The Exhibit: Finding The Next Great Artist - General Discussion

[zenithwit]

Quote

Hosted by Dometi Pongo, seven rising artists compete for $100,000 and a career-defining exhibit at the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.

It's Work of Art all over again.  Currently airing on MTV.

[BingeyKohan]

Lol at zero discussion. Such a boring show. I feel like people hate on Work of Art but I feel like it was more entertaining.

[CAM]

Yeah I watched it on the Smithsonian channel, and I wasn't impressed either. I've never heard of Work of Art, but this just felt like a cheap knockoff of Project Runway. 

[Madding crowd]

I watch all of the creative shows but how can you possibly judge works of art in such different mediums? It’s so different than everyone does a tattoo or everyone makes a dress. Judging a painting against a sculpture against an installation is just impossible.

[BingeyKohan]

I will say I found the second episode a little more engaging than the first. But it’s odd some are so established already. 

[zenithwit]

What I like about this show so far: it gives a lot of exposure to different artists and art mediums, no eliminations and most of the contestants aren't too obnoxious (yet).

What I don't like about this show so far: the stereotypical assigned challenge a week format just isn't a good fit for the type of work these artists do.  Prescribing a theme and only giving them less than a day to execute doesn't really lend itself to deeply thought out works (not surprisingly).  Also, the judging is a little stiff.

I'm not as bothered about comparing the different art forms.  Seeing different types of art (paintings, sculptures, etc) in one room isn't unusual.  And I'm guessing the judges are used to assessing one versus another when making decisions about exhibits and their respective spaces.

I feel like a slightly better format for this show would be to give the artists X number weeks to build their final Exhibit (so that we can get a glimpse into their artistic process) but then have small weekly challenges where contestants could get advantages/disadvantages/etc (because it's still reality TV).

[Madding crowd]

I didn’t think this pieces winner conveyed anything complex about social media. If anything I thought her piece was too obvious. Didn’t get the slumpy one either. I did get the message from all the others and would have chosen one of them for the winner. It did seem like the judges were almost putting words in the mouth of the artist at times.

[GaT]

4 hours ago, zenithwit said:

And I'm guessing the judges are used to assessing one versus another when making decisions about exhibits and their respective spaces.

The female guest judge said she liked the painting because it was what she would call art & would take home. It sounded more like 'I don't know anything about art, but I know what I like" 

1 hour ago, Madding crowd said:

Didn’t get the slumpy one either.

I didn't either, what did it have to do with being bent over your phone?

[zenithwit]

20 hours ago, GaT said:

I didn't either, what did it have to do with being bent over your phone?

That was one piece that I liked the concept behind it but wasn't crazy about the final aesthetic (including the pre-show pieces where I'm assuming she had more than a day to construct).  It's interesting to think about how the furniture industry may evolve to ergonomically accommodate the body positions that will become more common with the pervasiveness of cell phone use (more arm rests, curved back rests, etc).  Though the end result looked like a middle school paper mache project and the models are really needed to drive the concept.

Edited March 12, 2023 by zenithwit

[aradia22]

I don't have MTV. I also don't have the time I used to when I was watching Work of Art and also that interior design Project Runway knockoff. I could see Netflix making something like this work.

[TVbitch]

This really is Work of Art without SJP. I will also watch any show where creative types do their craft (art, sewing, baking, tattoos, dance, pottery, woodworking), although I must admit modern art is not my jam. I much prefer Sky Arts "Landscape Artist of the Year". It's still interesting to me, though, and I do find the self-importance of some of them amusing. 

I realize they don't give them enough time, so I try to be respectful, but it is hard for me to listen to the artists and judges pontificate over what looks like high school shop/art projects.  I think the show wants there to be a lot of drama between the artists, but they are clearly inflating that through editing versus what is really going on. 

[Madding crowd]

I really enjoyed last night’s episode. I belong to a writer’s group and we also did an assignment to write pieces about dealing with the pandemic. I liked several of the pieces this time around but still don’t get the colored blobs or ‘slumps’ the mushroom woman made. The judges and even some of the contestants have a pretentious edge that I don’t see in the writing world ( and I know there are pretentious people everywhere). 

[heckkitty]

I haven’t loved most of the art. I like some of the Native guy’s stuff, and the art teacher & untrained woman’s stuff is cool. He hasn’t impressed me so far, but Jamal’s piece in last night’s episode left me speechless; it was so beautiful. The rest of these people are so far up their own butts I just can’t. Pretentious is the exact word. Maybe not banana guy; I haven’t made up my mind if he’s pretentious or just weird & I don’t like his art. 

[kirklandia]

I live close to the Canadian border, and CBC is included in my cable offerings.  I happily stumbled on Landscape Artist of the Year Canada.  
After enjoying that, I went looking for the OG Landscape Artist of the Year - found a couple of places that show past seasons.
I am on season 5 now, trying to snack on it and not gorge myself.
I love to watch an episode before I go to bed. So soothing!  I am on alert for the newest season, hope it will be shown on PBS.

[Madding crowd]

Another episode where I thought completely different from the judges. I really like the comic about the hearse drivers and also liked the Mount Rushmore piece. I can’t believe the painted pool toy was second place. At this point I think the artist is pranking us. Hated the messy goldfish/oyster piece too.

[TVbitch]

The woman who is doing the big styrofoam blobs and this week's goldfish piece reminds me of some friends I have had that were absolutely desperate to be artists ...but did not have any artistic talent. 

The guy who did the dolphin-looking sculpture clearly just googled around for something to "care" about. I don't get the feeling he really gives too much of a crap about anything but his own glibness. 

Edited March 27, 2023 by TVbitch

[GaT]

Well, next week is the finale, & I don't care who wins. I apparently know nothing about art, because I didn't once look at one of the pieces & think "wow", just "nope"

[Madding crowd]

Jillian’s piece was too obvious and over the top. Even the song she produced said the same thing that was on all the signs “delete yourself”. Don’t believe for a second she is a serious prepper, just pretentious. Mischa’s pieces don’t make sense to me either.

I like the painters in the group but I guess they aren’t “out there” enough for the judges. I would have zero interest in seeing an exhibit by Jillian or Mischa. And the judge in the cat dress really annoys me.

[TVbitch]

OMG, they gave Jillian a win. And said AS A COMPLIMENT that "it doesn't look like art" and "looks the least like art of all of the pieces." The judges can stop by my messy desk anytime and sing it's praises!

The thing that really bugs with some of the these artists is that their pieces are about some cause or statement, but they are not actually working toward that cause in real life, they are just making cheesy, ugly art pieces about some cause or another so they can present their art as "meaningful". Jillian's big statement piece was about disconnecting from technology and she also stated that she hopes people will start using more biodegradable materials and protect the earth better. Do not even try to tell me she is not totally immersed in social media and uses a bunch of toxic materials everyday in her work, not to mention in her prepper vehicle she was shown with a huge crate of stuff in plastic containers. Whatever girl! 

And I'm sure Misha hasn't thought once about the extinction of those little sea creatures since he made that sculpture last week. It's just all sooo shallow and pretentious. I have no idea what Misha's framed piece was supposed to mean this week.

Some of the painters do seem to actually be about something other than their own ego. 

[GaT]

Sooo, that happened. Baseera is fine I guess, but her work is nothing I understand. And how did Mishha get picked for the final 3 when he never won a commission? That makes no sense.

[Madding crowd]

Baseera’s statue was fine but most of her work seems to be about images of herself. I didn’t agree with the final three. Misha has nothing to say except I made this with virtual reality. I think he threw in the concept of not fitting in because he had no real direction for his piece. The piece he made with breakfast foods was ridiculous. Claire’s last piece was nice but she already did several pieces which represented schools and institutions. Jamal and Frank had some amazing pieces in my opinion but they weren’t pretentious enough for the judges. 

[TVbitch]

I don't think any of these artists are ready for prime time. I am not a big fan of modern art, but I do not dismiss it. I have gone to exhibits and loved many pieces. I have stood before lots of modern artworks and felt moved by them and appreciated their beauty or the experience of them. There is nothing remotely close to that it these pieces.