Best of YouTube
a weekly column devoted to gems from the web’s most comprehensive source of videos
by Maddy Fry

This is Civilisation by Matthew Collings
Last year Channel Four made a brilliant yet barely-noticed foray into the world of art via the series “This is Civilisation,” presented by art critic Matthew Collings, now thankfully serialised in full on YouTube. Moving from the classical legacy of the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians to the art of the world’s major religions, to early surrealist works and post-modernism, his analysis of the impact that art has had on human consciousness and self-perception is presented in a thought-provoking yet down-to-earth manor. He never assumes expert knowledge from the audience, whilst simultaneously managing to prick and rouse the intellect of anyone with even the slightest interest in art history.
The central premise of the series – that of how art is the greatest example of the human desire to be “civilised” in the face of mankind’s more primitive and barbaric instincts – is refreshingly bold, unusually so for C4. It’s sad that the Channel too often bows down to the altar of Big Brother at the expense of the more mature and challenging programmes it is clearly capable of making. Such offerings a rare – take full advantage of this one.