Anh Do’s Brush With Fame Series, 8.30pm, Wednesday, ABC TV
OVER the years the ABC has had a bit of a brush with art shows and Anh Do’s Brush With Fame is the latest foray.
After two weeks of Olympics, it’s kind of nice to get a dose of culture, well of something a little different.
This is one of those chat shows with a difference that Aunty seems to do so well (Julia’s Home Delivery, anyone?).
This time however Anh Do has swapped out with Ms Zemiro and the celebrities are sitting for portraits, not being taken back to their childhood homes in this eight-part series.
As the PR says – Australians love Anh Do for his comedy, his best-selling books and his work in film and TV, but not many know he’s also a passionate painter.
Yep in fact Anh was a finalist in the 2014 Archibald Prize with a portrait of his father.
In this series Anh gets up close and personal with a number of Australian celebrities as he paints their portrait. Signing up to sit in the chair are Amanda Keller, Jimmy Barnes, Magda Szubanski, Craig McLachlan, Anthony Mundine, Kyle Sandilands, Kate Ceberano and Dr Charlie Teo.
According to Anh his best work as a portrait painter comes when he finds “the soul of the person”, so while painting, he digs deep into their psyche and discovers what makes them tick. As he talks through their life, childhood and formative years, along with the humour, Anh unearths their deepest, darkest secrets.
Yep this is an interview with a twist again – with the added bonus of getting to see the celebs face when the big reveal happens. And of course the subjects share private and rare archival material, such as personal photos and videos, which further paints a very different picture of them. It’s a journey for both the artist and his subject.
As Anh chats to them and discovers more about their past, this affects the way he paints their portrait. He also bonds with them as they find they have shared experiences and hardships.
– Tania Phillips
