Work of Art: Season 1 Episode 6

Posted on Jul 15, 2010 in Fashion

We only have two pieces to discuss, so let’s start with the drama and get that out of the way. We really wanted to take Erik’s side on this whole thing – and to be fair, his team mates did everything they could to marginalize him – but at the end of the day, he’s responsible for his own reactions. Yes, Miles is a poser and yes, it was nasty of Jaclyn to call his idea stupid (which came across as a bitchy payback for revealing that he came up with an idea for which she took credit), but ultimately, his own insecurities and personal demons overcame him and he lashed out at everyone which meant the moral high ground crumbled underneath his feet. What really did it for us was when he couldn’t manage to walk out the door without insulting the people who were trying to wish him well.We sympathize with his desire to go out on his own work instead of because someone else’s work failed, but the fact of the matter is, he didn’t get eliminated because Miles came up with a less-than-great idea; he was eliminated because he was spewing his own baggage in every direction and worse, he did it in front of the judges. Classic reality competition mistake. If Erik really thought the concept was weak (and it was), and if he couldn’t get his input taken seriously by anyone (and he couldn’t), then he should have sucked it up, put on his game face, and soldiered on. That way, when it came time to face the judges’ criticism, he could say “Hey, I tried to tell them, but they shot down every idea I offered.” Instead he made an ass of himself which resulted in him getting eliminated for a piece that he had no hand in. It should have been Miles and Jaclyn on the chopping block and it probably would have been if he hadn’t acted so badly. 

This concludes the drama portion of our program. And now….ART.

We were so glad that the judges gave this one the win. In fact, we were surprised that they did.

Nothing against the judges, who are FAR more qualified to critique art than we are, but it seems to us they were falling into a reality television trap by consistently picking the showier, more obvious pieces for the win.

In comparison to the other team’s entry, this is quiet and forces you to stand back and consider what it’s doing and saying within the space. We admit, at first we thought they were heading for a loss on this one, but it wasn’t until the public got involved that we really understood its appeal.

It seems like people just “got it” instinctively and it seems to us that was the entire point to the piece; to appeal on an instinctual level. In fact, we were insanely proud when one of the judges (we think it was China Chow!) mentioned Stonehenge, because that is exactly what we thought of when we saw it completed.



It’s both modern and primal. Modern, in that it’s simplistic and minimal, but primal in that it seemed to have invoked an across-the-board feeling of community among those people who encountered it.

So congrats to Nicole! In fact, congrats to the whole team because they really did work very well together.

Like we said, we were very worried that the judges were going to give the win to this piece, simply because it’s showy as hell and because it sprung from the mind of their favorite golden boy.

To be honest, we thought the basic idea was sound but that it almost got ruined by piling on too many elements. All that sheet metal sloppily pounded onto the back of it patchwork style seemed totally incongruous to the natural, organic feel of the piece.

We’ll give Miles a little credit in that he tried early on to take into consideration the ideas of his partners, but it seems to us (and we realize we’re basing this on highly edited material) that he quickly lapsed into my-way-or-the-highway style leadership. By the end of the project he was more or less barking orders and shooting down suggestions. If Erik hadn’t been such an ass we would have totally supported Miles’ elimination.

Although let’s face it, when it came down to Miles and Erik for the elimination, there was no one in that room who thought for a second that Miles was going home.

The one we really felt sorry for was Peregrine, who appeared to be the only member of the team actively trying to avoid drama but constantly getting caught up in it. Although granted, she quickly agreed with Jaclyn that Erik’s idea was “stupid.” Like we said, we were mostly on Erik’s side but he was a total dick to her when she tried to wish him well as he was leaving.

And what to make of Boobs here for slipping him that note? What was THAT all about?

Here’s what we liked: the organic feel of it, embodied by that gorgeous curve that invited you to come and sit. The problem with it is that the curve was very inviting but practically every other element made it look UNinviting. Those steps look downright dangerous and the seat was so low that you could tell just by looking at it that it was going to be impossible for any adult to get out of it with their dignity intact.

In fact, it gives off a very stand-back-and-look feel to it and that seems to have been the exact opposite effect they were going for.


To be honest, we could feel the judges struggling mightily to impose more meaning on the piece than the artists intended. “You’re pointing at the hole in the sky!” “I really enjoyed the smell of cedar oil.” Come on now, bitches. Enough with the Miles love. We admit, he is among the most talented of the artists and possibly even THE most talented, but their eagerness to fall all over him reveals just how bullshitty and personality-based the conventional art world can be.

Like we said, they’re more qualified to critique art than we are, but we’re more qualified to critique reality television than they are and they’re coming off a little silly week after week.

[Screencaps: tomandlorenzo.com - Photo Credit: BravoTV.com]