Monday 19 January 2009

A work of Hart

Over the weekend I was saddened to hear of the death of the great Tony Hart. One of the first guys to inspire me as a kid to get into art. Before even looking at Picasso, Dali, Pollock or Warhol, alongside the great Rolf Harris, Tony Hart was the grandfather of art programs and the best of the bunch. Art Attack on ITV was the only replacement after Hart Beat ended, and a pale imitation at that. I'll always remember watching his techniques with chalks and paint believing them to be the most amazing things I'd ever seen. I remember being inspired by the works sent in for 'The Gallery', recognising most of it as largely rubbish, and knowing I could produce better (I must have had a bigger ego then?!). As I got a little older I also wondered how he managed to pull three gorgeous female assistants in that studio of his. Margot Wilson was the best. And Morph! Who could forget Morph, and his annoying pal with the mouth. What was his name? Oh yeah, Chaz!

2 comments:

Scott Docherty said...

I was another avid watcher. I even sent in to the gallery a picture of a beach scene I'd drawn, but (who'd have thunk it?!!) it never appeared on the show. RIP Tony.

Anonymous said...

It's so sad. I loved Vision On (only just old enough to remember it mind you!), and Take Hart. He made art look so easy and fun, like you say like Rolf Harris does too. And Morph and Chaz were works of genius. RIP.