Why Beauty Matters

The philosopher Roger Scruton steps in front of the camera and builds an argument about beauty. He says beauty does not lie in the eye of the beholder. For him it carries an objective value. He argues that twentieth century art moved away from that value. He says painting, architecture and music made room for ugliness instead. He points to work by Rothko, Franz Kline, Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin. He treats the prices these works fetch as a separate problem. He describes an art market that measures worth by price. For him that loss leads us into a spiritual desert. The documentary is built as an advocacy film. No opposing voice is given room. Favourable examples from modern art are largely left out. Critics drew attention to that omission. The broadcast drew a heavy response from viewers. The film belonged to a season the BBC devoted to beauty. Roger Scruton appears in the fifty nine minute documentary. It is a British production Louise Lockwood finished in 2009.