertainment, The Museum of Modern Art, NY, F2014.35

Steve Reich on Richard Serra’s Equal Oct 21, 2019

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, continues his deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Today's edition features composer, and chief exponent of Minimalism, Steve Reich. As he stands in front of eight steel boxes stacked in pairs, each box weighing forty tons, he reflects on the effect Richard Serra's work, "Equal" has on our sense of space. But does it change the way he thinks about his own work?

Producer: Paul Kobrak

Main Image: Richard Serra, Equal, 2015. Forged weatherproof steel, 8 blocks, each block 60 x 66 x 72" (152.4 x 167.6 x 182.9 cm). Gift of Sidney and Harriet Janis (by exchange), Enid A. Haupt Fund, and Gift of William B. Jaffe and Evelyn A. J. Hall (by exchange), The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 504.2015.a-d

Steven Pinker and Picasso Oct 18, 2019

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, continues his deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Today's edition features Harvard professor Steven Pinker. As an experimental psychologist, Steven has written extensively about violence - and for his choice from the gallery's collection he has selected two of Pablo Picasso’s most gruesome depictions of man's inhumanity, Charnel House and Guernica, now housed in Madrid.

Producer: Tom Alban

"The Way I See It" is a co-production of the BBC and the Museum of Modern Art, New York

Main Image: Pablo Picasso, The Charnel House, 1944-45. Oil and charcoal on canvas, 6' 6 5/8" x 8' 2 1/2" (199.8 x 250.1 cm). Mrs. Sam A. Lewisohn Bequest (by exchange), and Mrs. Marya Bernard Fund in memory of her husband Dr. Bernard Bernard, and anonymous funds, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 93.1971. © 2019 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Neri Oxman and the Endless House Oct 17, 2019

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, continues his deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Today's edition features Professor Neri Oxman from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She's a world expert in combining art and architecture with biology, computing, and materials engineering. Little wonder, perhaps, she chooses Frederick Kiesler’s design for a project called Endless House - an organic structure that was never built.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

"The Way I See It" is a co-production of the BBC and the Museum of Modern Art, New York

Main Image: Frederick Kiesler, Endless House Project, 1950–1960. Ceramic, 20 x 11 1/2 x 6" (50.8 x 29.2 x 15.2 cm). The Museum of Modern Art, New York, MC 25

Jason Moran and Piet Mondrian Oct 16, 2019

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, continues his deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Today's edition features jazz pianist and composer Jason Moran. He shares his view of Piet Mondrian’s Broadway Boogie Woogie and feels moved to music by its straight lines and blocks of colour.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

"The Way I See It" is a co-production of the BBC and the Museum of Modern Art, New York

Main Image: Piet Mondrian, Broadway Boogie Woogie, 1942-43. Oil on canvas, 50 x 50" (127 x 127 cm). Given anonymously. The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 73.1943

Steve Martin and the Lonely Synchromists Oct 15, 2019

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, continues his deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Today's edition features award-winning comedian and actor Steve Martin - he finds two "lonely" works that speak to him; Stanton Macdonald-Wright’s Synchromy and Morgan Russell’s Color Form Synchromy.

Producer: Tom Alban

"The Way I See It" is a co-production of the BBC and the Museum of Modern Art, New York

Main Image: Stanton Macdonald-Wright, Synchromy, 1917. Oil on canvas, 31 x 24" (78.8 x 61 cm). Given anonymously. The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 346.1949

Starry Night and Janna Levin Oct 14, 2019

Art critic Alastair Sooke, in the company of some of the leading creatives of our age, takes us on a deep dive into the stunning works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection, whilst exploring what it really means “to see” art.

Leading cultural figures in the series include Grammy- and Emmy-award-winning Hollywood actor and comedian Steve Martin, the author of the New York Times best-selling essay collection Roxane Gay, one of the founders of minimalism – composer Steve Reich and stand-up comedian Margaret Cho. Each episode introduces us to an important art work in the collection, but asks how our own perspective affects our appreciation of the piece.

So, how does a jazz pianist see Mondrian’s Broadway Boogie Woogie? How does one of the first black women to write for Marvel comics see the difficult truths in Kara Walker’s sweeping image of African-American history? What does a top fashion designer decode from the clothes painted by an artist in Harlem in the 1930s?

But we start with possibly the most iconic piece in MoMA's collection - Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh. Professor Janna Levin is one of America's leading cosmologists; her specialism is understanding black holes. How does she see Van Gogh's night sky, painted from inside an asylum as he battled mental illness?

Producer: Paul Kobrak

"The Way I See It" is a co-production of the BBC and the Museum of Modern Art, New York

Image Credit: Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night, June 1889. Oil on canvas, 29 x 36 1/4" (73.7 x 92.1 cm). Acquired through the Lillie P. Bliss Bequest (by exchange). The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 472.1941

Welcome to The Way I See It Oct 08, 2019

Leading thinkers choose an artwork from the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and talk about how it inspires or provokes, thrills or surprises them. Presented by Alastair Sooke.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected