by Mike Bandy

Last night's episode of Work of Art began with Simon De Pury showing up at the apartments of the artists at 5:30AM for a wakeup call. He asks them all to come downstairs. When they get there, there are three Audi's waiting for them. They were supposed to drive them to 47th & Park, and the journey as well as the destination would be the inspiration for their next piece.

They all pull up at the Audi forum and go inside, where China is waiting. She tells the artists that their challenge is to create a work of art based on their experience in the Audi on the way to the forum. They're given half an hour to reflect, and they have until midnight that night to come up with something, and a couple of hours the next day. They have a lot of flexibility, so China wants them to wow the judges.

Most of the artists begin taking pictures at the forum. Miles says the forum is over stimulating, and decided to take a nap to get an idea. Erik said that he doesn't identify with Miles, and thinks that he wants to play the part of the tortured artist. Ryan took pictures of himself sitting in one of the cars. Jaclyn took pictures of a few men who were looking at her. Jamie Lynn said that she wanted to work with a circle. Miles wakes from his nap with the idea to create the opposite of what he experienced in the Audi; something with "simple, quiet design."

The artists go to the store with a $150 budget, and Jaime Lynn says she's not going to overthink and just be herself. Nicole is surprised that Mark is apparently doing a painting. Ryan buys materials, but has no idea what he's going to make at all.

Meanwhile, back at the workroom:

Ryan says that Miles and Nicole are flirting with each other, and that they're "a match made in Urban Outfitters heaven." Erik says he wants to do something different, and decides to make a soft painting of his girlfriend. He wanted to dedicate his piece to her because she stayed with him through his motorcycle accident and the recovery.

Mark decides that he wants to paint an aerial photograph from above, while Jaime Lynn is creating little mini drawings of herself performing dance moves, in an attempt to express her love of car dancing. She felt confident that she was making something uniquely her. Peregrine said that Ryan is really talented, but is struggling. Ryan says he's stuck in a rut and kind of depressed, and doesn't know what he's going to make.

Abdi, who is making a painting of a racecar driver covered in logos, thinks that Jaclyn's photographs of men staring at her is nice, and that she's a really good artist. Abdi says that Jaclyn's strengths are shining through more than her weaknesses. Jaime Lynn thinks that Jaclyn is a sexy girl who enjoys getting attention for her body. Ryan decided to do a painting of him sitting in an Audi, but he's not really selling himself on the idea. He says that his work isn't pushing the judges buttons.

Meanwhile, Miles says that New York is too busy for him, as he grew up in rural Minnesota. With his OCD, sometimes he gets stuck and stares, and he gets really anxious. The way he gets comfortable is to be totally alone. He's decided to make a screen print of a door. Nicole, who had recorded soundbites from her trip in the Audi which she planned to use in crumpled up stories coated in clear resin and then suspended, says that she thinks Miles is awesome and is inspired by him. Erik thinks Miles is an actor, and two totally different people. Peregrine decided to make different words using the word Audi and do little drawings of each one. She made words such as Saudi and Gaudi.

Simon comes to the studio to critique the artist's work. Jaime Lynn's piece, a rock-around-the-clock of herself was something she says was inspired by how much fun the trip was and how much she loves to dance. Simon wondered if she was worried about time because it sounds complex, but she thought she'd be okay. Ryan said that her piece isn't mature and he was concerned about her.

Simon asks Ryan if he's narcissistic, because photos of him have been the basis of every work of his. He says that Ryan should try to give his piece something special, because it looked like a conventional portrait. As for Mark's piece, an aerial map painting, Simon said it was a total departure from what he usually does, and that it's very brave of Mark to go in a different direction. Miles' piece, a screenprint of an empty doorway which he planned to put a police barricade in front of, was said by Simon to convey serenity.

Simon makes the announcement that Nicole will have to share a new room with the other female colleagues, as all of her roommates got eliminated. She is concerned about living with Jaclyn, because she thinks that everything with Jaclyn is always a production.
Jaclyn asked Peregrine if her paint splotches should be white or red, and Erik (within a confessional), says that Jaclyn thinks she knows everything, but he doesn't think she's smart enough to come up with anything on her own. Peregrine didn't like Mark's piece, and said it was "hotel art." Jaclyn ran out of time and wasn't able to begin constructing her piece, and felt that she wouldn't have enough time to do it the next day.

The next day, the artists had 2 hours left, and there was frantic running around the workroom. Erik thinks Miles' art is garbage. Jaclyn questions her methods, while Ryan is trying to make a sense of motion in his picture. Miles had to build his two sculptures, and worked on them until the very last moment.

It's time for the gallery show!! The pieces:

Erik: "Susie" - A soft painting of a profile of his girlfriend, against a backdrop of car wheels and parts.
Mark: "From Above" - A painting of an aerial map of the city with several layers.
Nicole: "Suspension" - Stories from the trip written on paper and crumpled up, covered in resin and suspended on a piece of canvas.
Jaime Lynn: "Turn it up"- A steering wheel surrounding by drawings of Jaime dancing, with NYC as the backdrop in between the spokes of the wheel.
Abdi: "The Glory" - A painting of a racecar driver wearing all red against a blue backdrop. He was covered in logos and standing in a mass of confetti.
Peregrine: "Raudi"- A play on the word Audi with several different drawings. Used the words Gaudi, Haudi & Audios.
Jaclyn: "11/17" A series of photos of men who were looking at her, white splotches of paint covering all of their faces. There were two mirrors situated at the center.
Miles: "Untitled" - A screen print of an empty doorway with two police barricades situated on either side of it.
Ryan: "Cruising Up 3rd Ave." - A painting of himself driving an Audi in a cool pose, done on three panels.

Called to explain their pieces were: Miles, Jaclyn, Mark, Ryan & Jaime.

Mark's said that he wanted to represent a stylized version of a map. The judges asked if he thought of doing photography, and he said he wanted something with a more handmade feel. The judges said it was generic and would get lost in a hotel room, and expressed how important it is to make a declarative statement.

Ryan said that his piece dealt with his desires of driving the Audi that were left unrequited. The judges said that the state of mind he came to was more complex than his shallow piece, and that it was very literal. One judge remarked that all of the blanks were filled in, so there was nothing to guess about.

Jaclyn said that while all the men were staring at her through the windows, she felt trapped and powerless. She also said that putting mirrors in it made her more self aware. The judges can see a lot of growth in her work.

Jaime said that she was struck by the energy driving the Audi, and it made her want to car dance. She wanted to make a piece about rocking out in the car, but the literal application ended up making it a difficult piece to digest. One of the judges said that the piece had "no sex, no speed, no status." Another judge said that she made an attempt at exuberance, but it was like dancing without music. Jaime said that the judges made sense.

Miles said that the showroom was over-stimulating, and that he took a photograph of something very simple and pure, and he wanted to pair it with a sculpture to get the buzzing out of his head. Miles also said that he gets a comforting feeling looking at the piece. The judges said that it was a safe spot amongst all the noise. They said it was safe, simple, and direct.

Everyone got sent back to the workroom while the judges deliberated. The judges said that the standouts were people who found little moments and the magic in those moments. They really liked Miles' piece, and felt that it was personal. They said that Jaclyn put herself in the work and outside of it. Jaime's piece was like a scavenger hunt to the judges, and they said that it had no saving grace. They thought Mark's painting looked boring, and it made some of the judges sleepy. They didn't like Ryan's painting either; they said it was too shallow, and it was a dead work of art. They don't see rebellion in his work.

The top two for the challenge were Miles & Jaclyn, with Jaclyn as the winner. She has immunity for the next challenge. In the bottom three were Jaime, Ryan & Mark, and Jaime was ultimately eliminated.

Jaime said that she was sad to be going, and felt that she worked really hard there. She wished she would have pushed herself more to do something that felt really crazy. Jaime said that she wanted to continue on the journey with everybody.

Work of Art airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on Bravo.

(Image courtesy of Bravo)

For more Work of Art links, visit SirLinksALot.net