The Apollo podcast: object lessons

In a world suffused with digital images, have we started to forget how to appreciate objects? Exceptional objets d’art may attract crowds or fetch eye-watering prices, but how many of us now have the skills to fully evaluate the artistry, rarity and material value of historical furniture, silver, ceramics or glass – let alone pronounce on their authenticity?

In this Apollo podcast, hosted by Thomas Marks and sponsored by Sotheby’s Institute of Art, Ann-Marie Richard discusses how one might set about gaining such knowledge, drawing on her experience as Director of the Fine and Decorative Art and Design Master’s degree programme at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in New York. Richard makes the case for the durability of important decorative art objects, in contrast to the ephemerality of so much contemporary design. She describes what it means to teach ‘how much an object weighs, what it smells like’ and explains why ‘you need to use all of your senses’ to appreciate and judge materials – as well as why anyone serious about objects should always carry a tape measure.

Click here to go to iTunes where you can download the podcast.