WWPD? (What Would Pablo Do?)
When I first heard about the idea for a televised art competition, I thought, you’ve got to be kidding me. Seriously?? I was incredulous, insulted, repulsed, disgusted. The art world would never condone this. No artist in their right mind would saddle up for such a ride, put their reputation in jeopardy by selling out. Who would even watch such crap? Not me! Art making is a higher calling. It’s spiritual. It’s pure. To participate in such shameless entertainment would be tantamount to the College of Cardinals playing round robin soccer to win the Vatican Cup and crown the next Pope. I mean, it just isn’t done. It’s not happening. No way.
But I had to know. I was curious. I watched the show, I did; in a darkened room, shades drawn, secretly subjugating myself to this, this…art porn. I told no one. I’ve watched every episode to date. Not because any real art stars are competing. No, they’re a kind of a generic sampling, almost personality types, quirky enough to sustain drama and anxiety, and open to having cameras follow them around, even into the bathroom. And I guess they were cast for those reasons. I mean, come on. Let’s be honest, Bravo is television. If these wannabe Warhols are lucky, they might become media darlings for a season or two, grab some free PR, put a little saucy on their resumes. Get a hoot from Oprah. Good for them. If I was 23, I might do the same thing.
But I’m not 23. Things have changed so much since I put together my first portfolio. In the last ten years the world has watched to see if America can dance, can sing, and has talent. It watches who becomes idols, iron chefs, survivors and finalists at Fashion Week. Why shouldn’t the world also see what it takes to make it as a professional artist- the process, the pain, the criticism, the rejection, the joy? For better or worse, this tawdry production opens up a much needed discussion. It may be a little fantasy to ask genuine artists to behave like this. Yet there is a real story going on behind this fantasy. And, dare I say this, I’m glad it’s being told.
Over the course of several TV weeks, the artists are asked to produce exceptional work under unheard of deadlines in environments only MFA grad students could appreciate during finals. These individuals will be watched, worn down, forced into a group exhibit and be criticized by a mere four art world “personalities”. (China WHO??) Each week someone wins. And someone is eliminated and goes home. Each week the pool of competitors shrinks til the last Picasso is left standing. He or she will get a nice big check and a solo show at the Brooklyn Museum. That’s major Whoo Hoo! Better odds than any other competition or juried show, I might add. And they get to meet some important people. So they don’t sell their souls for nothing.
As an artist, the thought process and the criticism presented by this show appeals to me. For example, as a traditional painter, it behooves me to grasp why anyone would want to be a performance artist. Yet watching the show helps me understand how these types of creatives think about their work. I like seeing the interplay of disciplines, too…how silkscreen is used in conjunction with sculpture or how the computer fits into the process of portraiture and pattern. I like seeing how displays are constructed for installation pieces and to what length artists will experiment with materials. It’s fascinating. And it’s inspiring. I have to say.
Regarding criticism, even the worst is relevant. I’m interested in hearing what the gallerists are looking for, what makes a piece interesting or not interesting. I want to be that fly on the wall that can take in the crit without having to actually participate in the thrashing. That kind of information just isn’t so easily available to the regular joe painter getting submission packages unceremoniously returned in the mail, often without explanation. The show’s “judges” talk about what intrigues them. And some of their points are surprising valid. Listening to them helps me understand art from a whole other perspective. And, who knows, it may even inform my own work going forward.
Her painting kicked ass and she knew it!
It’s doubtful that Bravo TV’s “Work of Art” will ever find the next ‘great’ artist. If anything, I hope in the future they manage to find some seriously interesting contestants, not just cartoon characters. I’d like to see individuals with more sincerity and experience perhaps. Ideally, the show, if given time might generate a whole new audience of pedestrian art lovers. Which means more people at the museums, and at gallery openings, more buyers, blog followers, Facebook fans and more people letting their own inner artist come out. It would be really cool to share my world with family and non-art friends, too. Then they would all know what the hell I’m whining about when I whine. Or one can hope.
© Ann Haaland, 2010
For more information about Bravo TV’s “Work of Art- The Next Great Artist” follow Jerry Saltzer’s on line column at New York Magazine.
