Work of Art

[€uroMeinke]

I watched this show (http://www.bravotv.com/work-of-art) last night which is a sort of Project Runway for artists. On one level it seems wrong, but then again, the show does sort of challenge many preconceptions about art and artists. I'm curious to see how it plays out, what kind of "challenges" are dreamed up, and what art interests the critics, and the public - as well as how the artists might play with their manufactured celebrity.

I think Andy Warhol would be proud

[Ghoulish Delight]

Oh did that start already? I only saw one ad for it, was skeptical, but once I heard that it's the same producers as Top Chef and Project Runway I got intrigued. Might tune in.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Caught episode 2. We really liked it. We've now got a season pass.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

We're really enjoying this show. I feel inspired to start a new Open Mic challenge, which I'll post in a bit.

[€uroMeinke]

I was most amused by the "shocking" art challenge. I love how they have to delete the word sh*t but can talk about sucking oneself off, or masturbating on a drawing. Also amused that they couldn't show a simple line drawing of a penis but detailed and abstract anuses are okay.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I'm amuse by the girl who continually talks about how shy she is and uncomfortable with the attention people pay her because she's attractive...but wears nothing but the most cleavagy of cleavage shirts and all of her art is about her being naked and having people stare at her. The thing is, I tend to like her finished product, but her process and false modesty are tiresome.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I was most amused by the "shocking" art challenge. I love how they have to delete the word sh*t but can talk about sucking oneself off, or masturbating on a drawing. Also amused that they couldn't show a simple line drawing of a penis but detailed and abstract anuses are okay.Regarding the "sucking oneself off" piece, I thought it was better than the judges did, but then I looked up the unedited version online. Once I saw the complete lack of design in the genitals, I realized how bad it really was.

At first I hated Miles but now I love him. He's the tortured artist that a show like this needs. Whether his issues are "all in his head" or are true mental problems doesn't really matter. When it comes to the work, he knows what he wants to express, he works concisely to get there, and the result is original and interesting. While abstract and malleable enough to allow different interpretation, he still gets his point across every time, to everyone. Extremely impressive, week after week.

[Not Afraid]

Yeah, I'm having issue with "the body". She's got a great body and shows off every curve, takes alluring pictures of herself and claims to be modest. Right. Me thinks she protests too much. I have likes her work so far, but I think I would like it better if I didn't "know" her.

Miles is VERY good. He's got a strong persona as well, but it doesn't get in the way of his work - it only seems to enhance it.

I wonder how much of my feelings about these two artists has to do with own feeling and perceptions as a woman.

[Ghoulish Delight]

What I've loved so far about this show is that none of the critique has been "it's ugly". It's all about, "This fails to either convey the message you intended, or you failed to develop your idea beyond some simple notion into something actually meaningful."

It's easy to look at art that is of an aesthetic you don't appreciate and dismiss it. What the show has done a great job of so far is to really show the difference between art that has a strong sense of idea, message, and purpose, vs. art that's just slapped together without vision. For the most part that distinction been pretty clear through the processes of each artist and through the final pieces. Great job.

[Not Afraid]

I totally agree, GD. The critiques have been a favorite part of the show.

[€uroMeinke]

I think Miles has a unique advantage in this show in that his anxiety/OCD issues make him think about things in an entirely different way. I think the notion of turning out art on demand within 24 hours would make most people resort to the easy, the literal, the comfortable, and unknowingly cliché - I know I'm having a hard time thinking through the open mic challenge myself.

I also like the body girls work, and think it's her own ambivalence to her body/sexuality and relationship to men and power that's driving the interest. Still curious to see how this all plays out and what challenges are conjured up

[Ghoulish Delight]

I think Miles has a unique advantage in this show in that his anxiety/OCD issues make him think about things in an entirely different way. I think the notion of turning out art on demand within 24 hours would make most people resort to the easy, the literal, the comfortable, and unknowingly cliché - I know I'm having a hard time thinking through the open mic challenge myself.
The show makes me very anxious during the "process" parts for that very reason. That whole, "go on, think of an idea! Do it! Think of something creative!" really sets me on edge.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I have likes her work so far, but I think I would like it better if I didn't "know" her. Total agreement. Makes me wonder how many pieces I've admired over the years were done by people I would have disliked personally. Intriguing.

SO glad the worthless cutesy chick is gone. Did they only include her because they wanted one Christian? Her art barely cracks the teen level conceptually.

[€uroMeinke]

I think they did a good job to populate the field with a number of different artists, performance artist, Architect, photographers, outsider artist - I suppose the Christian gal rounded out the variety - so far though ost of these "specialist" have been weeded out, but I like that selection of media also plays a role in what the artists present.

[flippyshark]

I've now caught up with every episode, and I'm enjoying this show a lot.

Miles sets off my BS radar, and he gets on my every nerve, but I really like his work.

I loved John's winning Time Machine book cover, but that was the only thing of his that I liked. The little ladder really sold it. I might even buy this if I run across it.

Nothing on the shocking show shocked me, not even the Andres Serrano stuff. (Which I find really beautiful, what I've seen at least.)

Christian gal was really irritating, so yay, she's gone. I'm also ready for hip art school boy to go away. (The one who did the self-portrait tryptich)

Fun stuff.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I'm also ready for hip art school boy to go away. (The one who did the self-portrait tryptich)Nooooo! :)

[Morrigoon]

I'm sorry... the chick dorm is called the William BEAVER House?

[Alex]

Could be worse, until 2001 Arcadia University was Beaver College (and even better Beaver College, until 1972 Beaver College was a women only school). It is located in Beaver, Pennsylvania.

And of course the women of Oregon State University have had to put up with a lot of hassle over the decades.

[Not Afraid]

This show has been sparking a lot of discussion in various circles I'm involved with. I had a fun time at the Art Walk last night talking about it with a few of the artists in the show. I will ALWAYS appreciate things that provoke discussion.

[flippyshark]

Last night's show was one of those that makes me question the whole setup. it was clearly a manufactured drama. I presume that the loser was informed ahead of time that he had been selected to go (maybe he was told this well in advance, like near the beginning of the whole process.) The whole teamwork set-up provides a perfect opportunity for the producers to interject phony conflict and create "spontaneous" outbursts. I didn't buy a moment of it. This makes me wonder about all that has come before and will transpire hence. It's still very enjoyable, but this ep was naked BS.

(This squares with what I learned from a local girl who made it to LA on American Idol a few years back. She was offered a chance to appear for three or four weeks, take on a manufactured obnoxious persona and then be sent home. She declined the exposure and money that would have represented, and I don't blame her a bit.)

[Ghoulish Delight]

You think so? I suppose it's possible but I didn't read it that way at all. I think the fact that we're dealing with "Artists", people prone to dramatics to begin with, combined with being on TV, results in a "natural" exaggeration of conflict and melodramatic behavior. I see no need for producers to actively create it. I have no doubt they select for volatile personality types, and perhaps even encourage them to err on the side of drama and conflict, but I can't imagine it takes much more than that to produce this result.

So given that I was already assuming these people to be drama-queens, I saw nothing "phony" about the conflict. He pretty vocally set himself up as an outsider by insisting on having a "signature component" in a group project. Of course you're going to be treated like an outsider and have your ideas ignored after you've made it clear that you don't want to contribute to the whole but that you're more concerned about making yourself stand out. All of course to an exaggerated and melodramatic degree, but isn't that what we all hope to see from tortured artists?

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I truly felt bad for Eric since I identified with him somewhat. At first it seemed all he wanted was to make sure he took some substantial part in the project so he could point to something in front of the judges. But it became apparent that he just hated the others so much that it was impossible for him to compromise and work with them. The big irony being that he himself was being an artist diva while calling them on their artiness.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Looking past the drama...

I really loved the form of the losing piece. Like Simon said, the space that the curve created was really attractive. And I liked the aesthetic of the shingles on the side. But the support structure was just some 2x4's bolted together, left it looking really unfinished. And I wish Eric had been able to work with them better and get them to listen, because the "patchwork" sheeting just looked sloppy.

The other team's piece was almost great. Like Simon, I really dug the geometry of the big element, and the paint job, which did a perfect job of mimicking natural shading, put it over the top. And I liked the little individual pieces as well, I just wish they had done something to give those outlying pieces more dimension and connection to the whole. Just plopping them on the ground was lazy.

[flippyshark]

I feel as though there is a detectable difference between real off-the-cuff conversation and unscripted but prompted improvisational acting. The drama in this episode seemed very prompted to me. ("Oh my gosh, did you see Jaclyn give me this note" Eric says to Ryan quite a bit louder than anyone would in actual confidentiality. Of course, there is a camera there, but really ...) Nothing in the main story seemed organic or spontaneous. I can't prove it at all - but my BS meter spiked at things like:

- Eric worries out loud that the judges will ask him what his contribution was. Simon de Pury walks in the door and doesn't miss a beat - "So, Eric, what did you contribute to this?" He's barely even looked at the piece. Very stagey, and this kind of "perfect timing" of events and reactions happened throughout.

- The whole drama from a few episodes back when Jaclyn didn't give Eric credit for his idea about writing on her photos - that felt awfully "do it for the cameras" - and her weird apology to Eric at the start of this challenge just clinched its phoniness for me. And that whole "Jaclyn wrote me a note" sub-plot - and the very Theater 101 improv feel of the dialog as he confided in Ryan about it had me rolling my eyes, even while I was enjoying it on a narrative level. There are genuinely spontaneous moments on this show, and every reality/ elimination show - and they always contrast with the manufactured drama moments. Again, can't prove it ...

- Eric is so worried that he will be sent home, then goes well out of his way to completely throw himself under the bus, in ways that just look stupid and melodramatically petulant. ("No, I won't help you carry it, I'm going to go sulk and chain smoke.") Yes, that could happen with these temperamental people, but I honestly feel I can tell the difference between real flare-ups and cosmetic ones, and Eric wasn't a very good actor. I would be willing to put a small amount of cash down that he was informed long ago that he would be playing the outsider, and that he would be instructed to throw his game in a later episode, making sure to say derisive things about "art school pussies" along the way.(He was never this vituperative before, was he?) A "teamwork" themed episode provides the perfect opportunity, because no one is creating individual works - and no matter which project might have won, his out-of-the-blue poutiness gets him ousted as planned.

- In every episode, you see the participants sitting in an indoor neutral space and talking to the camera about events that are going on in the main narrative. These talking head moments are scattered throughout the show. They are pretty obviously all filmed at the same time, presumably after everything has gone down, but the people talk as though they are still in the middle of the situation. So, we see footage of them arguing out in the public park, then cut to Eric in a chair back at home base saying "I'm not going to let them boss me around" as though he is still "in the moment" out at that park. This is common to every one of these shows, and is a good textual clue that everybody engages knowingly in creating an illusion. (I'm being generous in guessing that these interviews are made after the fact. If this episode is really as contrived as I'm accusing it of being, they could well have done it all before they filmed the drama.) Anyway, pay attention to this quirk whenever you watch reality TV. Artist splashes paint - cut to artist in chair saying "I really feel like this is going to be my best work - cut to continuation of same shot of artist splashing paint. Artist makes terrible error. Cut to artist in same chair saying "I ruined the painting. I'm going to have to start all over again." The apparent continuity of the footage belies the artist having taken two separate trips to the talky couch. I hope I'm making this clear, and I hope I don't look too silly blathering on about it so much. (This textual mistake even happens on The Office, where it certainly doesn't matter, but it is a kind of narrative impossibility.)

My gut feeling right now is that the show is going to keep building on the "no one wants to say out loud that Miles is a douchebag" theme - Miles is clearly just too good an instigator not to build conflict around. (I'm no expert, but Miles' OCD disorder seems to change in very plot-convenient ways. iThe assertive, aggressive type A fellow he played in this episode seems very different from the diffident afraid-of-sunlight, super sensitive gotta-sleep-can't-talk-to-anyone dude of earlier episodes. Seems like he can turn it off and on at will, and I'm guessing that's exactly what he's been asked to do.) Anyway, I say look for a Miles-Ryan standoff real soon, and look for a Miles vs.Jaclyn denouement. That's my guess, and I'm sticking to it for now.

So, I may be totally off base in my suspicions, but I do feel them strongly. This doesn't in any way prevent me from enjoying the show and wanting to see the next one right away.

[flippyshark]

OH, and the whole dramatic "Do you know what that skyline used to be?" revelation. I don't believe it was genuine!

sorry - being a pesky crank.

Yes, GD. The patchwork looked terrible. I do wonder what the snake scale look would have been like.

I liked the winning piece quite a bit, and worry that I'm almost certainly a philistine for liking it.

[Ghoulish Delight]

My gut feeling right now is that the show is going to keep building on the "no one wants to say out loud that Miles is a douchebag" theme - Miles is clearly just too good an instigator not to build conflict around. (I'm no expert, but Miles' OCD disorder seems to change in very plot-convenient ways.
Surely you've known people in your own reality who self-diagnose as [insert vague social disorder here] whose "symptoms" manifest only at the most dramatically convenient times.

I too detect a lot of fakery and setupitude. I guess I just accept it as part of the conceit of these shows.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Flippy, this is an honest question - how much reality TV have you watched? Most of the questions you pose can be answered with "that's the deal with these shows."

First - any time there's a group project on these shows, there's always someone who didn't contribute enough and they're kicked off. For Eric to bring it up immediately is expected, and for Simon to ask is expected.

Second - the shows are highly edited and designed around beats and story arcs. You really don't need a script to manipulate what we see into a storyline.

Third - people know they are on camera and act up. They want their plot points to be heard so they speak obviously and complain pointedly.

Fourth - the "confessional" shots are always done later, after the show was filmed, and are responses to prodding from someone off-camera.

All of this stuff is as old as the Survivor hills, and much of it dates older, from the Real World. Noticing it is like watching Seinfeld and complaining because the actors pause when the audience laughs.

[Not Afraid]

We caught up tonight with the "Eric" show.

First of all, I liked the losing piece on a conceptual level much more than I like the winning piece, which I compared to Stonehenge from Spinal Tap. I thought the scale was all wrong and the piece was in no way interactive or compelling. But the team did "play nice" with each other.

Eric acting like a child did not surprise me one bit. He's always felt like an outsider and played that card a little too often - to his detriment. Come on - a clown on a pallet? You don't have to go to art school to know what a cliche that is! He's a talented individual, but his own lack of self-esteem, and the excuses he makes for himself got old for me by the 3rd episode. When I learned it was to be a group project I just KNEW Eric would be the one to go. He's too insecure to play well with others.

I've only watched one other reality show - Project Runway - but it is similar by the fact that there are creative people working together and, sometimes creative people CAN be quite the prima donna. I'm not sure I have a good handle on what a "normal" reality show looks like.

[€uroMeinke]

I've been picking Eric to leave for awhile now, so no surprise on tis one.

I thought the comment about the Blue Teams piece not looking safe was lame - it's art, not playground equipment, let it be a little dangerous. That said I liked it more before they "finished" it.

As for the scripting, I think I expect a lot of that coming out of the editing, you're always being presented with some manufactured drama so I always wonder about what's not being shown for being to boring or not fitting into the selected "storyline."

[flippyshark]

Flippy, this is an honest question - how much reality TV have you watched? Most of the questions you pose can be answered with "that's the deal with these shows."

First - any time there's a group project on these shows, there's always someone who didn't contribute enough and they're kicked off. For Eric to bring it up immediately is expected, and for Simon to ask is expected.

Second - the shows are highly edited and designed around beats and story arcs. You really don't need a script to manipulate what we see into a storyline.

Third - people know they are on camera and act up. They want their plot points to be heard so they speak obviously and complain pointedly.

Fourth - the "confessional" shots are always done later, after the show was filmed, and are responses to prodding from someone off-camera.

All of this stuff is as old as the Survivor hills, and much of it dates older, from the Real World. Noticing it is like watching Seinfeld and complaining because the actors pause when the audience laughs.

You've diagnosed the disease quite accurately. I avoid this genre and always have, probably because the contrivances and tropes interest me so little. (Reality, hah!) I abjured Survivor and its ilk from day one. For whatever reason, I got sucked into the first season of Top Chef, and now this show, but yeah, your Seinfeld analogy has the sting of truth. I'm allergic to the very fabric of reality TV, and still sputtering with disbelief about it. But Work of Art is engaging enough to keep my attention. Thanks for putting up with me.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

:) No worries Flippy, and I hope no offense was taken. Personally, I still can't stomach sitcoms with laugh tracks or studio audiences. Each to his own!

[Alex]

Also worth noting is that while all of those things are part of reality TV creation, they can still be done with varying degree of skill that help or distract from the suspension of disbelief necessary.

Haven't seen the show in question so no comment, but it is possible they are worse at handling those aspects than other shows.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I'd say it's a shame about Ryan but in the end, he turned out to be the wrong kind of artist for the show. He did prove himself a literalist, which is great for his line of work. I mean, really? Drawings that look like children's drawings?

I was rooting for that chick to go, since she can't possibly create art if it doesn't have a picture of her naked in it. Oh well, one more week, and I'm sure she'll go soon.

[€uroMeinke]

Actually, I found the naked chicks art to be the most aesthetically appealing - even if devoid of meaning. I wish I could see the winning pieces in person - on screen they both looked a mess, but as installations I'm sure they were much more engaging in person.

I was hoping Ryan would take what his mom envisioned and create his version of Watch Tower Art, that would have been awesome, and I think something his style could translate into a potentially compelling work.

[flippyshark]

I agree, Ryan should have gone for broke exploring his Jehovah's Witness background. I know I was rooting for his ouster a few weeks back, but now that he's gone, I'm kinda sorry. I laughed at his comment about how he carefully dishevels his hair. Hey, a poser gains a lot of charm by admitting as much. (I should know)

I was very much hoping for Jaclyn to lose this time. And I still can't stand Miles, but his duct tape squares and rubber band ball piece really did look pretty cool.

Alas, next week is another team challenge.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

It was really interesting how so many of them struggled with this particular challenge. In Top Chef they do this challenge a lot - "make a dish inspired by the moment you decided to be a chef" - and it never throws them for a loop, they just take a dish they made with their mom growing up or a dish they learned in college or whatever and make it fancy shmancy.

On this show so many crashed and burned, and I blame it on the distracting nature of the materials they had to work with. If they were allowed to use the studio instead we might have seen better work from everyone.

[€uroMeinke]

It was really interesting how so many of them struggled with this particular challenge. In Top Chef they do this challenge a lot - "make a dish inspired by the moment you decided to be a chef" - and it never throws them for a loop, they just take a dish they made with their mom growing up or a dish they learned in college or whatever and make it fancy shmancy.

On this show so many crashed and burned, and I blame it on the distracting nature of the materials they had to work with. If they were allowed to use the studio instead we might have seen better work from everyone.


I don't know, food-wise you can be quite literal for the inspiration whereas here, taking things literally is a strike against as the critics are looking for things more evocative of the feelings of those turning moments.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I don't know, food-wise you can be quite literal for the inspiration whereas here, taking things literally is a strike against as the critics are looking for things more evocative of the feelings of those turning moments.I guess...though if you turned out food that looked and tasted like it was made by a 5 year old it wouldn't work either.

I'd argue that you could recall a project you did at a young age and redo it as an accomplished adult....but who knows if that would work.

Yeah, the comparison isn't very good. I do think the materials threw them. I was a bit pissed that Miles just shut down, did a repeat piece and flew under the radar. I don't know why such an abstract piece worked for the challenge. Perhaps only because the others had such trouble.

On it's face, "do art regarding your experiences when <blank>" shouldn't be too tall an order, especially on a topic as broad as growing up.

[Morrigoon]

I would have liked to see someone do a childlike drawing side by side with an adult masterpiece version of the same thing.

I also think that guy that did all the drawings laid out in a grid, might have gone over better if he had in some way highlighted the three that meant something to him, perhaps put those three in colorful frames or something?

I'd like to see them do a challenge, get the critique, and then get a second chance at the challenge, and have the choice to either improve what they did, or take a new approach.

[€uroMeinke]

I'd like to see them do a challenge, get the critique, and then get a second chance at the challenge, and have the choice to either improve what they did, or take a new approach.

That's pretty much what Simon does. I think a bunch of artists changed direction after his comments in this last round.

[Morrigoon]

Yeah but they seem to get so much more from the "real" crit, and I think it would be interesting to surprise them after the results by making them repeat.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Hmm, I don't think a repeat would be interesting enough for the viewer, especially if most of them didn't change much about their piece.

Perhaps a better approach to that idea would be to have an entire show about the process of art refinement...though I still kind of think watching Monet paint his haystacks endlessly wouldn't be very entertaining, though I love those paintings dearly.

[Not Afraid]

I really can't blame any of the artists for not fully exploring the concepts presented to them in their challenges. They have a VERY short time to complete projects. I know my thought processes don't move at lightening speed - especially when I'm under pressure.

[Morrigoon]

Can I just interject for a moment to complain about the obnoxious fashion victim outfits they keep putting the hostess in?

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Can I just interject for a moment to complain about the obnoxious fashion victim outfits they keep putting the hostess in?Heh, I like some of them, others are laughable. When they were in the woods and she appeared I thought she was going to say "I'll be your spirit guide today."

Was very sad to see Nicole go - I preferred her to Peregrine, though P will make for a very interesting final show. Thank goodness the naked chick was booted. If she pulled it out of her ass during this one I would have been very upset.

Abdi's work was breathtaking!

Can't believe the show is almost over! Moremoremore!

[Not Afraid]

Jackie doesn't know what to do if she can't use her body as a focal point. She's a one trick pony.

I really had a hard time picking 3 in the end (from the other 4). I was actually hoping they would do what they sometimes do on PR and go with 4. I still don't know if they made the right decisions with the exception of Miles. Tough call but I cannot wait for next week.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I was a little bummed that Nicole didn't make it, but not at all because I didn't think Peregrin deserved it. Honestly, I would have been a little bummed no matter which of the 4 didn't make it, I like them all.

Yeah, the finale has the potential for amazing.

[€uroMeinke]

I was hoping Nicole would make the cut as she seems more mature as an artist than Peregrin. Jackie lost her chance when she decided not to get naked in the woods.

I wonder if any of them will give Miles some real competition,

[Ghoulish Delight]

Abdi certainly does if he can settle on a vision for his work in time to get stuff done. Peregrin does if she can execute her visions with more eye toward technique and execution.

And of course Miles can always shoot himself in the foot by either overthinking, or trying to "outsmart" whatever challenge he's given and just deliver some canvas with an ocd pattern on it.

[flippyshark]

I'm also a little surprised that Nicole didn't make it, and I hope she gets a boost from the exposure she's gotten here. My money is on Miles for the finale, but I'll be happy if either of the other two upsets this likelihood. Fun show. I'll actually watch it again if there is a season two. (Not happening with any other reality show)

[Ghoulish Delight]

Oh, and any last little shred of sympathy for naked girl disappeared with the whole "I took a picture at the apartment" thing. WTF do you mean "one person shouldn't get to decide who can use what."?? Peregrine didn't decide, the producers of the show whose rules you agreed to decided it.

Idiot.

[flippyshark]

I cheered her departure.

[Morrigoon]

I was just so over the "I keep photographing myself naked and surviving the challenges" thing. And I hated Miles' installation for the opposites attract challenge.

[€uroMeinke]

Oh, and any last little shred of sympathy for naked girl disappeared with the whole "I took a picture at the apartment" thing. WTF do you mean "one person shouldn't get to decide who can use what."?? Peregrine didn't decide, the producers of the show whose rules you agreed to decided it.

Idiot.

I know and it was just a picture of an umbrella in the bathtub - no nudity at all

[Ghoulish Delight]

Actually I'm pretty sure they also briefly showed one of her nude in the same bathtub.

[Not Afraid]

We got to see Miles' ass.

[Not Afraid]

Oh, and any last little shred of sympathy for naked girl disappeared with the whole "I took a picture at the apartment" thing. WTF do you mean "one person shouldn't get to decide who can use what."?? Peregrine didn't decide, the producers of the show whose rules you agreed to decided it.

Idiot.


Yeah, that had me pretty pissed off as well. I also didn't like her "I need the money more than the others so I deserve to win" attitude. But, she's just a shy, modest girl that worked with Jeff Koons.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

We got to see Miles' ass.And it was sweet. :snap:

[Ghoulish Delight]

Abdi certainly does if he can settle on a vision for his work in time to get stuff done. Peregrin does if she can execute her visions with more eye toward technique and execution.

And of course Miles can always shoot himself in the foot by either overthinking, or trying to "outsmart" whatever challenge he's given and just deliver some canvas with an ocd pattern on it.

Ding ding ding ding, give that man a cigar!

Give Abdi 3 months and boy howdy can he pull something together! I totally agree with the judges that the body bag painting had something that completely elevated it. The light coming from that subject was mesmerizing. And, it just wouldn't have been Abdi without the last-minute mayhem as he broke his sculptures apart unpacking them. Hah!

I also really loved Peregrine's exhibit, but agree with the judges that it was just too unfocused. Abdi made the comment that he only kept the pieces that were really good. Peregrine needs to learn that skill. Because she most definitely has pieces that are really good, but get buried in the pile.

Miles, Miles, Miles. It's funny, I relate so much to him. I know that if I were to ever sit down and try to "be an artist" I'd pretty quickly end up where he ends up. He starts with a 10,000 foot view of something and recognizes that there's meaning in it. He zooms into it at the most microscopic scale and in doing so finds that meaning within himself. And then he stops there, which is where, every time I consider trying to communicate in that way, I fear I would stop too. HE knows why that ultra-zoomed level has meaning, but he's unable to step that zoom back a few notches to communicate that to the audience. He needs to find a way to bridge that gap between the representational and the meaning that HE sees in the fully abstract. Which is no easy feat. I know I would have no way of articulating the meaning I feel from the abstract doodles I've churned out, I just know it's there. If he can find that optimal zoom level, he'd be an artistic giant.


I can't believe it's over! I want more! Bring on season 2!

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I would have given it to Peregrine...but Abdi was extremely strong and I'm not surprised he won. Both of them did so well!

I can't believe Miles didn't build something. Kind of a let down. I thought his zoomed in pixels were beautiful but lacked meaning. Would be nice decor for a pixel-based business.



I had a dream about a crazy artist last night. He was a big man and frighteningly intense. I stuck sitting with him while he worked on a piece of wall art and talked to me about the process for what seemed like more than an hour. He went somewhere else for a little bit and I was trying to figure out how to get away from him. I think on some level I knew it was a dream (Inception has messed with my head) but the way I tried to leave was by trying to "delete" the work he had made, perhaps thinking that he was only here because the art was here. I only succeeded in deleting the work he had done in the past hour and suddenly he was back. Once he saw what I had done he was in a towering rage. I dropped to my knees trying to make him understand how very sorry I was. End.

Why I had a nightmare about this show I'll never know.

[flippyshark]

I would have given it to Peregrine by a slim margin, but I was very impressed by Abdi. Interesting to compare Abdi at home with Mom to Miles at home with the folks. Abdi seemed like a grown up at his Mom's house, Miles seemed like a little boy who hasn't left yet. Peregrine sure as heck had the most bohemian crib, even if she described her marriage as conventional. I'd love to end up as half of such an arty pair in such a space.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I find the ideas behind Peregrine's work far more compelling than Abdi's, but I've never been much of a fan of collage. I like it to some degree, but while I love the individual elements that go into her sculptural collages a whole lot, I don't really like the aesthetic of the piles she ends up with. Just a bit more attention to structure and arrangement would go a long way for me.

With what she's said about her commune upbringing, the "conventional marriage" line got a chuckle out of me.

[Not Afraid]

Well, we finally got to watching it this evening. First of all, I have to sat I COMPLETELY loved this show! It was super exciting, interesting and throught provoking. Bring on more!

I was really loving everything Peregrin did. I thought her entire installation worked together as a whole beautifully. It reminded me of some of the room installations at the MOCA Ecstacy show. She really was my pick to win and I'm disappointed she didn't. I am looking forward to seeing her work in the future - I think she's going to have a brilliant career.

I do have to say that all three artists did really great collections. All three were cohesive, thought provoking and interesting. I'm just surprised by the outcome. Abdi was my last choice of the three.