Uh-oh... it's 5:30 AM and Simon comes strutting into the dorms... perhaps the challenge is to create a work inspired by breakfast foods?
Everyone assembles outside, and Simon tells them that they will be handed the keys to an Audi SUV. What?! Is this episode sponsored by Audi, then? We're bound to see some Audi commercials during the breaks...
They pile in the cars and start driving to 47th and Park. Not clear what the purpose of the SUV's were other than to plug a sponsor.
But wait! It turns out that their final destination is a place called the Audi Forum. I'm not clear on what the Audi Forum is though - it looks like a dealership showroom. Perhaps it's a sort of museum. Maybe this is the Audi US Headquarters and the execs like to keep a couple of their products in the lobby to remind them what business they are in as they walk through the door every day.
I should be excited about this challenge, because I'm a big car buff. Audis are sleek and luxurious cars, and they are definitely high on style and automotive beauty. But what exactly is their function in this challenge? The challenge is to create a work of art based on the art-testants' morning journey to the Audi Forum... but how is crawling through early rush hour traffic in Manhattan 'a journey'? What are they going to find their inspiration? We saw them checking out the skyscrapers on the way in, maybe they'll do something with that. Are they going to incorporate the Audis themselves into the work? Perhaps something inspired by their early-morning wake-up call?
If I were one of the artists, I would wonder if 'sucking up' to Audi as a brand would guarantee my own safety. This is a bit cynical, but it's very obvious that Audi paid a lot of money to get their brand into this episode. Something tells me that the producers are hoping to get a piece of art that will make the Audi folks happy. Maybe they're hoping for something so Audi-positive that they can turn around and sell it to Audi for use in a commercial.
Quite frankly, this stinks. I have nothing against the show reaching out to sponsors, because after all, most art forms are dependent on sponsors and patrons. That's just the way it works. But to force Audi into the spotlight and give a little wink and a nudge to the artists to include that sponsor into their work is a bit slimy.
There is something seriously wrong with Miles. He's sleeping on the job, again?
Is Jaclyn really full of herself or is she just very self-aware? What a surprise, she notices men on the street watching her in the window. Hmm. Who would have thought that the thing blond girl would attract some attention?
Ryan takes a playful jab at Nicole and Miles looking like 'a match made in Urban Outfitters heaven', and the funny part is that he's right.
It's nice to hear Erik talk about his girlfriend and express his desire to make a work for her this round, instead of something dark like his usual thing. We see a picture of him and his girl, and they look very happy together, although not quite a match made in U.O. heaven. But I see him incorporating a photograph of one of the Audis in the showroom - not sure how that will translate into the 'softer' approach that he describes.
So Mark is painting! He put down the camera for this one. Will he show his skills or wish that he had snapped some more photos?
SPOILER ALERT! I had the end of this episode already ruined for me. I know that Jamie-Lynn goes home. But I feel like I would have guessed that from the first moment that we peek in on what she's working on... little pictures of herself dancing? I don't get it. It's way too cutesy (this is a show about New Yawk ah-tists, honey) and I don't see how it even fits into the challenge.
Abdi has many praises for Jaclyn's work, and it's amusing how supportive Abdi is to his fellow artists. He doesn't behave like this is a competition, he shows no signs of wishing failure on the others and he doesn't talk about his work being better than the rest. This is probably both a good thing and a bad thing. Good because it allows him to focus on simply doing the work that he needs to do without getting caught up in the drama of it all, but bad because he needs to keep pushing himself to be the best in the group if he is going to win.
I like the boldness of Abdi's piece. I like the large size and the bold, bright colors. It will definitely stand out in the gallery.
And here comes more flirting between Miles and Nicole. I'm sure that the people at Bravo are thrilled about this development. Erik makes an interesting point - he claims that Miles is simply putting on a show for the cameras and for the judges. He could be right. Whatever the case, Miles is probably the most interesting of all the artists as a person. I hope that he knows that.
Nicole's piece seems tailor-made for an Audi commercial. She describes the Audi's ride as being 'light', like she were floating almost. I'm sure that the judges are going to eat this one up if she does it right. The show's producers are probably going to step in and make sure that she makes it to the next round for giving their sponsor such a strong endorsement.
Peregrine's piece also seems like it could be used in an Audi ad campaign, maybe as a series of print ads. Her work uses the name Audi to create puns and word-driven jokes, which is always an effective technique in advertising to get the potential customers to remember the name of the product. Her piece doesn't look that complex, however, and at this stage looks a bit cheap. If she ends up on the bottom again, that's going to make for one lousy track record so far. I would have much preferred to see one of the pieces she describes making at home, using clippings from fashion magazines and porno magazines.
Simon comes in, makes some playful banter with Jamie-Lynn, gives Jacklyn a pat on the back, and wanders over to Ryan to peg him as a narcissist. Simon asks Ryan if he is aware that he has done a self-portrat for every challenge. Um, so did Jaclyn, and no one seems to mind. I don't disagree that Ryan's piece looks like a mess, but I'm just sayin...
Now that everyone is a bit more familiar with the other artists, there seems to be more trash-talking. Yikes! Erik has the nastiest comments about Miles's art, calling it 'garbage'. It's one thing for the artists to say that they don't like this piece or that piece, but to say that someone's art is garbage is going to far. I like Erik, but Miles is clearly the more talented artist here.
And special guest judge Richard Phillips! I wonder what kind of car he drives.
And so congrats to Jaclyn, and good luck to the newly departed Jamie-Lynn.
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