The Mona Lisa Curse

I was first introduced to the video series 'Shock of the New' in the late 80's. It opened my eyes to a kind of critical art theory that I had never been exposed to. I'm not sure I fully appreciated the series at such a young age but regardless, it left an impression. I have yet to see the New Shock of the New shown on BBC in 2004, however I won't be missing the latest tv essay by Robert Hughes on Channel 4 this Sunday Sept. 21. The Mona Lisa Curse is about how the world's most famous painting came to influence the art world and how the production of art and the way we experience it has changed. Hughes is no shrinking violet and he has brewed up a storm recently in the media with his open criticism of art world darling Damien Hirst. It will be interesting to see whether he manages to validate his opinion or if its going to be like an episode of 'Grumpy Old Men'. Stay tuned for the review next week!