Bravo's Untitled Art Project

I hate reality television. I think I know why. Back when I was in high school in the mid 1990's, watching music videos was very important to me. I liked to watch MTV, VH1, and BET after school every day. Then one day a new show called The Real World made its debut. I resented it because it cut into my music video time. I felt the time they spent broadcasting the shenanigans of a bunch of 20-somethings cohabiting in a house could have been better spent showing Tyson Beckford in the "Un-Break My Heart" video, or the drama of Gwen and Tony's failed romance in the "Don't Speak" video, or the tragedy that ensued when Pearl Jam's "Jeremy" spoke in class, or Alanis Morrissette with one hand in her pocket, or Aaliyah's dance moves.

But by the time I graduated from college, reality TV had taken over all 3 music networks and was starting to infiltrate other major networks as well. The aspiring screenwriter in me was disheartened. Instead of dramas and sitcoms with talented actors in starring roles, there were people who could have been my neighbors and classmates hamming it up for the cameras in the most banal and predictable ways. And Survivor and Fear Factor were only the beginning of the invasion. Game and talent shows weren't enough. Pretty soon, there were even shows about people trying to find jobs. Chefs were battling in kitchens to become Top Chef or The Next Food Network Star. Fashion designers fought on Project Runway. And even HGTV got in on it by creating Design Star, which Bravo quickly cloned in the form of Top Design.

I entertained the possiblity of auditioning for the interior design shows very briefly. Then I thought, why must I humiliate myself on national television just to get a job? Hadn't I faced enough rejection without having it exposed to an audience of millions? And besides, I'd rather just work for a firm than have my own tv show, which was the grand prize of Design Star if I remember correctly.

And so I was very skeptical when I read the announcement that Bravo is now creating a reality show about artists. It has the very artsy-sounding working title "Untitled Art Project" and the auditions will be starting soon. I suppose it was inevitable. After all, the prophetic words that "in the future everyone will be famous for 15 minutes" were spoken by an artist, Andy Warhol. And why shouldn't artists want to be famous? Why toil in anonymity when you can put yourself out there and get mass exposure?

Still, I feel ambivalent about this. The show has the potential to share the work that artists do with a much greater audience, though at the same time, I have to wonder if the artists who participate in the show will be looked down upon as sell-outs and panderers? Will they still be taken seriously once the show is over or will the art world snub them? Will they be tainted by the stigma of reality television?

I don't know the answers to these questions, but I do know that there will be a casting call here in Chicago 2 weeks from today... and I am thinking about going.


They are also scouting for artists in Los Angeles, Miami, and New York. Go to http://www.bravotv.com/casting for all the details.

Photos from 2300 Jackson Street

If you are sick and tired of hearing about Michael Jackson, then don't read this post. Celebrity deaths tend to get so much overexposure in the media, too often to the detriment of other news. So maybe you can go catch up on all the other things that have happened in the world since last Thursday.

For those of you who want to stick around, I'll give you some background on my decision to write this post. Because Chicago is minutes away from Gary, Indiana I decided to pay a visit to Michael Jackson's childhood home on 2300 Jackson Street. These are some of the photos I took there.

It was hard to believe that such a large family grew up in such a small house.

I didn't leave anything at the memorial, but I did get some pictures of my vintage Michael Jackson doll in front of it.

As we traveled westward into the setting sun on our way back to Illinois, I got an idea for these photos. Sunset seemed an appropriate metaphor for a death that marked the end of a career and an era.

I want to thank my wonderful fiance Cameron (a.k.a. Slice the Celestial Sorcerer) for helping me with this final shot. Though I know he must have felt ridiculous standing in the TGI Friday's parking lot holding a doll up in the air, this photo made it worth it:

I hope that if a reproduction of this doll is made, it will have articulated joints, especially in the ankles and the knees, so it can be posed doing the moonwalk.

If you want to see the rest of the photos I took yesterday, click here.

Bidding farewell to a legendary artist

It still doesn't seem real. In a few days, perhaps it will hit me and I will come to terms with the fact that he's gone. I have never known a time without his music. He was an artist of formidable talent, with an incredible stage presence despite his very reserved offstage persona. I could always relate to this characteristic of his. I've always found it much easier to be a much more effusive version of myself when I am performing than in my everyday life. The artist (and possible fellow INFP) I am writing about is the late Michael Jackson.

He was truly an inspiration to me as an artist, and I hope this is how he will be remembered and not just as fodder for the tabloids. Even in his death, Michael Jackson makes me realize that if I put my soul into my work, a part of me will still live on. Perhaps that is one of the greatest gifts of being an artist, the ability to create a legacy with every new creation.

J5 Montage | digital photo montage/desktop wallpaper | 1998

Also, did you know Michael Jackson was also a visual artist? Check out this drawing he did:

It appears in the booklet inset of his HIStory album. Sorry, I don't think you can get this from the iTunes store. You have to get it on CD to see the artwork inside.

Finally, I am closing this post out with one of my favorite Michael Jackson videos, "Earth Song." It has such a powerful message.

re:Work-ing it

Earlier I described my relationship with the design field as an unrequited love affair. But I could draw other comparisons. Have you ever been reunited with a former love only to find your passion re-ignited, despite the fact that you had convinced yourself it was over between the two of you? Last week at NeoCon was like that. After my unpleasant stints in various circles of retail hell, I had soured on the interior design field. I felt that I had been betrayed, spurned, and scorned by it. But now I can think of nothing else but reuniting with my long lost love.

After spending 3 solid days surrounded by design, I was sad to leave it all behind for my ordinary non-designer life. And so I was very glad that today's re:Work seminar gave me another reason to make my way back to the Merchandise Mart again.

I really appreciate what The Mohawk Group is doing for designers and architects who have been displaced by the recession. They see it as an opportunity to give back to friends who have supported them. A lot of people are out of work right now some of whom were in the industry over 10 years. It was sad to see their third floor showroom fill up with out of work designers, a few of whom I even recognized from Harrington. Some had many years of experience, while others were laid off from their first design job.

Despite this, the presenters were all very upbeat and positive. Some of the positive things I learned were that there is a lot of pent-up demand for our services and projects are on hold everywhere. The three dimensions of the design landscape that are changing—technology, environment, and demographics—are the three that out of work designers can increase their expertise in to become more marketable. They also provided valuable tips about resume writing, networking, researching potential companies, and job search strategies. The information they provided in the seminars was also supplemented with re:Work workbooks for us to take home. This was especially valuable to me since my work obligations prevented me from staying for the whole day.

I returned to work this afternoon thankful to still have a job, even though it is not in the design field, but still yearning to re-connect with my old flame, interior design. After attending re:Work, I'm ready to take the next steps toward mending my broken dream. I think I will start by updating my portfolio. And when I do, I'll be sure to post my designs here on my blog.