For the last two months the reality program "Work of Art" on BRAVO has been winnowing down a field of 14 as part of a competition to find "the next great artist." Despite it's standard format, editing and lame attempt to have a catch-phrase (i.e. "your art didn't work for us"), the show does something extraordinary: it has brought a discussion of fine art and fine artists to network television.
A few weeks ago, I interviewed contestant Nao Bustamente for an article about the program that just posted on the New York Foundation for the Arts website. Nao is a well-known performance artist who was the most established artist on the show but, unforunately, lasted only four episodes. We had a very lively conversation about art and television as well as a clear telling of her experiences through the looking glass of reality TV. It's your weekend read...enjoy!
