The State Of The Art

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01The Reinvention Of Giles Flint-greenfield20231029Ed Stoppard kicks off William Boyd's savagely funny short story series skewering the contemporary art world.

Giles Flint-Greenfield, a St James' art dealer with a penchant for post-war British watercolours, is finding his world rather small. But when Ludo Abernathy, an old and far more successful art dealer friend, cuts him in on the mother of a deal, new and potentially terrifying horizons open up for him in East London. All too soon Giles has swapped his tweed for black leather, and St James' for a car maintenance shop, and is feeling very much out of his depth among the art lovers of Leyton. Not least because he isn't quite sure how Ludo is making him so much money - ¦.

Reader: Ed Stoppard. Other readers in the series: Tom Hollander, Adrian Scarborough, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Hayley Atwell.

Writer: William Boyd is the author of 17 novels, including A Good Man in Africa, winner of the Whitbread Literary Award and the Somerset Maugham Award; An Ice Cream War, winner of the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize and shortlisted for the Booker prize; Any Human Heart, winner of the Prix Jean Monnet; and Restless, winner of the Costa Novel of the Year

Producer: Justine Willett

Giles Flint-Greenfield, a St James' art dealer with a penchant for post-war British watercolours, is finding his world rather small. But when Ludo Abernathy, an old and far more successful art dealer friend, cuts him in on the mother of a deal, new and potentially terrifying horizons open up for him in East London. All too soon Giles has swapped his tweed for black leather, and St James' for a car maintenance shop, and is feeling very much out of his depth among the art lovers of Leyton. Not least because he isn't quite sure how Ludo is making him so much money - .

A savagely funny short series from William Boyd skewering the contemporary art world.

A St James' art dealer with a penchant for postwar British painting finds terrifyingly new horizons opening up for him in East London, in William Boyd's savagely funny new series.

02A Modest And Reliable Talent20231105Adrian Scarborough continues William Boyd's brilliantly funny short story series skewering the contemporary art world.

Giles Flint-Greenfield, a St James' art dealer with a penchant for post-war British watercolours, is finding his world rather small. But when Ludo Abernathy, an old and far more successful art dealer friend, cuts him in on the mother of a deal, new and potentially terrifying horizons open up for him in East London. All too soon Giles has swapped his tweed for black leather, and St James' for a car maintenance shop, and is feeling very much out of his depth among the art lovers of Leyton. Not least because he isn't quite sure how Ludo is making him so much money - ¦.

In today's story, Godfrey Wintle makes a decent living from his modest East Anglian watercolours - he's proud of this. But when he arrives at his art dealer's edgy new gallery, east of East London, he fears that Leyton's art lovers might not take to his views of Swaffham Church ...

Reader: Adrian Scarborough

Writer: William Boyd

Producer: Justine Willett

Adrian Scarborough continues William Boyd's savagely funny short series on the art world.

Giles Flint-Greenfield, a St James' art dealer with a penchant for post-war British watercolours, is finding his world rather small. But when Ludo Abernathy, an old and far more successful art dealer friend, cuts him in on the mother of a deal, new and potentially terrifying horizons open up for him in East London. All too soon Giles has swapped his tweed for black leather, and St James' for a car maintenance shop, and is feeling very much out of his depth among the art lovers of Leyton. Not least because he isn't quite sure how Ludo is making him so much money - .

A savagely funny short series from William Boyd skewering the contemporary art world.

When Godfrey Wintle arrives at his dealer's edgy new gallery, he fears East London's art lovers might not take to his modest watercolours, in William Boyd's savagely funny series.

03A Lens-based Artist20231112Julian Rhind-Tutt reads the next in William Boyd's savagely funny story series, skewering the contemporary art world.

Giles Flint-Greenfield, a St James' art dealer with a penchant for post-war British watercolours, is finding his world rather small. But when Ludo Abernathy, an old and far more successful art dealer friend, cuts him in on the mother of a deal, new and potentially terrifying horizons open up for him in East London. All too soon Giles has swapped his tweed for black leather, and St James' for a car maintenance shop, and is feeling very much out of his depth among the art lovers of Leyton. Not least because he isn't quite sure how Ludo is making him so much money - ¦.

In today' story, Fernando Benn, enfant terrible of contemporary art, and self-styled lens-based artist, is ready to take the art world by storm. But he can't help wondering whether he's being taken seriously enough?

Reader: Julian Rhind-Tutt. Other readers in the series: Tom Hollander, Adrian Scarborough, Ed Stoppard.

Writer: William Boyd is the award-winning author of 17 novels.

Producer: Justine Willett

The next in William Boyd's savagely funny series set in the contemporary art world.

Giles Flint-Greenfield, a St James' art dealer with a penchant for post-war British watercolours, is finding his world rather small. But when Ludo Abernathy, an old and far more successful art dealer friend, cuts him in on the mother of a deal, new and potentially terrifying horizons open up for him in East London. All too soon Giles has swapped his tweed for black leather, and St James' for a car maintenance shop, and is feeling very much out of his depth among the art lovers of Leyton. Not least because he isn't quite sure how Ludo is making him so much money - .

A savagely funny short series from William Boyd skewering the contemporary art world.

Fernando Benn, enfant terrible of contemporary art, and self-styled lens-based artist, is ready to make some big money, as Julian Rhind-Tutt continues William Boyd's new series.

04The Mona Lisa Scam20231119Tom Hollander continues William Boyd's brilliantly funny short story series skewering the contemporary art world.

Giles Flint-Greenfield, a St James' art dealer with a penchant for post-war British watercolours, is finding his world rather small. But when Ludo Abernathy, an old and far more successful art dealer friend, cuts him in on the mother of a deal, new and potentially terrifying horizons open up for him in East London. All too soon Giles has swapped his tweed for black leather, and St James' for a car maintenance shop, and is feeling very much out of his depth among the art lovers of Leyton.

In today's story, Giles' gallery out in Leyton is now on the map. And 'Art consultant' Ludo Abernathy is making his name, and quite a lot of money in the contemporary art world. But are his methods entirely legit?

Reader: Tom Hollander is an acclaimed screen and stage actor, known most recently for his roles in White Lotus, Rev and The Night Manager.

Writer: William Boyd

Producer: Justine Willett

Tom Hollander continues Will Boyd's savagely funny series skewering the world of art.

A savagely funny short series from William Boyd skewering the contemporary art world.

Art consultant' Ludo Abernathy is making his name and and awful lot of money out in E20. But are his methods entirely legit? Tom Hollander continues William Boyd's story series.

05Gallerina, Gallerina20231126Hayley Atwell reads the final story in William Boyd's savagely funny short story series skewering the art world.

Giles Flint-Greenfield, a St James' art dealer with a penchant for post-war British watercolours, is finding his world rather small. But when Ludo Abernathy, an old and far more successful art dealer friend, cuts him in on the mother of a deal, new and potentially terrifying horizons open up for him in East London. All too soon Giles has swapped his tweed for black leather, and St James' for a car maintenance shop, and is feeling very much out of his depth among the art lovers of Leyton. Not least because he isn't quite sure how Ludo is making him so much money - .

In today's final story, Bethany is working at the achingly hip gallery Feuerstein & Grünesfeld out in East London. But is the art world beginning to feel more like the Wild West?

Reader: Hayley Atwell is an acclaimed stage and screen actor, known most recently for her roles in the Captain America and Mission Impossible series.

Writer: William Boyd

Producer: Justine Willett

Hayley Atwell reads the last in William Boyd's short story series skewering the art world.

A savagely funny short series from William Boyd skewering the contemporary art world.

An assistant at a gallery in East London fears that the contemporary art world has become more like the Wild West, as Hayley Atwell reads the final story in William Boyd's series.