Watch what happened when we turned three art sceptics into art works.
Audio: Comical music.
Footage: Man standing in front of a huge painting, looking at it. We cut to a group of people sitting in an art gallery, sketching. We then see a closeup of a painted sheep before cutting to Midori, speaking directly to camera.
Midori: What's the point of art? To me, like visual art is...
Footage: Midori stands in an empty studio.
Text appears: ‘Midori. Not into art.’
Footage: Wally speaks directly to camera.
Wally: Am I into art? No, I don't think so.
Footage: Wally stands in an empty studio.
Text appears: ‘Wally. Not into art.’
Footage: Brad speaks directly to camera. We cut to Brad looking a bit lost inside an art gallery.
Brad: Have I been to an art gallery? I went past the Louvre - and went to the pub.
Footage: Brad stands in an empty studio.
Text appears: ‘Brad. Not into art.’
Footage: Montage of art gallery and artwork images followed by the artist, Sam speaking directly to camera. As Sam speaks, we see another montage of images showing Midori, Wally and Brad posing and interacting with Sam, while Sam is turning them into artworks.
Sam: My name is Sam, Sam Jinks. I'm an artist. We have a series of individuals that have no interest in art and essentially, we're turning them into pieces of art. And seeing whether maybe even that changes their attitude towards art. Kind of a fascinating experiment. Midori is going to be the most complicated. Just a really colourful character, like, kind of enthusiastic and energetic and I mean, the energy of youth as well. Bradley was amazing, yeah, he was like an open book, and he brought everything in with him. First impression of Wally. I think the beard - just this incredible shiny, glossy beard.
Footage: We cut to the exterior of the National Gallery of Victoria, and we see Brad, Wally and Midori entering the building and wandering around.
Text appears on black screen: ‘Midori, Wally & Bradley meet themselves in the National Gallery of Victoria.’
Footage: We cut to Midori walking into one of the gallery spaces and she puts her hand over her mouth in surprise as she sees the artwork of herself. We then see the hyper-realistic artwork of Midori.
Midori: Oh my god, that's me! I like it, I like it.
Footage: We cut to Brad walking through the gallery space and he chuckles as he comes face-to-face with the hyper-realistic artwork of himself, wearing a firefighter’s uniform.
Brad: That's unreal isn’t it.
Footage: Wally walking up to the hyper-realistic artwork bust of himself on a plinth.
Wally: (Talking to the artwork) How are you mate? Unbelievable, I've seen this man somewhere.
Footage: We cut to Midori walking up to her artwork’s plaque and pointing to it, excitedly and laughing. We see closeups of her artwork's tattoos and other details.
Midori: Oh my God, I get a little plaque!
Footage: We cut to Brad, looking at his artwork and talking animatedly about it.
Brad: How he's captured that face - and I'm getting a bit emotional about it now,
but it's probably how has captured that face and how he's sort of got that intensity in his look, because you see things you don't want to see.
Footage: We cut to Wally, looking at his artwork and talking about it. He plays with his beard as he looks at his artwork.
Wally: But you close your eyes and just sit there relaxed and asks, “Everything happened, good for everyone.”
Footage: We cut to Brad again, looking at his artwork and then walking through the gallery looking at other artists’ works.
Brad: I've thought about art in the last few hours a lot differently to what I ever have before. You actually get to move your brain in a different way and think about things differently.
Footage: We cut to Wally and Midori again, looking at their artworks and then walking through the gallery looking at other artists’ works.
Wally: For 40 years, I didn't like art, but now I like art.
Footage: One-by-one, we see Wally, Midori and Brad standing in an empty studio.
Text appears around each participant: ‘Wally. into art.’, ‘Midori. into art.’ and ‘Brad. into art.’
Footage: We cut to a black frame with white text: ‘Credits: Artist – Sam Jinks. Subjects: Midori Hong, Bradley Griffin, Harpreet ‘Wally’ Singh Walia. Filmed on Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung country. The Traditional Owners of the land on which the NGV is built. With thanks to the National Gallery of Victoria and everyone who gives art a go.’
Footage: We cut to Midori standing next to her artwork. She turns to the camera to speak.
Midori: I'm so scared the head's gonna turn.
Footage: We cut to Brad sitting on a bench looking at the artworks.
End graphic: we’re into art and Telstra logos.
Will lifelong sceptic Wally ever think art is more than just a big tax dodge?
Audio: Comical music.
Footage: Wally steps into frame in an empty studio and waves to the camera. He’s elderly and has a bushy grey moustache and long beard.
Text appears: ‘Wally. Not into art.’
Wally’s voiceover: Hi, I'm Wally… and I'm not into art.
Footage: We cut to a close up of Wally’s face as he closes his eyes. The camera jump cuts, and we see a hyperreal artwork of him in the same pose. The real Wally peers into the camera from one side of the frame.
Text appears: ‘Wally. Into art.’
Footage: We then see a full-length real Wally standing next to a levitating hyperreal artwork of his head. Real Wally looks approvingly at the artwork of himself and puts his hands on hips.
Wally’s voiceover: But I like that.
End graphic: we’re into art and Telstra logos.
Will becoming a sculpture change Midori's opinion that most art is confusing or pointless?
Audio: Comical music.
Footage: Midori steps into frame in an empty studio. She is young and is wearing a black t-shirt and Hello Kitty-themed headphones.
Text appears: ‘Midori. Not into art.’
Midori’s voiceover: I'm Midori… and I'm not into art.
Footage: We cut to a close up of Midori’s face as she tilts her head to the side and has a finger on her chin as though she’s thinking hard. The camera jump cuts and we see a hyperreal artwork of her in the same pose.
Text appears: ‘Midori. Into art.’
Footage: We then see full-length real Midori standing next to her own, hyperreal full length art replica standing on a plinth. Real Midori looks at her replica and claps joyfully.
Midori voiceover: But that’s cute.
End graphic: we’re into art and Telstra logos.
We recently commissioned a survey that highlighted two in five Aussies want to engage in more art, but are unsure how. So we're on a mission to help them. Starting by turning three real art sceptics into hyperrealist artworks that will be exhibited in NGV Australia, so they feel more at home in the art world.
We also partner with some of Australia's most inspiring arts organisations to make getting into art, easier and more fun than ever.
Find out how, using the links below.
Check out the Into Art digital audio guide with Bradley and Ewan McEoin from the NGV in conversation.
$40 ballet tickets. Enter our ballot for great seats at a great price.
Get inspired! Australia's best First Nations artists.
