As much as I think the bulk of “reality” TV is a huge waste of time, I do have a few programs that I enjoy – Project Runway, Top Chef, America’s Next Top Model (only for the photo shoots) and House Hunters. Speaking on the former two, what I really like about them is the challenge to come up with some creative that speaks to who you are as a designer or chef. So, naturally when Bravo decided to air it’s visual art competition “Work Of Art”, I had to watch it. This was either going to be interesting or a huge train wreck.
During the inaugural season, my fellow artist friends and I debated about the merit of the show and more importantly would any of us participate in something like that. One friend quipped that being on that show would definitely kill your credibility. Sure, if you won you’d be 100k richer, get a solo museum exhibit in New York and most importantly, hold the title of the Next Great Artist. Then what? Another chimed in saying that they would NEVER do something like that because winning different art challenges does not make one the next greatest artist. I said that if I were to participate on the show, I’d have to create a persona and treat the whole thing as a performance piece. Yes, I’d probably look like an idiot, but who couldn’t use $100,000? I watched the show and honestly, there was no one that stood out head and shoulders above the rest. It was total apples, oranges, grapes, kiwis…. you get the idea. In comparison, I could see myself or any artist I know jumping through the creative hoops laid before them. After weeks of art challenges, they eventually sifted the pack down to three and then to the ultimate winner – Abdi Farah.
His work is good, not great. He’s so young that it’s really hard to say how his work will evolve. I finally understand what my former professors were talking about when it came to the subject of an artist’s track record. Abdi has started his on a high note, but was being on the show worth it? I would imagine he’d probably say hell yeah! When I go on line to find out what he’s been doing since then, what do I find? Nothing really. The second season winner, Kymia Nawabi is a different story. She is actively making her way with her work, has her website up and running, she participates in residencies…It would appear that she’ll be someone productive for some time to come. I guess you’ll never know if something was worth doing until you just do it. Looking back, I wonder what Abdi thinks about his win now.
Image: Abdi Farah “Grey (Farewell Line)”