Work of Art: How to Lose Friends and Alienate People

Work of Art

By SexyPanda | Monday, July 19, 2010 | 10:00 am | 43 Comments
Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in: Featured, Recaps, Work of Art

haley_joel_osment_the_sixth_sense_001“I see art school pussies.”

Hello, fellow lovers of television, Bravo, and art!  I know, there are a whopping five of us in the world, so it shouldn’t be too hard to pull up a seat to chit-chat with me about this week’s episode of Work of Art.  It was certainly dramatic, and I certainly didn’t care for any of the “art” that was created this time around.  But the right person went home this week, and that’s all that matters.  Also, I got my fill of Vitamin D and rum this past week, so we’re good to go.

Last week, the gang drove cars through NYC and documented their journey through their art.  Jaclyn’s trapping of the male gaze garnered her the win, and Jaime Lynn went home for producing yet another junior high art class piece.  I felt like it was Jaime’s time, and I’m still stewing a little about Jaclyn’s win.  But whatever.

What are we in for this week?  Well, basically an hourlong tantrum from Erik, that’s what.  The artists are getting ready for the new day, and Mark asks Erik what he’s going to do this time around.  Erik whines that he doesn’t know what the judges want, that he doesn’t get all the conceptual shit and the acting (ahem, Miles) and will just do what he does.  And he takes a swig from some carton of what I believe is coconut water.  I’ve seen this carton on pretty much every Bravo show lately.  What is it with these product placements without having the accompanying commercial during the break?  It’s intrusive.  But I’m sure the Bravo ad sales department is cheering because I noticed it AND said something about it.  Because now you’ll all be looking for it. I’ll let you know where you can send the check, guys.

Back to Erik:  he’s sulking because he’s not winning and Miles is.  And Jaclyn. I really think any other artist could be winning challenges now and Erik would be okay with it.  But Miles, and to a lesser extent, Jaclyn, bugs the absolute shit out of him.  I’m not there for the whole experience he’s having, but I gotta think I’d be inclined to feel the same way.  Then we hear the usual interview of doom, where a contestant talks about how important this show is to them.  That means Erik is going home tonight!  You all know I’m right, so I won’t pretend like it’s even a question.  Let’s just catalog his missteps along the way for fun, hmm?

The artists head out in their Audis (with drivers this time, I’m sure).  They arrive at an open lot with some stuff scattered throughout.  Walls with ladders sticking straight out, parallel to the ground; big rocks that look like abandoned rock-climbing walls; etc.  Nicole is excited, thinking it’s a public art challenge.  She LOVES public art.  I don’t know what “public art” is.  Isn’t all art public?  Isn’t private art what my date wants to do behind closed doors?

I Google it, lest I let you all down.  Public art is indeed public.  It’s also usually outdoors and challenges the creators to consider the site where it’s being installed, the community that will be partaking in it, and the collaborative effort that it takes for it to be created.  There are a whole bunch of other specifics to consider about it, but for our purposes, this is good enough.

081006loveHere’s some from the town I love!

China’s there to greet the artists at this public art space.  With her is Yvonne Force Villareal, a pajamas-clad nerd.  Oh, I’m sorry, she’s just wearing impossibly large glasses and some printed jumpsuit that looks like Nick and Nora PJs at Target.  Yvonne is the cofounder of the Art Production Fund, and she explains to the artists what public art means to HER.  Basically, she’s laying down the unspoken rules of this week’s challenge.  Again, public art considers the site first, is inspired by it.  Then the piece uses the site to “heighten the communication” to the public.

PJsWe may have to sic “What Not to Wear” on this chick.

Then China tells the group that they have two days to create a work of public art.  Nicole’s like me, very expressive in her reactions to things.  She grins and jumps around at the idea of doing public art.  When China tells them that it’s a team challenge–two teams of four–she makes a long, slow “ohhhhh snaaaaaap” gesture.  I thought I caught her making a “hanging myself from a noose while shooting myself in the head” gesture, but I can’t be sure.  From what I can tell, NO ONE is happy that it’s a team challenge.

Well, time to pick teams. Of course, it’s by random assignment, again by tubes of paint.  Jaclyn chooses first, since she won last week.  Which makes no sense–there’s no advantage to choosing first if it’s all random.  Stupid.  Anyway, the teams break down as follows, and the tension between parties is pretty much exactly what you expect:  Blue team: Jaclyn, Erik, Miles, and Peregrine.  Red team:  Mark, Nicole, Abdi, and Ryan. I’m happy to see the other team be pretty happy with their set-up.  Other than Mark, they’ve got a bunch of positive energy! Not so for Blue!

The artists have two days to complete the challenge.  Right now, though, they have 15 minutes to dream up public art ideas while in the space.  Then they’ll head back to the studio to pitch their ideas to each other.  The team will have to decide on one idea to see through to completion.  In a voiceover that was obviously recorded in a studio after the fact, China also tells them that the studio is stocked with “everything you could possibly need to do this challenge.”  Wow, I wish I knew what that meant–do they have welding tools and glassblowers and a full hardware store?  That’s pretty cool!  And I can’t help but think back to Launch My Line, when the designers had to buy ALL of their fabric for the entire season on the first day.  Crazy.

Right away, Blue Team heads off to a cleared space and Miles starts off with his tree-fort idea.  Are you surprised that he wants to build a fort?  Me neither.  Then he alerts the group to his other ideas for the challenge, his themes.  Wait a sec, I thought they were supposed to pitch ideas to each other later, after having time to get a feel for the space?   Erik throws out an idea of having vines grow up from the base into the structure of the tree-fort.  The team is totally on board with the idea.  Erik seems to be in a good place right now, is excited about making something big and sculptural.

woa601

Miles hops up on Erik’s shoulders so they can survey the site from the height of the tree-fort.  Jaclyn’s taking photos and Peregrine is taking notes.  They’re all working really well together so far, despite it being Miles’ idea, not a team idea.  Miles even has something nice to say about Erik (padded by a passive-aggressive barb about him being self-conscious about not having any formal art training), saying that he thinks Erik has great ideas and will flourish in this environment. You could not be more wrong, Miles.

Meanwhile, on the Red Team, a more collaborative thought process is happening.  Nicole speaks of how important the sky is to New Yorkers and is otherwise all tripped out about the zen of the space. Ryan’s just ready to get to work.  Typical Mars/Venus shit right there!

Before they head back to the studio, Jaclyn tries to make peace with Erik in the most awkward way possible.  Remember that a challenge or two ago, Erik gave Jaclyn the idea to have people write in Sharpie on her photos.  Jaclyn didn’t give Erik credit during crit and he pooped his diaper about it.  Instead of saying, “Hey Erik, I’m sorry about how things went down the other day.  I hope there are no hard feelings.  Let’s kick ass together on this challenge,” she says, “Also, for this challenge, I’m sorry, and I hope that…we just don’t bring up anything in the past.”   Ew, don’t remind me that we fought, okay?  Erik accepts the apology and is glad she extended the olive branch first.  He thinks Jackie’s a good egg.

Back at the studio, the Red Team sits down to brainstorm.  Nicole brought back some of the gravel from the site and speaks of how inspiring the shapes are.  Sigh, artists.  The group is very positive and teamwork-oriented so far.  And their idea is to build something that people can rest upon to gaze at the sky, based on the shapes of the space.  Bring nature back into the psyche, yadda yadda.   Sigh, artists!

The Blue Team is holding a board meeting at a drafting table.  As Peregrine’s pursing her lips to speak about their idea so far, Jaclyn’s totally shooting it down as being aesthetically unpleasant.  Erik is tapping a pencil against the table and looking like he wants to barf with insecurity.  I recognize the expression as one of my own from my past, when I’d get into a group situation with people who intimidated me.  My stomach is instantly nervous on his behalf.  Not sympathy, mind you, but empathy.

Anyway, Jaclyn doesn’t want the piece to look like a treehouse, and from the sketches we’re shown, it totally does.  Part of me is like, “Totally, no treehouse!  Treehouses suck!”  But then I get to thinking that there are probably a few cityfolk who’ve never had the pleasure of sitting in a treehouse, especially not in the middle of the city.  So why NOT a treehouse?  A no-bones-about-it treehouse?  Miles doesn’t seem to be put off by the blunt criticism and moves on to the next idea.  When Peregrine and Jaclyn shoot down the vines idea (Erik’s one contribution so far), Miles is cool with it.  Erik is not.  Jaclyn’s not very nice about it either, calling the vines “silly.”  The tree-fort is now something of a swoopy shape, somehow, by the way.

woa602And here’s a swoopy shape.

Erik’s really concerned that he’ll be totally walked over at judging if he doesn’t have a say in how this piece turns out.  When he tells that to the group, they’re all like, “Right, it’s a team challenge.”  No sweat, buddy.  But he feels like he’s being ignored or told that his ideas are stupid.  Start the pout patrol–it’s happenin’ in three, two, one…

Mark brags about his metalwork in recent months, as the Red Team starts to assemble their piece.  I like the pieces they’re showing us–maybe he should stick to metal for his medium.  His point of view seems more unique in that realm.  The rest of the team is drawing up plans and assembling materials.

Back over at the Blue Team, Miles and Peregrine are planning the angles of the swoopy tree-fort seat they’re building.  Erik is cutting lumber and Jaclyn is taking care of all the little stuff.  The way Erik says it, you’d think she was serving as a personal assistant/waitress or something.  So far, though, they’re all doing fine as a team.  Erik is totally helping out.  So, no big deal, right?  Just wait.

scales pere

Ryan and Abdi are cutting lumber on their side.  Ryan’s a little scary with the saw–stay far away, Abdi!  Then Ryan takes a flimsy-looking piece of wood and tries to break it, mock-angrily, over his knee.  It doesn’t break.  Over and over again, it holds fast.  What a doof.

The artists are done for the night and head home to the beaverhausen.  Erik and Ryan end up smoking together, as usual.  Ryan asks Erik about the teamwork at play on the Blue Team.  Clearly, Erik misses the point as he bitches to Ryan about the whole thing.  He is totally hung up on the idea of being called out for not having anything to do with the concept of the piece and seems to want to sabotage the teamwork element of the challenge just to prove his point.  Which is only going to prove him right…and get him eliminated.  So stupid.  Better to try and try and try again, until you’re done–fail on your own merit, than to shit all over your team because you think you might get unfavorably reviewed at some point.  Seriously, that chip on his shoulder’s gotta be pretty heavy.

The artists wake up and get ready for the day.  Miles sighs about his role as project manager for the piece, and Jaclyn adjusts her beret.  She’s got immunity, remember, but she still wants to win.  They do NOT show Erik angrily jerking off in the shower while sobbing “They won’t listen to me. I’ll show them!”

Next up is a whole bunch of typical “people working in teams to build complicated things out of wood” shots.  The only really interesting part is watching Ryan endanger life and limb with his carpentry skills.  Saws a-flyin’, screws a-hammerin’ (instead of a-screwin’), public art fixtures a-wobblin’.  It’s great.

I know a lot of it is purely editing, but boy is Erik ostracizing himself.  Miles, Peregrine, and Jaclyn are all handling the curved wood (heyooo!) for the giant Ikea Poang chair they’re building, but Erik’s just stirring varnish and looking on with angry yearning.  But wait!  Peregrine and Jaclyn ask Erik about making metal scales (like a snake’s) for the back of the Poang chair!  Like it’s his concept!  And it is!  He seems to have a good, solid idea and the girls seem to be behind it.  And he’s right, having some kind of pattern on the back of the chair would be way more interesting than a plain metal backing.

poangThe Poang we all know and love.  Mine’s sage green–how about you?

So, yay, Erik has a piece of himself in this!  Finally, redemption!  But Miles needs Erik to help him with another aspect of the piece, right now.  Erik defends his need for time to work on the snake scales, saying he needs to have a part of HIM in the piece for judging.  Miles immediately shoots down that way of thinking–that there is no “me” in the piece at all.  Not entirely true, since the WHOLE THING is really Miles’ idea.  BUT, I know what he’s saying and I respect it.  But there is totally a clash between Erik’s personality and the rest of the team’s methods.  Erik takes it all personally and is thinking of the competition, not the art.  But since this is a reality show with money at stake, I can’t blame him. In Miles’ defense, they have a LOT of work to do and little time to do it.

Wow, that was a jumbly paragraph with wayward allegiences.  Sorry!  I’m struggling with a need to nap my sunburnt body and also my expectation that writing about this Erik vs. the WORLD drama would be easier than this.

Simon arrives for pre-crit.  He fans Erik’s flames by specifically mentioning that during judging, they will be expected to tell the judges exactly what they did, each team member as a unique person.  Though they’re working as a team, they will be judged individually.  So, Erik is right to worry about that, but he still can’t sabotage the team’s effort in order to save his own skin.  Such a shame that he just can’t see that catch-22.

Simon enjoys the Red Team’s concept so far, and he asks who’s responsible for that idea.  Abdi credits Nicole, but she deflects it and shows Simon the gravel from the site to show what they’re trying to do.  The only part that Simon doesn’t quite get is how they’ll tie in the little sculptured rocks in with the giant construction.  He warns them that it could turn out awesome or awful.

Over at the Blue Team’s area, Jaclyn shows Simon the plans for the main structure of their piece.  Then Simon asks what message the piece will convey.  The camera’s on Erik, who opens his mouth to speak, but Miles, off-camera, takes it.  He stops to give Erik a chance to speak, but Erik’s not assertive about it so Miles continues.  Unfortunately, when Miles continues, he speaks of this group challenge piece as though it’s his own piece, calling it a continuation of his last piece, about finding simple spaces in a crazy world.  Eye-fuckin’-roll.

And could the body language be any clearer here, too?  As Erik’s bitching about Jaclyn’s and Miles’ “art school bullshit,” he’s standing alone on one side of the piece.  Peregrine is telling Simon how great the team is working together as she stands on the other side with Miles and Jackie.  Simon asks Erik what he’s contributed so far, and Erik says that he’s just been hauling heavy things around.  As though that’s nothing.  Meanwhile, what specific idea of Peregrine’s is in this piece so far?  Nothing that I really know of (that they’ve shown), and SHE doesn’t have a bug up her ass about it.  Oh, Erik.  You are too tender about it all.  Erik ends the session with a passive-aggressive warning to Simon to wear clothes he doesn’t mind messing up when he climbs into their piece.  Ouch.

blue teamThey’re all actually afraid of Erik, so they’re using the piece as a protective device.

After that, the group implodes.  Rather, Erik implodes. Miles asks for Erik to help get this thing done, Erik says he doesn’t care.  He’s not into it.  Then he starts personal attacks on Miles, for playing the “tortured artist” character and so forth.  Peregrine is mewing in the background, “Stop it!” and pacing. She really looks distressed. Miles is looking down, waiting for Erik to finish. The Red Team stops what they’re doing to watch the shit show.  Erik ends his rant with, “I’m not your fucking helper.”  Well, douchebag, it’s a group challenge and they’re ALL helping.  So fucking help or leave.

Erik, having vented a little steam at Miles, decides to be charitable and help after all.  Now that the team morale damage has been done!  Miles stops him, though.  He wants Erik to help, but only if Erik’s going to ACTUALLY help and not constantly prod the team with insults.  Erik gets all fired up again, thinking Miles is being a dictator and kicking him off the team.  So now it’s all this semantical bullshit power play crap.  I can’t even stand to think about it long enough to give you a thoughtful recap of the whole experience.  It’s tense and shitty and Peregrine wants to cry.  Jaclyn, though, almost seems to want to laugh.

Erik is just so defensive and whiny and obstinate.  His summary of the whole thing, by the way?  “I’ve come too far to have some stuck-up art pussy give me life lessons.”  And here’s where his lack of education shows.  Art school helps artists learn a little humility, I’d think. Anyone who goes to school in a creative field—art, writing, dance, music—is subjected to constructive criticism as a matter of course.  (Any formal education will do that, come to think of it.)  You learn how to accept shortcomings and how to make them better.  THIS is where it’s never been more obvious that Erik is lacking that higher education.  And it’s too bad he’s so sensitive about it, too. It’s a dangerous combination.

Mark is his typical weenie self, agreeing with Erik for blowing up his team with personal attacks.  Mark thinks Mile is a stuck-up art pussy, too.  Well, that’s great.  How about you win a challenge there, Smug-o?

Mark’s team is struggling to get this gigantic rock formation out of the studio and down to a truck in time.  It barely fits in the elevator, and poor Abdi’s getting squished trying to make it fit.  They have til midnight to get these pieces down to the trucks.  I suppose the final piece of the installation happens on site tomorrow.

Erik’s team is similarly struggling, and when Miles cautions Erik to be gentle with how he moves it, Erik bursts into tears and walks away.  Not quite, but close!  Peregrine pleads Erik to help–they need him.  He can barely contain himself.  Peregrine looks exhausted and she stares angrily at Erik as she works.  See, Erik.  THAT is what you contributed to this piece–angry feelings.  Awesome work.  The rest of the team shellacs the piece inside the truck while Erik stews and smokes outside.  So helpful.

Back at the house, the artists collapse with exhaustion while Ryan and Erik smoke.  Turns out Jaclyn passed Erik a note during the challenge, encouraging him to “Argue with us on something.  Insist.  Say it NEEDS this.  You need to convince us.”  Ryan laughs.  I didn’t think the note itself or what it was borne from is very funny, but Ryan’s a little bit of an airhead.  Anyway, does it sound like Jaclyn is goading Erik into being an asshole, or is she trying to get him to assert himself in a way that’d be better received by his team?  Or just assert himself at all, rather than sitting back and crying about the whole thing?  I can’t really tell.  Erik thinks it means Jaclyn was on his side but didn’t want to openly disagree with anything Miles said.

I have to laugh later, though, when Erik asks a reclining Ryan if he’s actually tired right now or if he’s just a tortured artist.

The teams have two hours the next day to get their pieces off the trucks and into the space, fully installed.  The Red Team is mostly playing around with positioning of their pieces and touch-up paint.  The Blue Team still needs to get their Poang chair up into its supports, AND they decide that it needs some extra doo-dads on the chair itself to differentiate it visually from the supports.  Erik suggests spraypaint and is immediately shot down.  He suggests going back to his idea of scaling up the sheet metal on the back, and the team agrees that he should work on that…but do it patchwork style.  He insists again on doing the scales, and they shoot him down.  Finally, it seems they add some wood scales to the sides of the chair.  See, Erik?  That was kinda your idea!

woa603“This is some real bullshit right here.”

Ryan calls the Blue Team’s piece a “treehouse fashioned by meth addicts”.  And he’s right!  Jaclyn calls the Red Team’s project a bunch of ugly jagged things.  Also correct!  I really don’t care for either piece.  I apparently don’t get “public art”.  Also, is public art always meant to be a jungle gym?  Just curious.

noumenonNeumaton.

scales 1A really awful frontal shot of “Scales” that shows you nothing of the Poanginess.  Thanks again, Bravo, for putting up usable photos and video! (Sorry, guys.)

In the “We’re back!  No, we’re not!” segment this week, Ryan attempts to make coffee at the beaverhausen the way Miles creates art.  That is, he slams things around in a hurried tortured artist way, wishes he had a powerwasher to wash out the pot, and then has to step away from the process to soothe himself from the overstimulation.  LOL. Mark is putting on his shoes in the other room, grinning about the whole performance.  It’s great.

God, this is taking too long.   Can we please get to the judging?  I mean, we kinda know what these two pieces look like by now, as we’ve been watching them for the past 40 minutes.  Oh, introduce the judges.  Same ol’ peeps.  This time, Bill Powers doesn’t say “hello” when his name is called.  I miss him saying “hello.”  He’s too stern without it.  Guest judge this week is the pajama nerd with the cool name—Yvonne Force Villareal.  If I have kids, I’m giving one of ‘em a middle name like “Force.”  That’s just awesome.

The judges crawl into the Blue Team’s piece, “Scale.”  Apparently, it’s balancing two separate pieces together?  And it’s covered in scales.  That’s actually kinda cool.  And between the two turds these pieces are, I prefer this turd.

scales 2Nope, still can’t see the Poang.   (That’s what she said.)

The Red Team’s piece is gathering some attention, too.  People are vying for a spot on the side where they can lean against it, half-sitting on the ground, to enjoy the space.  Those six other pieces are kinda useless.  Vestigial, perhaps.  They helped form the main idea but are no longer necessary.  I like that the paint job on the Red Team’s piece helps give it depth.  But it’s still really boring.

noumenon 2judges

red team

Since it’s a team challenge with only two pieces, crit is a different format this week.  It’s just the two teams explaining their pieces, what message they were trying to convey, and all other interesting nuggets about the work.  It seems they were coached on how to deliver their presentation, as it’s a little too perfect.  Each team member has a turn in talking about a certain aspect, and it’s pretty rehearsed.  I don’t know that I would have known to do that instinctively if I were one of them.

Jerry has a smug look on his face as Blue Team explains their work. Peregrine goes first, then Jaclyn, then Miles. Bill asks about the title of the piece, and Peregrine specifically gives Erik credit for the idea of literal scales.  Everyone on the Blue Team seems to want to work as a team…until China asks Erik why they haven’t heard from him at all.

woa604

What follows is super uncomfortable to watch.  Jerry smells blood in the water and goes in for the kill.

Erik:  I don’t have a whole lot to say about it.

Jerry:  Why not?  <in the most nasal bastard voice ever>

Erik:  I’m not really a fan of it.

Jerry:  Why not?

Erik:  I didn’t really get to put my input into it.

Jerry:  Why not?

Erik:  My ideas were shot down.

Jerry:  Why?

Erik:  I don’t know.

Jerry:  What were your ideas?

Erik explains the snake scale pattern he’d wanted to do, offers up his vines suggestion, etc. Jerry crosses his arms and backs down.  The rest of the Blue Team is staring at their feet as Erik self-destructs.  The Red Team is giggling nervously.  I mean, really, it was awful to watch and I wasn’t even there or emotionally involved.

The Red Team has a much more positive vibe as they explain their piece.  I’m not sure why Nicole looks like she wants to poop in her pants while Mark is saying his part of the script.  When asked about the name of the piece, “Neumaton,” Nicole explains it to be the hidden meaning, searching out the magic in our world.  I just Googled it and got nothin’, so I don’t know where this word actually comes from.  Nicole’s ass, apparently.

Back at the studio for more crit, the Blue Team is up for more skewering. Not by the judges, though!  By Erik.  As if he hadn’t learned from the situation at the site, he goes off again about how little he had to do with the group project, that Jacklyn had sent him a note telling him to be more assertive, etc.  Bill Powers is like, “Um, that’s actually good advice, numbnuts.”  Jerry’s nodding. Erik then basically accuses Jaclyn of setting him up—oh, except that she’s not smart enough to do that.  Oh snap!

woa607

The judges are even trying to save Erik from his implosion, but it doesn’t work.  They ask, “But it was your idea that inspired the title of the piece!”  “No, no it wasn’t.  That wasn’t my idea—my idea was THIS. And I didn’t even know that was the title of the piece until they told you guys that.”  Basically, wah wah wah.  Miles interrupts to say that the only reason Erik didn’t know the title of the piece until showtime was because he opted out and stopped participating.

Miles correctly accuses Erik’s insecurities as being his downfall, and Erik agrees.  Then there’s what seems to be a clip montage of Erik’s defensive, woe-is-me self-destruction, moment by moment.   The judges are watching with distaste, and eventually China cuts everyone off.

The judges move on to talking about the piece.  Bill Powers mentions how it was a little difficult to casually interact with the Blue Team’s piece.  Jerry gets stuck on the placement of the piece, in that it’s aimed at the exact patch of clear sky where the twin towers once stood.  I can’t tell if he’s pissed about it or marveling at it (angrily or wondrously?) or what.  I can’t read that guy at all.  And that scares me.   Force saves the team from being scared of Jerry, too, by saying that it’s kinda cool that they intuitively aimed their piece at that part of the sky.  Relief.

The Red Team heads in for their crit.  Meanwhile, the Blue Team is stewing on the couches.  Erik douchily says that he’ll be pleased if he somehow sticks around after tonight.  I don’t even understand what he’s trying to say.  He’ll be thrilled if he pissed everyone off BUT still managed to stay?  Like he was somehow “right” about how this all went down or something?  Jaclyn tells him he doesn’t belong here, and Miles and Peregrine follow up with the one-two punch of “You quit on us, which sucks.”  This sparks of a big “fuck you” showdown.  Everyone storms off, leaving Erik to “hang out with yourself” while waiting for the final judgment.

woa609

The Red Team stands proudly before the judges.  They really stand by their work.  Force loves the piece for the team taking elements of the site and skewing perspective.  A large scale becomes small and vice versa.  Jeanne isn’t a fan, though.  She thinks it reeks of 70s minimalist bullshit.

What’s really important to note is that the team is talking as a team.  They support each other, they believe in the work.  When the judges criticize it for not being as visually striking as the other team’s piece, they all jump in to defend it.  Ryan sells it especially, talking about how popular the work was during the show, that people were crowding around it.  There’s a lot of back-patting and name-dropping in the positive here, and it’s making me a little verklempt.

woa608Why is Nicole so mopey?

The judges didn’t love the sculpture that the Red Team did, but they love the work.  It celebrated the whole sky, and there was poetry behind the work.  And best of all, they were a cohesive unit, bringing art to the space.  Jerry pees on the parade a bit (and rightly so), saying the actual art of it sucked—it’s the type of art that gives art a bad name.  Amen, sister.

I think the judges preferred the Blue Team’s piece at first, for all its visual excitement and invitation to interaction.  But all the team backbiting took its toll.  As Force said, this is why public art is so difficult to pull off—because people can’t agree on stuff.  It’s a shame.

So much for me thinking this recap would be shorter than usual, since it was a team challenge.  WRONG!

Finally, who’s winning and who’s going home?  The Red Team wins!  But who on the team earned the win?  The teammates get to choose.  It’s between Ryan (for his construction work, shoddy as it was) and Nicole (for coming up with, ya know, the whole concept).  When it’s announced that the winner gets bragging rights only, no immunity, Ryan immediately steps back and gives it to Nicole.  Aww, what a sweetie.

woa610

But who’s going home?  It really can’t be a shock to you, can it?   It’s Erik.  I mean, c’mon, we saw this coming from a mile away.  From LAST week’s previews, even.  Anyway, they narrow it down to Miles v. Erik and for a teeeeeeeeeensy moment, I wonder if they’d eliminate Miles here for whatever reason, since this really was HIS piece.  But no, Erik’s got to GO.  Get OUT.

woa611Don’t let the door hit ya where the Good Lord split ya!  Jerk.

Bye Haley Joel!  No hugs for you!  Well, actually, they head back to the hang-out room where Ryan and Abdi step up for big bro-hugs.  Peregrine, to her credit as an awesome human being, says, “I look forward to seeing you again.”  Like, trying to let the guy go with some dignity. Erik lets out his breath and says, “I wish I could say the same, but honestly, I have nothing to say to the three of you guys.”  WOW, turbo dick.  I would love to think it’s editing, but no, methinks Erik’s just an asshole who’s luckier than he realizes to have a lady who loves him through that.  Good luck with your art, you loser!  (Watch, we learn next week that it’s actually Peregrine that took the whole challenge down to the ground and was turbo-bitch.  DOUBT IT.)

In the end, he says he wishes he’d gone home that first week for his OWN work, the creepy clown, rather than going home because of someone else’s work.  And for the rest of his life, Erik will forever miss the point of a TEAM challenge, and that he actually DID go home for exactly all the right reasons.  HE was not a team player; HE did not participate; HE went home for HIS mistakes.

So, next week, the artists take a trip with Simon to SoHo.  Apparently the challenge is pretty difficult and the artists are all yawning like Miles in an OCD fit.  The judges think that someone’s piece is boring, though. Jerry, in his infinite crabbiness, says, “This puts him on notice for me.”  Mark?  Ryan?  Surely not Miles.  Well, in a few days, we’ll see!

I know many of you read the artists’ and judges’ blogs, which is great because you can fill in the cracks.  Did I totally misread this Erik situation?  Wasn’t he just an ass who deserved to go home?  Was the Red Team really that cohesive?   Tell me in the comments!

About

Time for an update! I used to be a tall, athletic editor who lived on the East coast. Oh, I still am, only now I've gained back all the weight I lost, which changes my life-tone quite a bit. Now that I'm married, I have a lot less time to watch Bravo and Food network. We usually end up watching Big Bang Theory reruns ("all of my friends, all of my friends, all of my friends") or Wipeout. Or WWE Raw. Wow. How life has changed!  Join me as we chat about my breast friend Patti Stanger and her love minions. Or maybe we'll talk about art during Work of Art. Whatever we're watching, don't be shy--tell me what you think!

43 Comments

  1. 1
    sarcasatire sarcasatire
    Posted July 19, 2010 at 10:22 am

    Hey SexyP! Brilliant title to the recap. You know, I just came to the site specifically to see if ur cap was up, and it is! (okay, off to read…)

  2. 2
    vallegirl vallegirl
    Posted July 19, 2010 at 11:00 am

    Thanks for the opening, SP, because I was waiting for you recap JUST to fill in the blanks from this week’s episode! Here’s what I gleaned:

    1) Both Jerry and Bill would have given the blue team the win, but since the loser had to come from the losing team, they rewarded the red to just to eliminate Erik. But Bill did mention that the safety concerns played a part in the decision as well.

    2) The judges were not offended by the chair facing the WTC site. Jerry specifically found the placement made the piece even more site-specific and thoughtful, and Villareal mentions in the episode that sometimes artist’s just intuit the importance of elements.

    3) There’s a bonus video that expands on Erik & Ryan’s discussion about the note that casts Ryan in a much more insidious light. Abdi comes down to their apt. to ask Erik to join his group in the women’s apt. because they’re having a meeting to discuss naming the piece and Erik acts like a pissy brat and says he’s going to take a shower instead. Then he brings up the note and Ryan, rather than reading it calls it “messed up,” and basically feeds Erik martyr complex. Then he goes upstairs and confronts Jaclyn, who does herself no favors by initially lying about the note, and accuses her of writing it to goad Erik into fighting with the team. To their credit, Miles and Peregrine don’t seem to listen to Ryan. But, to me, he looked like he was trying to drive a bigger wedge between the team. And his laugh? Totally dead-eyed.

    4) The argument in the waiting area is also expanded upon, and Erik really was belligerent. Miles doesn’t help matters by suggesting Erik be a little more self-aware, but Erik just starts yelling at them all. When Miles tells him to just leave, meaning to leave them alone, Erik turns it into “are you kicking me off the show?” To Miles’ credit, he just suggests to the women that they leave, instead, rather than continue the argument.

    5) Erik has some serious issues with women. In last week’s Art Fag City blog, he accuses the woman who writes it of having been abused by a tatted-up tough guy, probably her father. A similar comment appeared on one of Jaclyn’s photos in the shocking episode, so I think that’s his go-to defense/insult whenever a woman questions him. He also uses the abuser’s defense of “You know I have a temper” and then meekly apologizes. He did that with Judith, the blogger and Jerry.

    6) Amusingly, though, after Erik called Miles an “art pussy,” he claimed to want a career similar to the quintessential art pussy, David Lynch. Something tells me that the soft, intellectual and weirdly nerdy 23-year-old Lynch would have made Miles seem like Iron John.

    As for the episode itself, I’m a Miles defender so I just don’t see why his behavior is such a problem for others. It’s not a zero-sum game, so they can be as attention-grabbing as they want, too. His success is not the reason for their failure. And they call him a hipster? Have they seen Ryan with his emo hair, red sunglasses, knit caps AND skinny jeans?

    I’m not sorry to see Erik go. I just agree with him. I wish it had been for his John Wayne Gacy clown portrait.

  3. 3
    SexyPanda
    Posted July 19, 2010 at 11:04 am

    I was counting on you! :)

  4. 4
    vallegirl vallegirl
    Posted July 19, 2010 at 11:12 am

    Heh. And one other thing, in Jaclyn’s blog, which is now likely only 75% accurate, she mentions that the team tried to continue working when Miles was pulled away to do his interview. It would seem this was also the time Jaclyn and Peregrine encouraged Erik to work on his scale design, but he refused because Miles is nowhere to be seen at that moment.

    The next edit shows Miles walking into the shot and talking about wanting to work on the structure with Erik who then tries to get out of it because that’s the moment he’s ready to work on his scales. It could have been seconds later or however long it takes to conduct their interviews, but it does appear that there was some time between the women encouraging him to work on the scales and the time Miles pulled him away.

  5. 5
    SexyPanda
    Posted July 19, 2010 at 11:44 am

    Yeah, that timing seemed tricksy to me.

  6. 6
    sayhuh
    Posted July 19, 2010 at 1:27 pm

    Another great one, SP. I’m not sorry Erik’s gone, but I did feel for him a couple of times in the episode. Of course, right after I felt bad for him, he would come out with such mean, nasty, and unnecessary backbiting, that my feeling bad for him completely went away. So he complained about the art-school pussies being such a cliche, of course, like his own angry artist with a chip on his shoulder railing against the art establishment isn’t yet another cliche… As for the art, the winning thing was for me a hugely amateurish-looking, badly made, visually unappealing bowl of nothing. Then again, the other one may have had a cooler shape (my Poang is blue, by the way) but with the jagged metal all over it, they should have called it Lockjaw, not Scale. I could just picture all those rusty edges ready to snag you… Still, I was wondering why they couldn’t award that team the win and still send Erik home, like they did a couple of seasons ago in Project Runway with Mitchell (I think), but I saw in Bill Powers’ blog that the rules specifically said that it had to be someone from the losing team who got sent home, plus there was that public safety factor.

    SP, you were so right about why not make it an actual tree house? Jeanne G-R agrees with you in her blog. I also liked the vine idea, and the idea of nice, orderly scales, not that crazy jagged patchwork. I think that, if they had truly collaborated, Miles and Erik could have made something really cool. Unfortunately, Miles is an arrogant, passive-agressive actor playing his role no matter what, and Erik is an insecure douche. I don’t think Jaclyn (except for shooting down ideas) and Peregrine were that much of a factor.

    I was also reading Simon’s blog. I didn’t like him too much at first, especially when you hold Tim Gunn up as the standard, and I still think he’s fairly ineffectual as a mentor, but I also think he’s growing into it and he’s really growing on me. He had this to say about the Jaclyn-Erik flap from a couple of weeks ago: “I can sympathize with Erik and I understand his reaction when he lamented he was not credited for an idea he offered Jaclyn, an idea that transformed her work from banality to a work that was a contender for the challenge win. The best ideas always come up in informal exchanges between friends or colleagues. It is perfectly OK to pick someone else’s ideas, but one should have the elegance to give credit where credit is due.” Well put, sir.

    One last thing: both judges mentioned some pretty cool public art installations in their blogs. I already knew Koons’ Puppy, and I looked up the other ones on Google Images. Of course, they didn’t have the time or resources to make anything as monumental as the Puppy, but I do wish they would have gone with the colors or the intricacy of the other ones. Ironic that Jaclyn was an assistant in Koons’ studio. Didn’t she learn something there?

    Oh, and yet another last thing: I’m pretty tired of hearing the word “interactive” about art. Those idiot, awful-looking wood structures in front of Miles’ homeless shelter last week didn’t make the art “interactive”. And if they did, they did not improve it at all, as far as I can tell. I don’t have to “interact” with the Meninas or the Rouen Cathedral series to love them. Sometimes, you can just LOOK at art, you know?

    Boy, I went so off-topic about this week’s episode, sorry! And next week’s episode has something to do with childhood and kids’ art materials. Boy, I can’t wait for Jaclyn’s “all those dirty old men were looking at me in my little schoolgirl uniform” piece. Aaaaaaargh, please prove me wrong, Jaclyn

  7. 7
    juddfan
    Posted July 19, 2010 at 1:46 pm

    Vallegirl, “casts Ryan in a much more insidious light” I love how that is put!

    Fortunately, I got all the hate out of my system. Saw the Art fag city link on T-lo and read the comments. OMG!!! Talk about a sore loser, ugh!!! People were attacking him for saying homophobic comments about priests and aids, whatever, I don’t know where they got that, but his responses were so choked with bile and vitriol-I felt like saying, um, you just got off a reality show, and we know it’s you typing in. He was doing the equivalent of calling people fat, it was so immature, and frankly, it’s now in the public domain . . . sigh . . .

    If he’s always jumping to abuse as a comment or insult, he’s probably got some history with it, could be why he’s stuck in a victim role (I know that sounds harsh, but I don’t mean it that way. It’s a dark and horrid world out there . . . nothing surprises me)

    I really thought both projects were awful, but I also thought it was ridonk to expect something in two days–can we talk about paint drying times alone . . . but the paong was far better till they starting throwing shit all over it in a mad dash. I would have fought for painting it a bright color, seperate from the base. I think natural wood makes it look unfinished. I will give mad props to Miles for bending the plywood–I would have focused on how slick that looked, rather than covering it and throwing hodge-podgery all over it!

    Would love for this show to come close to it’s potential . . . but still waiting. I think Jerry’s one of those stuck up poof’s who looks down his nose at everything disdainfully. Anyone else think he thinks he’s all that. I also get that from the judges on Design Star, they’re so over serious and grim . . .

  8. 8
    itchy
    Posted July 19, 2010 at 2:25 pm

    Exactly: two days for this challenge was ridiculous and doomed them to producing the bland, ugly crap they did. Not only that, but I’d guess that most public art pieces are produced by skilled craftspeople, based on the artist’s design — doing it this way forced the artists to waste a lot of unnecessary time on the construction.

    I’m mostly disappointed with Abdi though. This is one competition where I think he might have done something really great. Instead, he basically disappeared. Makes one wonder why they all went with Nicole’s truly insipid idea? Maybe just because she’s pretty? Granted, this Ryan character is only there as cannon fodder (as is Peregrine), so no one expects him to develop a decent idea. And Mark seems really out of it — his usual work is pretty aggressive, but what he’s been putting out on the show hasn’t had much teeth the last few episodes. Nicole has yet to do anything truly interesting, she’s just churning out art school projects.

    Erik’s meltdown was great reality tv fun. But one of the best parts of being an artist is that it really does give you the excuse to be who you are. Your personality doesn’t matter, your tics and habits and affectations don’t matter. All that matters is what you produce. Which is why Miles gets a pass– because his stuff is somewhat interesting, and he definitely has control over his media. And Erik doesn’t – because his work is uninspired, his technique sucks. Just like Peregrine and Nicole, for that matter. But Erik’s insecure, whiny and nasty about it, so, yeah, get off of my screen, please.

    Anyway, I think they all missed a huge opportunity to create something interesting. Especially the Miles/Jacklyn matchup — if Miles had been able to get his head out of his ass long enough, he would have recognized an opportunity to merge his and Jacklyn’s styles together (since they both rely on photographic subjects). No one said, for example, that the installation had to be solid, did they? Instead, the went with a boring, pedestrian interpretation of public art. Shame.

    Lastly: when oh when SexyP, will you take Peregrine to task for her stupidly ridiculous costumes? She’s been dressing for the camera this whole time — and she’s still completely forgettable. I’m assuming she goes home next week, although it could be Ryan too.

  9. 9
    juddfan
    Posted July 19, 2010 at 2:53 pm

    Forgot to thank you SexyP–I was with you all the way, and I was certainly hoping Erik would be leaving. I couldn’t resist, I need to share some delicious hate–here’s a couple highlights from Erik’s posts on Artfagcity (how do they get away with that name in these sensitive times!)

    Erik July 10, 2010 at 11:25 pm
    you’re probably not sick with anything… you just need to jump up and down until your head falls out of your ass and i’m sure you’ll be fine.

    try fucking yourself next time and you won’t have to worry about “priest aids”

    Erik July 9, 2010 at 5:32 am
    first i’m a “child hater” and now i’m a “homophobe”

    …i’m guessing years ago some tough guy with tattoos broke your heart… was his name “dad” by any chance?

    Erik July 9, 2010 at 3:44 pm
    no, i don’t think it’s me that you dislike… i think it’s you. at least that’s how you come across.

    if you are a woman, well then…… you probably have a lot of cats.

    if you are a man, i hope i get the chance to meet you in person someday so we can see which one of us is the tough guy.

    you’re probably a woman though… that’s what your writing sounds like.

    WOW, right!? To me, I knew he was wrong by the looks on everyone’s face. And for Mark to agree . . . sigh . . . he’s next to go I hope . . .

    Hey Itchy!

  10. 10
    vallegirl vallegirl
    Posted July 19, 2010 at 3:08 pm

    Those were the exact comments that made me say Erik has serious issues with women. You did miss his “apologies,” though, which are pathetic because he actually signed a comment written in response to Judith with “xo – Erik.” He’s damaged and that’s sad, but he’s also vicious and just a nasty piece of work which makes it harder to care.

    Also, he says he hates “art pussies” but…his best friend on the show was Ryan? Who’s never had a real job and says such douchey things like “I create to live, and live to create.” Really? I have seen “art pussies” and they’re name is “Ryan.” At least Miles has had a real job at, of all places, Home Depot.

  11. 11
    sarcasatire sarcasatire
    Posted July 19, 2010 at 3:31 pm

    Did it really take me almost 4 hrs to read this? I have a demanding (but otherwise perfect) little infant who is to blame. I’m guessing my gasmddiction will eventually require that I adopt the rationalizion that neglect builds character. I mean, something’s gotta give, no?

    But it’s good to see the gang’s all here! I was waiting for you itchy and you did not disappoint. Although, I did feel a lil bad that you didn’t get any T&A this week. But next week is a childhood challenge, so maybe Jaclyn will don two pigtails and photograph herself spilling out of her very first training bra. The shot will be done inside a bathroom and will feature Jaclyn looking vulnerable, trapped. There will be defamatory scribbles on the tile around her but the boldest one of all declares, “Jaclyn Santos is a slut!” and is written undoubtedly by the slower-developing pep squad girls with their mean-spirited Sharpies. Jaclyn will be depicted screaming, looking off to the side at the opened bathroom door, in which we will find the soft-focus frame of a man..penetrating her with his gaze. Now that, my friends, is art!

    I must admit, the past few episodes have been disappointing in terms of art but more interesting in terms of the ‘reality show’ manner of character development and drama. I’m guessing Bravo can’t do both. The first few episodes were intellectually stimulating, but now, the cast members are forced to work together (teamwork is needed to determine ‘the next great artist’?) so we can see who turns on who. And Erik did not disappoint. But, remember folks, he’s not playing with a full deck.

    Ok, something is really bothering me and I need help. Remember how last weeks Audi challenge Miles went to sleep while everyone was seeking inspiration? Well, how in the heck did he get the image that he used in the screenprint?? It was clearly a photograph of a doorway… My guess is that he did it in the time allotted, but was edited to look like he slept the whole time. I mean, the only other option would be that he already had the pic in his stash but they wouldn’t be allowed to recycle their art, would they?

  12. 12
    itchy
    Posted July 19, 2010 at 3:39 pm

    Hey judd!

    I think Mark was agreeing with him because for one, Miles probably really is annoying to live with or even be around, but especially because Miles has definitely overshadowed everyone else on the show.

  13. 13
    SexyPanda
    Posted July 19, 2010 at 3:58 pm

    Love you guys. That’s all.

    Oh, and I called Peregrine out for her Frank the Bunny costume! That wasn’t a compliment! I liked her quirky quasi-Obama sweater last week, though. And the waterpolo headgear this week was silly, but it’s no worse than Miles’ just-so ruffled hair, “huh, what? I was lost in a moment” look, and gigantor safety goggles-cum-glasses.

    MAN, I hate the word ‘cum.’

    I gotta go check out Erik’s anger on that other message board. That is some seriously backwards super-defensive shit right there. He will attack anything he can when provoked, won’t he? I’m with Sayhuh, in that I kinda felt bad for him a couple of times but then he yanked that away with his supersized asshole antics.

  14. 14
    zbird
    Posted July 19, 2010 at 4:32 pm

    Great job, SexyPanda. I started finding some of the other blogs from TLo’s site — like ArtFagCity (I’m with you on the huh? regarding the offensive name, Juddfan), Jaclyn’s blog, etc. Definitely check them out, SP, including Jerry Saltz’s — for some reason he seems to be a huge Eric apologist and he seems to loathe Abdi, which I just do not get.

    This episode was really poorly handled, imo. So the art, ultimately, is not what matters on a show subtitled “The Next Great Artist”? The art all sucked, but it was destined to suck given the constraints. The blue team clearly won, however, and yet they lost because Erik had to go home? He did have to go home; just not for this piece.

    I admit that I will keep watching, but the producers really need to work on the parameters of the challenges and judging if they want this show to survive a second season. There are enough train wreck “reality” shows out there. Why not allow this one be a cut above?

  15. 15
    SexyPanda
    Posted July 19, 2010 at 4:46 pm

    My biggest hesitation about reading *all* of these other blogs is that I’ll get bogged down in reading/absorbing them, and these recaps take long enough as it is!! Not that I don’t noodle around and find some extra info on my own, but I can’t task myself with keeping on top of all of it. So, how about I supply the bricks, y’all fill it in with mortar…

    I agree–the format could use a little tweaking, but this show has potential to be even more thoughtful and great than it is!

  16. 16
    vallegirl vallegirl
    Posted July 19, 2010 at 4:55 pm

    You know I’ll happily bring the mortar. I’m strong, don’t have any ideas that I’m too attached to, and don’t need any attribution.

    But I like the safety goggles. They make Miles look like Sherman. All he needs is a know-it-all Beagle in glasses to tell him what’s what.

  17. 17
    sarcasatire sarcasatire
    Posted July 19, 2010 at 5:30 pm

    Yea, SexyPanda..I agree. Plus, maybe reading all the blogs may influence you from your natural blogging style and insticts about the show. There’s a reason why jury members aren’t allowed to watch tv during trial, lol. Vallegirl (who I also see on TWoP, hey!), myself and others will gladly supply the mortar. And together, we will create a great public art…forum.

    BTW, I think this challenge was all about who was gonna be the biggest nbeo-hippie. Once Nicole started going on about the rock shapes, and traveling with gravel in her pocket, she became the clear winner. My question for the Red Team/judges is, was there no concern that ‘art lovers’ could walk off with those other six shapes surrounding their main piece?

    And Force Villareal saying that there is no public art because people can’t come together is kinda bs. I mean, can public art be created by one artist or must it always be a collaboration?

    Oh and Itchy, I love Peregrine’s look. See, I went to art school and she reminds me of those quirky-mousy girls with the soft voices and the lesbian tendencies. You know the ones..really about sexual experimentation but never quite hot enough to turn into a full blown slut. Forgettable, as you say…but definitely brings back a lil nostalgia.

  18. 18
    juddfan
    Posted July 19, 2010 at 5:39 pm

    Yay! Isn’t it fun to bash . . . lawd, I should get out more!

    Vallegirl, I left out the apologies cuz they were long and I didn’t want to make him look good-hee! Just like any other responsible journalist can edit as they see fit. And, harrrruuummmppphhh! I happen to be a cat lady, so using that to slur a sister of mine is BELOW THE BELT!!!

    Normally I’m the one defending the tender and broken among us, but there was something about this dude that I just can’t . . .

    SP, happy to mortar–in fact, I don’t think I can help it.

    REading Jerry’s blog, I fear, will put me in a rage!!! Just because he doesn’t like pop art does not diminish Abdi’s obvious talents . . . a judge should recognize their prejudices and compensate for them. I happen to hate the color brown, so I would make a point to consider a brown piece without thinking about my hate of that color . . . and try to be fair.

    Maybe it’s me, but isn’t just about everything a cliche at this point? I’m happy to see people still pursuing art as a career, but if it’s not somewhat commercial, or your not the daughter of a SOHO hipster, I think it would be hard to make a living without a second job. (I certainly work the day job!)

    I have dabbled in painting and sculpting and crafts in my days, and I loved the shit out of it, therefore, I am still hoping to get a good ride out of this show.

    And, I do like Mile’s work, the silk screening is cool, and his concepts are the perfect kind of whatevers the judges can oh and ah over, but Abdi is the total package. He paints and sculpts, he has a unique and recognizable style with figure and color–I really think he’s the shit, so I’m gonna still hope for the win for him–Go Abdi!!!

  19. 19
    sarcasatire sarcasatire
    Posted July 19, 2010 at 5:57 pm

    Maybe I should clarify. Peregrine’s art school archetype aren’t lesbians. They are sensual, quirky neo-hippies…bringing back the free love and nudity art. When I saw her interviewing Nicole for the portrait challenge (“I’m picturing you without any clothes”), I had to laugh. But I do like her hats…I wore a small, orange, hobo-clown perched on my head during my art school days…except I was outspoken, single, and celibate. Now, I’m thinking I played it all wrong. :)

  20. 20
    juddfan
    Posted July 19, 2010 at 6:03 pm

    sarcasatire, I wore basically an Abdi painting cut into clothes, bracelets earrings, shoe laces–you name it. I guess it was just plain old “new wave” looking, rather than punk, but 80′s blue and magenta figured heavily in the color palette–off to cry in a dark corner in shame, waaaaa!

  21. 21
    SexyPanda
    Posted July 19, 2010 at 6:35 pm

    @Sarcasatire: Eggggg-zactly. I actually do read other stuff about the show, but I try to wait until I’ve had my own unspoiled say about it. The only thing I do is Google the unknowns as I’m writing. :)

    I think my next Google trip will be to find out exactly how qualified Jerry is to be such a dick about all of this.

  22. 22
    sarcasatire sarcasatire
    Posted July 19, 2010 at 6:53 pm

    Wanna hear something funny, SexyP? In addition to his highfalutin art speak, his blog is always peppered with insecure comments about how fat he looks on TV. Like, ‘it was so hard to watch myself tonight because all I could see were my love handles.’ This the comments all reassure him that the camera doesn’t really add 10 lbs.. haha. He did make a self-deprecating ‘funny’ once when he mentioned how Andres Serrano and Chyna were flirty and talking all about the sex/shock art and when he interjected they just stared at him blankly as they wondered what a sexless creature like himself could possible have to add to the subject. Funny, because it’s true.

    @Juddfan…we would’ve been friends in college, you and I. I liked the colorful kids…my best friend had pink streaks in her pixie cut and I developed an immediate crush on her before I even learned her name. (Still never told her, but hey, we’ve backpacked South America together, she witnessed my baby’s birth and I’ll be in her upcoming wedding, so who cares that I never conquered my Peregrine? haha, just joking..she was totally a Nicole, just more colorful)

  23. 23
    vallegirl vallegirl
    Posted July 19, 2010 at 7:22 pm

    @juddfan – I thought the apologies just pointed to what a poser Erik is and how easily he folds under pressure. Made him seem pathetic to me, not better. Talks the talk, but cries and begs to be liked when he’s forced to walk the walk. Hell, he caved to Judith and is now begging to pose for one of her pussy portraits. He’s everything he accused Miles of being, only, in his own Erik way, more ineffectual and way more creepy.

    @sacarasatire – are you posting or lurking at TWoP? Come out if you’re lurking, and if you’re posting, post more. As for Jerry, I also thought it was entertaining that he copped to his own issues with the crew thinking Miles is dreamy. He seems to harbor a lot of insecurities about being the Janis Ian of the show. But I do agree with him about Abdi. He has a lot of talent and a keen intellect, but he needs to get out of his student mode. I admire his skill without thinking or feeling much about the work.

    On a positive note, it looks like there’s at least one more season of WoA because I saw an article that says it’s been increasing it’s viewership by double-digit percentages on a weekly basis.

  24. 24
    zerocool
    Posted July 19, 2010 at 8:22 pm

    sarcasatire – gasmddiction – is that what explains it? hee, hee.

    I know I’m going against the grain but I was sorry to see Erik go this week. At least he cared and didn’t want to be railroaded (as per the edit they showed). He was the bitter, tortured artist-type who clearly doesn’t do well with others. But I’m still interested in seeing more of his art, when there’s no time limit or team members involved.

  25. 25
    sarcasatire sarcasatire
    Posted July 19, 2010 at 8:45 pm

    @Vallegirl…I’m a lurker. I have posted on jerry’s blog before, even had a little dialogue with Judith when she was voted off, but I don’t have a TWoP membership as of yet, and am slightly perturbed that their forum is not per episode so I would in fact be joining a 65 page discussion. That just upsets my OCD… *looks for a dark corner to sleep*

    I do agree with you about admiring Abdi’s skill without feeling emotionally connected to it. However, I still like him the most…he’s skillful, yet still eager to learn, probably much more intelligent than Miles and less socially inept. Plus, he’s not trying…he doesn’t play up to the cameras and never has a bad word to say about anyone. Look how kindly he alerted us to Ryan’s alcoholism. A class act!

  26. 26
    betty lane
    Posted July 19, 2010 at 10:23 pm

    I still don’t understand how Miles comes off as arrogant. I don’t see him cutting anyone else down. I don’t hear him insulting anyone. I don’t think he’s ever compared his art to anyone else’s. so he’s attractive & produces art that other people like. and that makes him a bad guy?? and okay, sure, you may not like his art – but that doesn’t mean that he’s an awful person. he seems rather sweet to me & unassuming. the other “artists” such as Erik, Ryan & Mark are all over him because they know he’s a threat to them winning the show – because he’s much more talented than them. honestly it bothers me that you seem to dislike him so much without even pointing out WHY. just because what he’s trying to say is boring to you? I guess I’m just sensitive about it because I feel a kinship with him. I personally don’t understand his art all that much, and it isn’t the sort of thing that I would put in my home, but I don’t think that Miles himself is a bad guy. he is making this show better than if he weren’t there. if he wasn’t around, all we’d have is Erik being a bitch, Ryan being stupid & Jack showing her tits off. the only contestants that would produce real art would be Nicole & Abdi.

    I’m just tired of reading these recaps & having you rip him apart with every one, when he isn’t even half as bad as these other people are. and I’d honestly like to have an explanation as to why you & some of the commentors dislike him so much, other than that he’s boring or a hipster – both are way too easy excuses.

    not trying to make a mountain out of a molehill, but I wanted to say something about it. it makes me a sad panda to have someone that I feel is contributing a great deal to this show, in a positive way, to be torn down.

    as for the episode itself, of course I rejoiced that Erik got the axe. and I think it’s hilarious that last week I pretty much said exactly what he did, about going home for his clown pallette. I was liking Ryan a lot until I saw his behavior in this episode towards Miles – and the clip of him from next week saying that he’s a douchebag. ugh. I didn’t think the parody of him making coffee was so funny. I thought it was mean-spirited and pointless. Mark is hopefully going soon; he is talentless and seemed like he had no input on the group project whatsoever. yet I didn’t hear him complaining about it either, which made Erik’s bitchfit even more pronounced.

    I’d really like for someone on the show to actually make something that moves me. it’s all been pretty boring & this episode was no exception. the only stuff that’s came close has been a few of Miles’ & Nicole’s. I wasn’t psyched for the group project, but had a smidgen of hope that it would be better than the previous challenges. I was wrong.

    I live in minneapolis which has one of the most prominent public art pieces ever made, the spoon with the cherry. it isn’t my favorite, but it is a standard that I was hoping to see pushed for.

    and yeah, public art is pretty much just glorified gym equipment. or something to have sex on, which is what our spoon is for. :D

  27. 27
    betty lane
    Posted July 19, 2010 at 10:46 pm

    also, the term “art fag” was coined in the 80′s, by the artsy kids themselves whom while they may not have necessarily been glbt, are by nature “weird” and “outsiders”. also the word “fag” is used in a pretentious sense – like hipsters that are into food are called “foodies” – there is hardly any relation to the true definition of the slang. it isn’t considered offensive & has been embraced by glbt artistic types all over.

    Art Fag City is ran by Paddy Johnson, a lesbian & column writer for L Magazine.

  28. 28
    fire@will
    Posted July 19, 2010 at 11:03 pm

    First time viewer. So happy to see it recapped. The recap was great, as were so many of the comments. I, too, liked the losing “art” better, especially before they tacked all those scraps onto it. I’m sure it lost only to permit the ejection of Erik. (And I did have empathy for him, when he wasn’t being abusive.) BTW – If that was my only exposure to public art, I’d wonder why the hell my taxes were used for that crap.

  29. 29
    itchy
    Posted July 20, 2010 at 2:55 am

    Damn, lost an entire extremely well crafted comment due to that stupid captcha code thing. Fuckers.

    Oh well, I’ll just belch something out instead.

    Betty: I don’t really get an arrogance vibe from Miles either, and it seems like they’ve downplayed his other weirdnesses. And personality has always seemed beyond the point when it comes to art: who cares who you, it’s the art that you do that’s important.

    To me Miles just comes off as another youngster playing the art game. I’m not quite certain I believe he’s talented, since nothing he has done has been all the interesting. Although I do like the idea that he’s pushing a central theme through his work, and doesn’t bend from that, even in a group challenge (which I think is very important — note also that Jacklyn managed to infuse her aesthetic into this challenge, something that none of the others on either team seemed able to do). Time will tell — if Miles is still making art in 10 years, and in 20 years, etc. that’s the real test.

    As for the “art” versus “marketing” thing: I prefer to see these as two entirely different issues. Success to an artist is not necessarily that the art sells. Well, it shouldn’t be. To me, the thing that counts is the art itself — and whether the artist has succeeded in expressing whatever he/she/I needed to express.

  30. 30
    SexyPanda
    Posted July 20, 2010 at 5:11 am

    I have to go back and reread what I wrote this week, because I’m pretty sure I didn’t take a dump on Miles at ALL. I just wrote his name and then followed it with words about actions he did and words he said. (I crapped all over Erik instead!) In fact, I don’t even actively dislike the guy–I think it’s a little annoying that his schtick is that he sleeps a lot, and I DO think that’s hammed up a smidge. (Yes, I’m aware that’s a byproduct of the OCD, which is also possibly hammed up a smidge.) Hammed up by whom–the editors? Who cares.

    I mostly hate all the attention he gets BECAUSE everyone else hates/loves him, BECAUSE of the naps/OCD/whatnot. This show really has become The Miles Show, and not because of his art. The Miles Show kinda sucks. I want to see more from the other artists, and I don’t mean meltdowns. I mean ART. Creating it, critiquing it.

    If you want to take me to task for thinking Jerry’s a prick and Jaclyn’s a big fan of her boobs, though, go ahead!! Guilty as charged! :)

    Either way, I’m glad you’re all reading. Itchy, belch in here anytime. The louder the better.

    (And really? You’ve had sex on the spoon, Betty Lane??)

  31. 31
    itchy
    Posted July 20, 2010 at 7:00 am

    “You’ve had sex on the spoon, Betty Lane”

    Sounds like a lyric from a Beatles song.

    And yeah, wouldn’t it be great if the show actually focused on the process of making art? Well, I suppose it wouldn’t fit the format. Oh well.

    Lay off of Jacklyn’s boobs, would you? You’re interfering with my male gaze.

  32. 32
    PottyMouth PottyMouth
    Posted July 20, 2010 at 7:33 am

    SexyPanda,

    Thanks for another great recap – I’m late to the party on this show, but I’ve finally caught up with both watching and reading!

    What a dick Erik is. I’m happy he’s outta there, and it looks like from the comments pasted over from the other site, he’s even more of a dick than they showed on the actual show. You are right that Miles hit it on the head saying Erik’s insecurities were what were getting in his way.

    Anyway, just wanted to say I love YOUR work. Can’t wait to see what happens next and what you have to say about it!

    SWAK, PottyMouth

  33. 33
    zerocool
    Posted July 20, 2010 at 7:40 am

    I don’t dislike Miles, in fact I think his art is fairly interesting in a minimal kind of way. Either the others are threatened and ganging up on him (have you noticed that happens on a lot of reality shows) or he comes across as sort-of condesending. It’s probably a mix of both. Or it’s the edit, probably a mix of all three.

  34. 34
    vallegirl vallegirl
    Posted July 20, 2010 at 7:45 am

    Jerry’s not a prick, Sexy Panda. He’s just misunderstood!! And he has problems with the editing, too. Like with the other shows, they condense the judging to a point where they all sound like buffoons, and Jeanne wrote in one of her blogs that the producers prod the judges to speak a little less in “artspeak” and a little more in Baba Wawa touchy-feely language when they’re viewing the work. I guess it’s to make the show more accessible to a wider audience. It will be interesting to see if they change that approach with a second season.

  35. 35
    silver
    Posted July 20, 2010 at 8:01 am

    “And yeah, wouldn’t it be great if the show actually focused on the process of making art? Well, I suppose it wouldn’t fit the format.”

    That is what frustrates me about all these shows (Project Runway, Top Chef, etc.). I’d like to see more of the creative process–why are the artists (designers, chefs..) making the choices they are.

    I absolutely agree with Betty Lane. Miles has come across as focused on his art no matter what others think. He shows confidence in what he produces and that seems to throw others like Erik and Mark off. What broke me up about Erik was that he allowed his own prejudices (art school vs. not) excuse his inability to create meaningful art. I thought Erik’s process and products came across as more “poser art”. In ERik’s confessionals, HE is the one who came across as “tortured”.
    I personally loved when Jerry kept saying “Why not?”. He wouldn’t let Erik just make platitudinous excuses.

    I did read Jerry’s blog and appreciated his insight into the judging. I don’t get why he is so opposed to Abdi. Almost every one of his blogs so far puts Abdi’s work down with little justification. Weird.

    Love the discussions and insight from all the commentators!!!

  36. 36
    SexyPanda
    Posted July 20, 2010 at 8:03 am

    It’d be awesome if they’d stop dumbing it down, stop focusing so much on interpersonal drama, and focus on the art itself. And really focus on art, not commercial rewards. But I bet none of that sells advertising.

    I hope they do a reunion show! I want to see them all laugh at themselves and be normal people. I am always mindful that, for the most part, these people are playing characters (or are edited to show us said characters). Speaking of, I’m kinda sad that we seem to be constantly aware of the 4th wall with this show. It never seemed to be so apparent before. Am I crazy?

    I can’t stop saying it (because I’m an over-thanker)– thanks to you all for reading and for expanding my thoughts about the show!

    (PottyMouth, been reading you for years, before I officially came on board! Thanks for the love!)

  37. 37
    itchy
    Posted July 20, 2010 at 8:58 am

    I’d find it awfully hard to create with a production crew following my every move. Not to mention being in a roomful of stressed-out drama queens and famewhores who are also trying to create with the cameras on them.

  38. 38
    juddfan
    Posted July 20, 2010 at 10:01 am

    I guess it would be hard to avoid all the attention if one were to participate in a show, and I imagine a crew of amorous folk watching you would even be another dynamic. So from that perspective, I don’t envy anyone trying to create, and particularly Miles, with the extra “bonus” attention. Plus the challenges are not very “creative juice” inspiring . . . tho Nicole seemed delighted with the public art challenge.

    I already mentioned that I don’t hate Miles (not fond of Mark still–glad Erik is gone-Peri seems silly with the ridonk clothes, but I don’t hate her) But I do want to encourage and applaud Sexy Panda, and at least give you my permission to hate and bash them all–isn’t that what snark is all about!!!

    Great going back and forth with you all!! I’m looking forward to the next show. XOXOXOXXO

  39. 39
    Sarah Turula
    Posted July 20, 2010 at 1:18 pm

    I don’t know if Erik had said this before, but I lost what very little sympathy I had for him when he said in this episode that this was his “last shot” at being an artist. What bullshit! And I too don’t get what the big problem with Miles is. I wish the producers would show us at least a little of this “totally different person” that Erik and Ryan accuse him of being in the hotel room and let us judge for ourselves. SexyP I really like your take on school being a humbling experience. Nonstudents get totally the wrong idea when they assume students are arrogant and somehow have it easier than they do just because they submit themselves to an education.

  40. 40
    tnkly
    Posted July 20, 2010 at 3:38 pm

    Er, I hate to admit I know this, but it’s spelled ‘noumenon.’ SOme philosophical term. I don’t really get how Nicole was using it, though.

  41. 41
    SexyPanda
    Posted July 20, 2010 at 4:47 pm

    Ah–except I spelled it that way at first–Googled it even!–and then while grabbing photos off of Bravo’s site, saw them spell it as Neumaton or whatever the hell I put in the recap. (I Googled that, too, and just got hits on this particular piece, on this particular episode, as well as some poor person’s Facebook page.)

  42. 42
    sarcasatire sarcasatire
    Posted July 20, 2010 at 10:47 pm

    Can I just say how happy I am that we, as a family, have made it onto the ‘Most Commented’ list at TVGASM? Well, I am! I am also glad you intellectuals are as equally opionated and I love reading your comments and insights. I’m glad a show that is not the usual show about menopausal women dressed in halter dresses and screeching at each other over cobb salads in comped restaurants is getting recognized. Or maybe it’s because SexyPanda is a great recapper. Either way, keep up the good work!

  43. 43
    betty lane
    Posted July 24, 2010 at 7:38 am

    I’m sorry, panda girl, I didn’t mean to be so harsh. I was just feeling the cumulative effect of you ripping on Miles in past recaps (occasionally, not all the time though) + the commentors that don’t like him all together was getting to me. but whatevs, it’s all good, everyone obviously has strong opinions about this show.

    and in the recent show, Miles was downplayed a LOT. I don’t think it’s turned into “the Miles show”. I think it’s turned into “let’s focus on who’s actually talented”. Nicole gets just as much facetime as Miles does – and I like her art much more than his anyway, so she is quickly becoming my favorite. I like Peregrine quite a bit too, actually. she looks a lot like my best friend, whom is also an artist, and has the same sensibility that she does except she isn’t a sculptor. I think Peregrine has a lot to say but she’s been a little lost in the shuffle since her personality is much more low-key than the other people there.

    haha, I have not had sex on the spoon! people were getting busted for it 5 years ago so they had to put security cameras on it. I HAVE had sex in the art institute of minneapolis, however. :D

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