Ministry of Arts Podcast

Gary Mansfield
  • 4.6 (9)
  • Visual Arts
  • Updated Biweekly

Possibly the World's most inclusive art podcast. Artist & Curator Gary Mansfield talks to emerging, established and world renowned artists each week in his quite unique manner. Gary's booming Cockney voice and jovial approach, is a breath of fresh air for those within the art world and a beacon to those that thought it inaccessible. Previous guests include: Maggi Hambling, Mark Wallinger, Gavin Turk, kennardphillipps, Mat Colishaw, Ray Richardson, Camille Walala, Rankin, Keith Brymer-Jones, PureEvil, Tanya Ling, Koestler Arts, Stuart Semple, Richard Wirson RA, Sarah Maple, Jenny Eclair, Katy Wix and Adam Buxton . Feel free to contact Gary with any queries, comments etc: email: ministryofartsorg@gmail.com All Social Media: @ministryofartsorg To find out more on Gary Mansfield go to: http://www.garymansfield.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 6d ago

    Ep.311 Louise Fletcher - Ministry of Arts Podcast

    In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Louise Fletcher (@LouiseFletcher_Art) Louise Fletcher is a UK-based artist whose atmospheric, semi-abstract paintings are inspired by the wild landscapes of North Yorkshire, where she lives and works. Her practice explores the relationship between place, memory and emotion, using expressive colour, texture and intuitive mark-making to create landscapes that feel both familiar and imagined. More recently, Louise has been embracing change and experimentation in her work, moving towards increasingly intuitive and abstract approaches while allowing new ideas to emerge without forcing a particular outcome. This openness to creative discovery is central to her philosophy as an artist. Louise is also widely known as the co-host, with fellow artist Alice Sheridan, of Art Juice, a popular podcast exploring the realities of creative life, from making and selling art to confidence, inspiration and the challenges of sustaining an artistic practice. After six years and hundreds of episodes, the podcast concluded in 2025, leaving a lasting resource for artists and art lovers. For more information on the work of Louise Fletcher go to https://www.louisefletcherart.com/ To Support this podcast from as little as £3 per month: www.patreon/ministryofarts For full line up of confirmed artists go to https://www.ministryofarts.co.uk Email: ministryofartsorg@gmail.com Social Media: @ministryofartsorg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ep.311 Louise Fletcher - Ministry of Arts Podcast

  2. Oct 4

    Ep.310 Ryan Stanier/Fair Play Art Fair - Ministry of Arts Podcast

    In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Ryan Stanier, founder of Fair Play Art Fair (@FairPlayArtFair) Ryan Stanier, founder of The Other Art Fair (2011), is about to launch a brand new art fair during Frieze week. Fair Play Art Fair brings around 70 independent artists to One Marylebone for four days this October. Meet the artists, see their work up close and, if something grabs your attention, buy it directly from the person who made it. Every artist exhibiting at Fair Play has been chosen by an independent Selection Committee for the quality of their work, not their ability to pay for exhibition space. This opens the fair to artists beyond the usual commercial routes, providing a broader yet still curated view of art being made today. A sense of play runs through the whole fair, with live performance, music, artist-led events, food, drink and late-night programming drawing you through One Marylebone and into the evening. Expect live performance, music, artist-led events and unexpected interventions throughout the building, with selected nights carrying on late. Full programme coming soon. Fair Play is a new, curated, artist-first fair, designed to connect outstanding independent artists with engaged collectors and a new generation of art buyers. Join us at One Marylebone from 15-18 October. The general sale Advance price is £24. For more information on the work of Pure Evil go to https://fairplayartfair.com/ To Support this podcast from as little as £3 per month: www.patreon/ministryofarts For full line up of confirmed artists go to https://www.ministryofarts.co.uk Email: ministryofartsorg@gmail.com Social Media: @ministryofartsorg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ep.310 Ryan Stanier/Fair Play Art Fair - Ministry of Arts Podcast

  3. Sep 23

    REWIND Ep.218 Peter Morris - Ministry of Arts Podcast

    In this REWIND episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Peter Morris @petermorrisarchitects @kcawlondon Peter Morris is primarily an architect, who has been running his own practice for over a decade. But his other creative work – as an artist, illustrator, model-maker and designer of products and interiors – has always sat alongside his architectural work, and he loves to bring the colour, quirkiness and joy of his artworks to his buildings wherever possible. The sculpture joining KCAW ART TRAIL this summer is a Wendy House version of a house that Peter is about to start building for his family, in North London, called The Cloud House – and the story of how this lifelong dream came into being has deep roots in the K&C borough. Commenting on the theme of this year’s Kensington + Chelsea Art Week, Peter said: “Kensington & Chelsea changed me, and this artwork reflects and celebrates that change.” For more information on the Kensington Chelsea Art Week & Trail go to https://www.kcaw.co.uk To Support this podcast from as little as £3 per month: www.patreon/ministryofarts For full line up of confirmed artists go to https://www.ministryofarts.co.uk Email: ministryofartsorg@gmail.com Social Media: @ministryofartsorg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    REWIND Ep.218 Peter Morris - Ministry of Arts Podcast

  4. Sep 1

    Ep.309 GG The Illustrator - Ministry of Arts Podcast

    In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to GG The Illustrator (@ggtheillustrator)   GG the Illustrator is a London-based artist whose work celebrates the architecture, people and communities of council estates across the capital. Working across acrylic, watercolour and digital illustration, she creates detailed, colourful images that document everyday life in neighbourhoods often overlooked by the traditional art world. Her ongoing mission to paint every council estate in London reflects her passion for preserving the memories, character and identity of working-class communities, particularly as estates face regeneration, demolition and displacement.   Through her art, GG challenges perceptions of council housing and gives importance to places and stories that are frequently ignored, creating a lasting record of London’s changing social landscape.   For more information on The Art Car Boot Fair, go to: @art_car_boot_fair   To Support this podcast from as little as £3 per month: www.patreon/ministryofarts   For full line up of confirmed artists go to https://www.ministryofarts.co.uk Email: ministryofartsorg@gmail.com Social Media: @ministryofartsorg   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ep.309 GG The Illustrator - Ministry of Arts Podcast

  5. Aug 10

    REWIND Ep.75 Alison Lapper MBE

    This week Gary Mansfield speaks to Alison Lapper MBE (@alison_lapper_mbe) Born with no arms and shortened legs, Alison Lapper spent most of her childhood trying to piece together her own identity. Her extraordinary background and passion for creativity has given us one of the county’s most inspirational artists. Alison’s reputation was bolstered when Marc Quinn created his modern day ‘Venus de Milo’ for Trafalgar Square’s fourth plinth, a white marble sculpture of the 8 months pregnant Alison titled, ‘Alison Lapper Pregnant’. That sculpture also went on to be shown at the Venice Biennale with an inflatable version used for the opening of the 2012 Paralympics opening ceremony. Alison was awarded an MBE in 2003 and later, an honorary doctorate from the University of Brighton. Since this episode Ali and I have been firm friends, working together a few times and both being trustees for @the drugof.art, a charity to encourage young people to be creativeto support their mental health.   For full line up of confirmed artists go to https://www. ministryofarts.org Email: ministryofartsorg@gmail.com Social Media: @ministryofartsorg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    REWIND Ep.75 Alison Lapper MBE

  6. Aug 2

    Ep.308 Steeldoor Studios - Ministry of Arts Podcast

    In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Steeldoor Studios (@SteeldoorStudios)   Steeldoor Studios is the pseudonym of a self-taught artist whose work has been shaped by a lifetime of institutional experience, including many years spent in prison. Creating primarily in acrylic, ink and pencil, the artist explores themes of identity, confinement, recovery, resilience and personal transformation. Their paintings frequently feature powerful self-portraits and symbolic imagery, inviting viewers to reflect on the psychological effects of incarceration and the enduring capacity for hope.   Despite being colour-blind, Steeldoor Studios has developed a distinctive visual style, using carefully selected palettes and expressive compositions to convey emotion and narrative. Art became both a creative outlet and a means of rehabilitation, allowing difficult experiences to be transformed into meaningful works. The artist's work has been exhibited publicly and discussed at conferences, gaining recognition for its honesty and emotional depth. Through Steeldoor Studios, creativity becomes a vehicle for healing, self-expression and reconnecting with society beyond prison walls.   Solo Show -  ‘Stretched to the Limit’ by Steel Door Studios at National Justice Museum Saturday 23 May to Sunday 1 November 2026   “Steel Door Studios has produced a deeply moving and personal reflection on a broken prison system; each piece invites us to confront difficult truths and asks: who holds the power to define the prison system? Collectively, the pieces propose that we all have a responsibility to shape a system that benefits the whole of society by placing rehabilitation, well-being and desistance from crime at its core. “   For more information on the work of Steeldoor Studios go to https://steeldoorstudios.com/   To Support this podcast from as little as £3 per month: www.patreon/ministryofarts   For full line up of confirmed artists go to https://www.ministryofarts.co.uk Email: ministryofartsorg@gmail.com Social Media: @ministryofartsorg   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ep.308 Steeldoor Studios - Ministry of Arts Podcast

  7. Jul 22

    REWIND Ep.70 Unskilled Worker - Ministry of Arts Podcast

    This week Gary Mansfield speaks Helen Downie aka Unskilled Worker (@unskilledworker)   Helen is a self-taught artist and has been painting for just seven years, in that short time, she has amassed over 280,000 Instagram followers, under the Moniker Unskilled Worker and has become one of the country’s most sought after painters. Helen wanted her Unskilled Worker to be anonymous, sexless, ageless and colourless. She wanted it to be anyone. As her popularity grew, as did the viewer’s curiosity as to whom this person was, that created such stand-alone artwork. To Helen’s amusement, the most popular belief was that it was a 24 year old male behind this name.   This podcast was recorded via the video meeting app, ZOOM; during social distancing, using the built-in software.   For full line up of confirmed artists go to https://www. ministryofarts.org Email: info@ministryofarts.org Social Media: @ministryofartsorg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    REWIND Ep.70 Unskilled Worker - Ministry of Arts Podcast

  8. Jul 5

    Ep.307 Andy Aitchison - Ministry of Arts Podcast

    In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Andy Aitchison (@AndyAitchison.uk)   Andy Aitchison is a documentary photographer best known for his long-term exploration of the UK prison system. Since first photographing inside HMP Wandsworth in 2004, he has spent more than two decades documenting life behind bars, gaining rare access to prisons across the country. His work moves beyond stereotypes, portraying prisoners and staff with dignity while revealing the realities of confinement, rehabilitation and institutional life.   Aitchison's photographs often focus on work, education and everyday routines, highlighting the humanity of people living and working within the prison estate rather than sensationalising crime. Strict security protocols and ethical considerations, including prisoner consent and restrictions on identifiable images, shape his practice. His photography has supported charities, featured regularly in Inside Time, the UK's national newspaper for prisoners, and formed part of major exhibitions and publications examining Victorian prisons.   Andy Aitchison’s new book Incarcerated offers a compelling photographic exploration of life behind prison walls, combining striking imagery with human stories. The collection challenges assumptions about incarceration, revealing resilience, vulnerability and the complex realities experienced by people within the UK justice system.   To order your copy of Incarcerated go to: https://bluecoatpress.co.uk/product/incarcerated-andy-aitchison/   To Support this podcast from as little as £3 per month: www.patreon/ministryofarts   For full line up of confirmed artists go to https://www.ministryofarts.co.uk Email: ministryofartsorg@gmail.com Social Media: @ministryofartsorg   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ep.307 Andy Aitchison - Ministry of Arts Podcast
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4.6
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Possibly the World's most inclusive art podcast. Artist & Curator Gary Mansfield talks to emerging, established and world renowned artists each week in his quite unique manner. Gary's booming Cockney voice and jovial approach, is a breath of fresh air for those within the art world and a beacon to those that thought it inaccessible. Previous guests include: Maggi Hambling, Mark Wallinger, Gavin Turk, kennardphillipps, Mat Colishaw, Ray Richardson, Camille Walala, Rankin, Keith Brymer-Jones, PureEvil, Tanya Ling, Koestler Arts, Stuart Semple, Richard Wirson RA, Sarah Maple, Jenny Eclair, Katy Wix and Adam Buxton . Feel free to contact Gary with any queries, comments etc: email: ministryofartsorg@gmail.com All Social Media: @ministryofartsorg To find out more on Gary Mansfield go to: http://www.garymansfield.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Gary Mansfield
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    383
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2018: Gary Mansfield/www.ministryofarts.org
  • Show Website
    Ministry of Arts Podcast

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