Original Cast of the ITV Serial Drama 'Coronation Street' 1960

Curator: Let's discuss John Bratby's 1960 painting, "Original Cast of the ITV Serial Drama 'Coronation Street'." Editor: It strikes me immediately as a bold, almost aggressively textured piece. The oil paint is applied so thickly, you can practically feel the ridges. Curator: Indeed. Bratby’s impasto technique is quite evident here. But consider also the social context. “Coronation Street” was a revolutionary program, depicting working-class lives on television, and Bratby was capturing this cultural moment. He saw the shift in Britain’s television landscape as more accessible to the working class. Editor: The materiality reinforces that accessibility, doesn't it? There's a raw, unpretentious quality to the brushstrokes. The way he has worked with the material is also unrefined; it mimics the texture of everyday life. It's not trying to be precious. Curator: Absolutely. And the painting became, in itself, a commentary on representation. Bratby, celebrated for his 'kitchen sink realism,' found in 'Coronation Street' a compatible subject, celebrating the drama that everyday life offered through ordinary individuals. Editor: I also notice the blend of portraiture and landscape, the architecture of Weatherfield acting as backdrop to these newly famous faces. This challenges traditional art boundaries as it moves the spotlight from the landed gentry of Britain to new, equally powerful actors. What would typically take place inside is moved to an exterior location for greater viewership, for greater reach and accessibility. Curator: The perspective is intriguing as well, looking from an unusual angle which can be argued, reinforces its popular appeal to wider, previously neglected audiences. Editor: A democratization of representation. The paint itself mirroring that socio-political shift in its own construction and presentation. Curator: Ultimately, it seems Bratby understood the transformative power of this new medium and saw its relationship with society; both things deeply informing the other, to transform how a culture represents itself. Editor: It does make you think about what 'street' they were trying to represent in terms of materials used to reflect working-class life—which continues to make this work significant.