Russell Tovey on the Talk Art podcast and book

Virgin Radio

9 May 2021, 12:51

Actor Russell Tovey joined the Graham Norton Radio Show with Waitrose to talk about his popular podcast Talk Art, which he co-hosts with gallerist Robert Diament, and the associated book, which comes out next week.

Russell and Robert’s Talk Art podcast looks at the world of art through a series of interviews with leading artists, curators, and friends from the acting, music and journalism worlds. Russell told Graham that he and Robert have been friends for 12 years. “We met at a Tracey Emin retrospective in Edinburgh and we quickly developed a shorthand for art, and realised that we are both kindred spirits when it comes to being a geek for art.” 

The duo decided to create the Talk Art podcast in August 2018, and the film, television and theatre actor explained that it has been going from strength to strength since. “We were going to talk about shows we’d seen and review stuff. Then we started interviewing people, and more people came on and it started getting traction. Suddenly it’s snowballed, we’ve had nearly three million downloads and now we’ve got this book!”

Indeed, following on from the podcast, the upcoming Talk Art book is a guide to navigating and engaging with the art world. It features exclusive interviews with artists, critics, curators and art lovers, including Ian McKellen, Elton John, Tracey Emin and Grayson Perry. “People are coming to the podcast who feel shut out, and they don’t find the art world accessible. This book is all about accessibility. It’s about showing people that you can get involved in the art world.” 

He added, “We’re so used to hearing these interviews where people talk about art in such a reverential way. They are referencing all these things that you have no concept of what they are, but nobody explains it, nobody stops to hold your hand and help you along, and people need their hands held when it comes to art, because it’s confusing.” 

Russell explained to Graham that the Talk Art podcast and book aim to change that. “We have this podcast and I’m very open, going, ‘hold up, what does that mean? Can you just explain that?’. Because if I don’t know what it is, and I’m a geek for this stuff, then our listeners aren't going to know what it is. I think that refreshing approach to art, which brings it down from being academic, just makes it accessible, because it is for everyone. All art is, basically, is storytelling.”

When asked what advice he has for people who want to start getting into art, Russell said, “Just get out there and see as much as possible. Work out what it is that you’re attracted to, but just collect out of pure passion, because that’s going to be on your wall. Don’t look at it as an investment.

“If you just want to collect, the best way is to find emerging artists that you can support, because you can get work that is relatively inexpensive, but you’re really making an impact on that artist’s life. You’re probably paying their studio fees or buying their materials to make that work. And that is something really exciting... to then develop a friendship and a relationship with emerging artists that you can grow with them.”

Russell told Graham that he is excited for the art world to properly start up again as we head out of lockdown. “A lot of artists haven’t been showing work. There have been no exhibitions. They’ve been allowed to stop, slow down and look at what they’ve done. I’m excited to see the work that is going to come out of this. Anything that happens in the world, culture is the first to respond to it."

He went on to say, “Culture doesn’t stay still. We’ve had the pandemic and culture doesn’t go ‘okay let’s just pause this, wait for this to blow over and go back to what we did before guys’. No, you keep forging ahead because people still tell stories, they need to tell stories, and the way to understand the world is through art, is through watching movies, reading books, seeing visual arts. That’s how you know who your fellow man is.”

The actor, famed for his roles in loved TV shows such as Being Human and Years and Years, as well as acclaimed productions such as The History Boys, is also excited about getting back on stage soon. “I am currently rehearsing Constellations for the West End. It’s going to be at the Vaudeville Theatre. It opens soon. I’m doing it with Omari Douglas who was Rocoe in It’s A Sin. He’s a superstar. I can’t wait to get back on stage. I’ve missed it terribly.”

For more great interviews listen to The Graham Norton Radio Show with Waitrose, Saturdays AND Sundays from 09:30am on Virgin Radio, or catch up on-demand here.