TV rec- Not Quite Art (season two)

During the TINA (This Is Not Art) festival I was lucky enough to catch the preview screening of Not Quite Art season two. I was actually on my way to a letter writing marathon, but got distracted, as I do, and made random friends, as I do, and caught caught up in the stream of arty people heading into City Hall.

We watched two episodes of the second series of Marcus Westbury's show, then got to have a chat with the lovely Marcus himself afterwards. The show is described on the ABC website thus:

Presenter and writer Marcus Westbury is back and has unearthed an eclectic and amusing mix of artists, writers, critics and musicians whose work has found their audiences – often in the millions – through networks well outside the traditional ideas of where “Australian culture” lives.

The production quality was excellent. The narration was informative, but really it was the gentle way in which Marcus questioned various subcultural characters which caught my attention. In one scene is talking to an Aboriginal dance troupe about a video of them performing Zorba the Greek which had found it's way onto YouTube and interweb legend. Where most interviewers would have tried to question the dancers themselves, rather than the elder (and father of one?), Marcus Westbury addressed the elder who spoke on their behalf for the most part. This may have been plain politeness on his part, or good research, but it was nice to see.

I learnt a few things about copyright and phone tones that I didn't know too ;)


So I really liked Not Quite art, especially since a few days before I had been watching a doco on Tasmania and was incredibly annoyed by the intrusive narration, it was "Whatever Happened To Brenda Hean?"

But never fear, although the two film-makers both like to reveal some of the mechanics of production, Not Quite Art works because of the respect Marcus Westbury has for his subjects and the wealth of knowledge they provide on all sorts of unusual things. Did you know that there is an electrofringe artist who makes music by standing on a bridge and recording the sounds it made? She's fabulous by the way.

I hope that you have time to watch it on the ABC tomorrow night, because it really is fascinating, and so well made. It makes me really happy to know that there is another Novocastrian who cares just as much about our city and is doing so much for it's cultural scene.

Really excellent work Marcus. I hope you kick arse in the ratings ;)

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/notquiteart/

Tuesday October 14, 2008 @ 10pm