Improv and Fine Art w/ Verity Babbs
“Talking about art, just like doing improv, should be about gut feeling.”
Verity Babbs is a History of Art graduate, art writer, and curator. She hosts ‘Art Laughs’ on YouTube, interviewing the UK’s rising comedic stars about their favourite works of art.
Talking about art can feel like your first go at improv: “Where do I start?” “Will people think I sound ridiculous?” “Someone better than me is going to come along and make my attempt look pathetic.”
I work in the visual arts industry as a writer and curator. I received my BA in History of Art in 2019, and joined the Oxford Imps improv group in the second week of my degree. My arts education and improv training completely overlapped, and the latter undoubtedly supported the former.
Improv gave me the confidence to share my opinions and to use critical thinking creatively. In the same way that you can follow the joke to find The Game of a scene, you can dig into what you find appealing about the art you like to draw impactful conclusions. Learning to make up dialogue on the spot means that you’re less likely to get spooked when someone asks you to elaborate on your ideas in an art-focussed discussion. It goes without saying that the core values of ‘yes, and’ and not ‘blocking’ makes any conversation better.
Talking about art, just like doing improv, should be about gut feeling. The art world is full of jargon and pretentiousness and egos, and conversations about art can often feel like a Harold: full of structures that I never quite remember, and usually suffocating for creative flow. Freeing ourselves from fear of judgment and from supposed ‘rules’ is the key to creating good scenes, and engaging with (and actually enjoying) discussions about art.
I host a YouTube series called ‘Art Laughs’ where I interview comedians about a piece of art of their choice. Almost all guests are immediately alarmed at being invited, saying they know nothing about art, asking whether they need to do any research, and seeming mildly distressed. By the end of our talk the guest has relaxed, embraced their opinions, and the conversation has evolved to encompass many broader subjects. Art, perhaps more so than any other topic, has this strange power to make us feel stupid and unqualified. Even discussing politics doesn’t strike such a chord of fear, and plenty of people talk about that without research.
The art world has always had gatekeepers: usually well-educated, usually male, usually white, usually rich. If you haven’t got a PhD in Art History, you’re likely to feel underqualified to talk about art. That’s complete rubbish. I don’t think that it’s necessary to have read about art before having an opinion on it or to have a theoretical grasp on the various schools of improv in order to create engaging scenes. When we decide that books and theories are the “way in”, we lock out creativity and accessibility.
Both improv and art discussion are about confidence. No one is justified when they tell you that your opinion, suggestion, or scene-initiation was wrong or weak when what you brought to the table came from a place of emotional truth or real conviction. Is the reason you like that painting because it’s massive? Great. Because you like the colour? Great. Because it makes you laugh? Great. That’s the right answer. There aren’t any wrong ones.
Art shouldn’t be something lofty and intangible that’s held over us to make us feel less-than. Art is for its viewers, and it has the power to have real impact on our lives and thoughts, but only if we let it. I’d encourage any improviser who thinks they couldn’t talk about art to go to a gallery and pretend you’re doing a scene: you’re a curator introducing a new artwork to a client. You’ll be surprised how much like an actual curator you sound.
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