Jo's Art History Podcast

Hello and welcome back to Jo’s Art History Podcast!
This episode is part of a special five part series, produced in collaboration with British Art Fair and PensionBee, celebrating five artists who’ve found a second act in life through their creative practice.
Their work will be shown as part of the Born To exhibition at British Art Fair this September.
The Artist:
Annie Luke Turner trained as a nurse and spent years juggling work with raising three neurodiverse children. She started an Art Foundation when her youngest was just three, but it wasn’t until she left her marriage at 52, and later left her job after Covid, that she was able to focus fully on her own art. She describes the last six years as everything finally coming together, and she now paints every day.
Annie recently won the Abstract Women in Art Prize, has a solo show coming up at Hampstead School of Art, and a residency lined up.
This will be her first time showing her work in London.
Featured works:
'Staffa' and 'Corryvreckan 1'
Connect with the Artist:
www.annieluketurnerartist.com | Instagram: @annieluketurnerartist
PensionBee
This episode’s PensionBee segment asks: Why do I need a pension?
Thank you to our partner PensionBee, a leading online pension provider on a mission to build pension confidence so that everyone can enjoy a happy retirement. PensionBee’s exciting campaign ‘Born to Retire’ highlights how retirement isn’t the end of your life, it’s just the beginning. In celebration of this campaign, PensionBee is holding a feature exhibition ‘Born To’ at British Art Fair, showcasing what becomes possible when financial security gives people the freedom to pursue their passions. Curated by me, Jo McLaughlin, presenter of Jo’s Art History, the artists featured are all aged 50 and over, with practices that reflect longevity, reinvention, or sustained creative ambition. Discover the exhibition from 24 to 27 September at the Saatchi Gallery, London.
PensionBee’s monthly podcast, The Pension Confident Podcast, aims to help listeners better understand the world of personal finance and pensions. Listen or watch the full episodes on YouTube. Their website and award-winning app help savers understand pensions with helpful tools like their Pension Calculator, blogs, and videos. With PensionBee, you can manage your pension savings online with ease and can combine and contribute from one place. Self-employed pension savers can even open a flexible pension plan, contributing as often or as little as they like. Find out how PensionBee can help you retire well.
When investing, your money is at risk.
Thank you for listening to Jo's Art History Podcast

WE ARE BACK and this time Jo's Art History Podcast is teaming up with British Art Fair and PensionBee for a special five part series, running weekly from August 25th, in the lead up to British Art Fair 2026.
This series shines a light on second acts. Earlier this year, an open call went out and received over 500 entries from people who'd come to their creative practice later in life, whether after raising a family, after a completely different career, or simply once time finally allowed it. Five artists were shortlisted from those entries, and across this series, host Jo McLaughlin sits down with each of them to hear their story in their own words.
Their work will be shown as part of Born To, an exhibition at British Art Fair, running 24 to 27 September 2026 at Saatchi Gallery, London, alongside a selection of established modern and contemporary British artists.
Each episode also features a special sponsored segment with Maike Currie, VP Personal Finance at PensionBee, as part of their Born to Retire campaign, helping demystify pensions along the way.
New episodes drop weekly, so follow or subscribe to Jo's Art History Podcast to catch every conversation.
In this series:
Five artists. Five second acts. One exhibition proving it's never too late to begin.

Presented in collaboration with British Art Fair and PensionBee.
PensionBee
Thank you to our partner ⁠PensionBee⁠, a leading online pension provider on a mission to build pension confidence so that everyone can enjoy a happy retirement. PensionBee’s exciting campaign ‘Born to Retire’ highlights how retirement isn’t the end of your life, it’s just the beginning. In celebration of this campaign, PensionBee is holding a feature exhibition ‘Born To’ at ⁠British Art Fair⁠, showcasing what becomes possible when financial security gives people the freedom to pursue their passions. Curated by me, Jo McLaughlin, presenter of Jo’s Art History, the artists featured are all aged 50 and over, with practices that reflect longevity, reinvention, or sustained creative ambition. Discover ⁠the exhibition⁠ from 24 to 27 September at the Saatchi Gallery, London.
⁠PensionBee⁠’s monthly podcast, ⁠The Pension Confident Podcast⁠, aims to help listeners better understand the world of personal finance and pensions. ⁠Listen⁠ or ⁠watch the full episodes⁠ on YouTube. Their website and award-winning app help savers understand pensions with helpful tools like their ⁠Pension Calculator⁠, ⁠blogs⁠, and ⁠videos⁠. With ⁠PensionBee⁠, you can manage your pension savings online with ease and can combine and contribute from one place. ⁠Self-employed⁠ pension savers can even open a flexible pension plan, contributing as often or as little as they like. Find out how ⁠PensionBee⁠ can help you retire well.
When investing, your money is at risk.
Thank you for listening to Jo's Art History Podcast

Welcome to Saints and Their Signifiers!
Have you ever stood in front of a painting and wondered why that saint is holding a wheel, a sword, or a lamb — and what it all means? You're in the right place.
Saints and Their Signifiers is Season 5 of Jo's Art History Podcast, and this time we're doing something a little different. Rather than our usual format, this season is fully thematic — diving deep into one rich subject across every episode: the iconography of Christian saints.
We'll be unpacking the symbols, attributes, and visual clues that artists have used for centuries to tell their stories — exploring why that saint is holding a key, a lily, or a severed head, and what it reveals about the world in which these works were made.
Whether you're a long-time listener coming back for another season, or a newcomer drawn in by the art on your feed, you're very welcome here. No prior knowledge needed — just a love of art and a curiosity about the world behind the image.
We can't wait to share this season with you. Subscribe now, and we'll see you in the first episode.
We'll see you soon!

In this episode of Jo’s Art History Podcast, Jo McLaughlin is thrilled to welcome back to the podcast art historian, writer and comedian Verity Babbs, who is here to talk to me about her brand-new book, The History of Art (In One Sentence).

The book’s synopsis is as follows:
What’s so special about Dutch paintings of cheese? When does Art Nouveau become Art Deco? Why were the Pre-Raphaelites obsessed with gingers? Who thought it was a good idea to put a big dead shark on display? In this book, comedian and art historian Verity Babbs journeys through 50 key art movements across history, answering 10 questions for each in just one sentence. Within these fascinating, and sometimes hilarious, nuggets of art wisdom, Verity covers everything from who inspired the movement and its impact on history, to the key artists and artworks for each. Spanning 500 years – from the Renaissance to the Young British Artists – this wonderfully illustrated book is for anyone who wants to learn more about art and also have a little giggle along the way.

Guest Details:
Verity Babbs - UK-based 

Find Verity online:
Website: https://www.veritybabbs.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veritybabbsart

Host Details:
Jo McLaughlin is the creator and host of Jo’s Art History Podcast, an art historian, writer, and passionate storyteller dedicated to making art history accessible and engaging for all.
Find Jo online:
Website: ⁠www.josarthistory.com⁠
Instagram: @josarthistory
LinkedIn: Jo McLaughlin

Resources & References:

You can purchase the book from all good retailers. 

Support the Podcast:
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and rating on whatever platform you are listening on. Your support helps us reach more art lovers!

Follow Jo’s Art History Podcast for more episodes on Itunes, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Let’s keep the conversation going! 
Share your thoughts on social media using #JoArtHistoryPod and tag us @josarthistory.

If you would like to purchase a book from my Amazon wish list as a gift to say thank you and support a future episode, please do so here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/FZ1XZKILJJCJ?ref_=wl_share
Thanks for listening! 🎨✨

In this episode of Jo’s Art History Podcast, Jo McLaughlin is joined by Rebecca Odessa, to discuss the artist Labyrinths in Art History.

Whether you’re an art enthusiast, a history buff, or just curious about the stories behind the masterpieces of the past, this episode is packed with fascinating discussions and fresh perspectives.

Guest Details:
Rebecca Odessa - Artist based on the Isle of Man

Find Rebecca online:
Website: http://www.rebeccaodessa.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebeccaodessa

Host Details:
Jo McLaughlin is the creator and host of Jo’s Art History Podcast, an art historian, writer, and passionate storyteller dedicated to making art history accessible and engaging for all.

Find Jo online:
Website: www.josarthistory.com
Instagram: @josarthistory
LinkedIn: Jo McLaughlin

Resources & References:

Chartres Cathedral
https://www.cathedrale-chartres.org/en/cathedrale/monument/the-labyrinth/  

Richard Long
https://teaching.ellenmueller.com/walking/2022/04/03/richard-long-connemara-sculpture-1971/

Mark Wallinger 
http://art.tfl.gov.uk/labyrinth/about/
https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=d5be2ea9143ccd98&sxsrf=AHTn8zrbft7LV9-w76Q7fgPfGaTykD5-DQ:1740228694670&q=labyrinth+in+art+history&udm=7&fbs=ABzOT_CWdhQLP1FcmU5B0fn3xuWpA-dk4wpBWOGsoR7DG5zJBmQC-et4UnwhHFEfTDjtrGg-xS-t736QShNPCBz-Y1jy5zM-6m-dNEt6mgM5KncKVyeorK3o4Z5JjHDOV1aCn6qJ51ZX5jNkVsPw8INJ0sdYjPu1AEJVpIIgUVbVsQZQlk749FqdM1eg8ROI4Wm1Vig0DRFm&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwilyLGJqdeLAxVDWkEAHR7rARAQtKgLegQIEBAB&biw=1041&bih=920&dpr=1.6#fpstate=ive&ip=1&vld=cid:c40c7db0,vid:NFsski0UyJk,st:0

Support the Podcast:
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review and rating on whatever platform you are listening on. Your support helps us reach more art lovers!

Follow Jo’s Art History Podcast for more episodes on Itunes, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Let’s keep the conversation going! Share your thoughts on social media using #JoArtHistoryPod and tag us @josarthistory.

If you would like to purchase a book from my Amazon wish list as a gift to say thank you and support a future episode, please do so here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/FZ1XZKILJJCJ?ref_=wl_share
Thanks for listening! 🎨✨