Brendan Neiland: Evolution of a Commission

This program explores two important aspects of the life of an artist, the commissioning of a work of art by a major institution and the artist's professional practice. It features Brendan Neiland, a well-established British artist whose work is in collections throughout the world. We follow the progress of one of Neiland's paintings commissioned by British Rail, seeing its creation from the start of the commissioning process through the many processes of creation to the reproduction and display of the work as a poster on Kings Cross Station, London. We also see how Neiland practices as a professional artist and we investigate his relations with his gallery and private clients. Featured in the video are art critics from the Sunday Times and the Financial Times who talk about Neiland's work, the commercial aspects of art and how much compromise the artist has to make in fulfilling the needs of a commission, and Neiland's family, who talk about his success and how it has impinged on their lives.