Work Of Art

I just got done watching Bravo's new show, "Work Of Art--The Next Great Artist." Think Project Runway but switch paintings for clothes. In fact, it IS Project Runway with paintings instead of clothes. The format is pretty much the same, the rules are basically the same. A bunch of people are gathered in a studio, tasked to paint a picture correlating to the assign theme (this week was portraits of an assigned partner), they have a showing of the paintings, and afterwards, the top and the bottom artists are gathered together to discuss just why they were in the top and the bottom. Then someone is named winner and someone is named loser, and the loser is kicked off the island...I mean, studio.

I'm a late-comer to the whole Project Runway thing. It's a fun show to watch when there's a marathon on and I should be doing something else but I don't really want to and need an excuse. I like the challenges that the designers have to partake in, and its not cheesey like America's Next Top Model has become. Both of those shows, for me, the appeal is watching the process, watching these people stumble through the challenge they're given and then the reveal, when all their hard work is on display, for better or worse. Sometimes contestants look totally lost, and then their final product (dress, picture, whatever) is shown to be really neat. The catty-ness and infighting are definetly not the appeal to me at all (although my boyfriend cracks up at some of the critiques the judges give the designers on Runway).

My first impression of Work Of Art is pretty much positive. I'm in. I want to see who wins. It was cool for me to see these people race against time for something that, well, in the end, usually has to dry! I would sooo mess up my piece on the way to the gallery under the gun like that! Not to mention having to come up with something good constantly, and in a very short time constraint! I participated in the "Masterpiece in a Day" contest in my neighborhood last year, for the first time, and Damn! That felt like an art marathon and I was only half way happy with my work! I was so tired. These poor mooks are gonna be exhausted, physically and creatively, when they're done!

The Contestants: My money's on Abdi. I liked him. Maybe it was the nerd in me and the fact that he painted himself like some kind of superhero for his entry-piece for the show. He seemed the most real, without pretense, and I related to him and the opinions/feelings he voiced during the show. I like his work, and hope he makes it all the way. He's interesting and down to earth. He had real-world reasons for what he was doing and not all "this is the inner turmoil blah blah blah and if you don't get it, you're not cool enough" about his art. Go Team Abdi!

Nao: She needs to take a pill, calm down, and quit judging the other artists. And she needs to shut up and take the critique. She does not know all and I hope this close call humbled her a bit. I did like her barrett at the end of the show. Maybe some cool Fimo clay or something. If I had some Fimo clay, I might be moved to make one for myself...if she wasn't so holier than thou all the time. "I'm not responsible for how people see my art!" Geez.

Miles: This poor kid looks like he won't physically make it through the show! He won this week, but he looked like he was going to melt down first. He has OCD and its cool that the OCD set is getting represented, but I just hope the kid doesn't break before the last episode. Maybe he'll come out of this knowing better how to roll with the punches.

Erik: The new guy. He's the amatuer guy that doesn't know much about the world of art. Ok I get that. Hell, I'm practically there sometimes. I did like his quote about how the professional world does things just so, but the amatuer world doesn't know those rules and therefore knows no limits. hehehehe. But quit giving excuses. Ignorance isn't an excuse. Don't use your amatuer-ness as a crutch. It ain't cool and it'll get old fast.

I look forward to next Wednesday and yeah its a reality show and yeah it's cheap entertainment, and like Tyra Banks' models, its not like the winner of this thing is really gonna be the next Michaelangelo (or Remy just barked "Rembrandt!") but it'll get the general public thinking and maaaayyyybeee coming to HIP SIPS TO BUY SOME ART!!!!

Really subliminal there huh?
Ok enough screwing around by this artist and back to booth preps for Hip Sips!