Dang Stereotypes

So a student asked if I was watching the new show on Bravo, "Work of Art: The Next Great Artist." I had seen the previews but hadn't watched any episodes. She told me about the first artist to get cut, how he had a very familiar style, like Keith Haring, and how he was let go because his work just didn't indeed work! That's funny, and totally understood because the premise of the show is the NEXT great artist, not the next great artist who can copy another famous artist's style. Got it.

So I tune in today. I see that episode...YES! Very excited. Let me just say the first artist cut (the Keith Haring guy) definitely, without a doubt, had the best piece of art in that group. I hardly recognized Haring's style in there and all they did was rip it apart. Oh, so the "Suck Lord" (another contestant) did a 3D wizard sitting inside a frame, on a purple cushion,very ugly, with (get this) "his style" aka splattering paint on the frame! Hello, Jackson Pollock!? A judge even said a sarcastic comment about that being his style! So those of you reading this and saying "Who in the bleep is Keith Haring OR Jackson Pollock?! SNORE!" I'm sorry....but you'd recognize their stuff..I'll give you a sneak peek below.

Anyway, the reason this is blogworthy is because I was thinking "What a fun competition to be on...I wonder what I'd do?" and I got to thinking but then I thought "Yeah right, I'd never be selected because I'm not the stereotypical, bohemian artist." Every person on this show has some ridiculous trend they are sporting whether it's a dumb scarf sitting atop this guy's head just laying there--DUMB--or thick black rimmed glasses with thick black eyeliner and an all black outfit, or seriously, paintbrushes sticking out of a girl's bun. Dumb! I mean, where are the normal artists or is that an oxymoron? I just don't think I would ever fit in and this is why I didn't go to art school. I wanted to SO BADLY but I really thought "I'll never fit in!!" because the Art Institute of Chicago was a school I regularly spoke with. It's weird I never acted on that dream because of stereotypes I learned and believed which still exist in my life and still hold me back from certain opportunities. I don't know, I'm not going to apply to be on this show but still...those stereotypes are becoming "truths" more than myths.