UPDATED POST!!!!!
- Jaclyn Santos, "11/17", 2009
With virtually no time to recover from the “Shock” challenge, Simon stops by at the crack of dawn to deliver some news. He informs us that we will be driving Audi’s through New York City, ultimately arriving at the Audi Forum on Park Avenue in midtown Manhattan. At the Audi Forum, China tells us the challenge is to make a work of art about our experience, either driving the car or in the showroom.
I liked this challenge; it reveals a lot about a person’s instincts as well as one’s ability to tell a story with abstraction. While some of my competitors took a very literal approach — i.e. portraying oneself driving the car – I really tried to tune into my particular experience and find something interesting and thought provoking to communicate with the audience.
We seemed so out of place on Park Ave at the luxury car dealership. Nine artists dressed to work in an art studio surrounded by luxury cars worth more than the money we are competing for and massive glass walls that open up to Park Avenue. So many people were looking at us, as if we were on display in a giant vitrine. It was quite a contrast to the way I felt in the car, where the tinted windows and locked doors provided a sort of shelter. The pedestrians were mostly men in business suits. Some would literally put their faces right up to the glass. This made me feel very uncomfortable. I began taking pictures of them and what followed interested me: once an onlooker realized he was also being watched, he immediately turned away in embarrassment. This amused me and I began playing a little game with my camera: I would act like I didn’t see them looking at me and then I would try to “catch” them in the act, as if I were hunting. I did this for about 20 minutes and I ended up with around 30 photos of these voyeurs. Sometimes I caught them and sometimes I missed.
The idea for the mirrored surfaces came from the distorted reflection you see when you look at cars. I wanted the viewer to see himself in my piece, to interact directly with my subjects. The mirrors are slightly concave so from a distance you can’t see your own reflection. As you move closer to the piece it sneaks up on you.
Even though this piece is inspired by a personal experience of mine, there are over-arching themes of voyeurism and isolationism, both of which are prevalent in a city like New York. Every person alive, everyone, has to confront this in his life. My piece offers my particular perspective on these things, and the general feeling I wanted to convey was a sense of discomfort or pressure from being sized-up by many strangers. However: if you saw this in a gallery you would have no idea what my inspiration was and it would not matter with regard to the effectiveness of the artwork. My particular perspective is anecdotal. However, what Work of Art does is offer the world a look at the inside; it examines the different things artist’s use as impetus, it details the struggles we deal with, and all of this is also interesting.
I am 100% responsible for conceptualizing this project. I asked Peregrine for her opinion on the color of my paint balls and that’s it! There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking for a bit of objective feedback, Erik. After all, that’s why Simon is there. I value Peregrine’s opinion but ultimately the color of the paint balls was not the main component of the work.
I really enjoy the way my piece from this week functions with my “shock challenge piece.” In the shock piece, I become the target, or the victim at the mercy of the viewer. The pen is his weapon. In the newer piece, the man becomes the target and paint becomes my weapon.
- Jaclyn Santos, "Triple Self Portrait in Bathroom", 2009
14 Comments
I REALLY enjoyed the piece you made in tonights episode. I'm glad you're finally being better represented on the show and I look forward to seeing more of your artwork.
Congrats! You finally won one! I really enjoy your work and was very glad to see you win. Don't get me wrong there a few artist who's art I like on this show but I am drawn to yours the most. Good luck and continued success!
congratulations on the win! I have to say I enjoyed your piece because it said a few different things. It expressed a sort of vulnerability. It also had a great "screw off" aspect with the white paint blotches, i guess representing bird poop on the men's faces. I really enjoyed this piece alot! Peat PS I didn't have much hope for this show but week after week I have been more than pleasantly surprised!
Hey Jackie, Your piece last night was amazing. You so deserved that win! Im loving every minute of the show and am glad you are being represented as the brilliant woman as you are now and not just a hot chick. Its so great to see someone from high school making something of themselves. I am very proud of you =) This show is inspiring me in so many ways and cant wait till the next episode. I never EVER considered doing a reality TV show but this one makes me think twice about it ;) Autumn
Haters are going to hate. They always hate the pretty girl. And Erik, who I favored in the beginning, has turned into a total douche. I would think that he would have related to you more, as both of you seem to have been judged right off the bat. Whatever. He is a one trcik pnoy, and it is not even a very good trick. You on the other hand suprice me every week. Grats on the win. You deserved it. Keep it up. I really hope to see you compete for the big prize with Miles and Abdi. And I have seen enough reality TV to recognize when someone is getting screwed with a bad edit. But don't worry about it. Your art is speaking far louder than the edit ever could.
That was amazing. I would not have gone there in a million instances of the same challenge. Congratulations.
Jaclyn, I was instantly drawn to the idea when you started taking pictures in the showroom. Throughout the process of its construction I was intrigued, and by the time you finished, I thought the piece was brilliantly crafted. I thought you did a great job presenting dualities: mirrors/windows, interiors/exteriors, subjectivity/objectivity, The contrast of mirrors and windows is perfectly communicated through the piece, and even further to exteriors and interiors. The photos are taken inside the showroom and yet they present an exterior world. While presenting an exterior world, they also give an introspective view into the minds of the men gazing. And the fact you cleverly included the mirrors, it brings the gaze to the viewer. In a way, you've created an infinite zig zag from the exterior of the piece's environment to the interior of the viewer's thoughts of being inside the building, back to the exterior of the viewer being gazed at by the men, and then back to the interior of the viewer being able to see their own reflection, but at the same time the mirror itself being somewhat of a window. I was also fascinated with your vérité-like approach to taking the pictures. It is interesting that on a reality show, which represents a fabrication of actuality subjectively, that you tried to find something objective about the world around you and do whatever it took in order to both use the camera as a "fly on the wall" but also as an interrogation tool. The argument of subjectivity/objectivity is also worth analyzing in your piece. In a way, you have communicated the outside world objectively, and yet bring the viewer close into your subjective experience of the car ride. Both "Triple Self-Portrait in Bathroom" and "11/17" have such powerful themes on their own, however seeing them juxtaposed to one another, it brings up whole new perspectives in the way they are perceived singularly. Your work is absolutely perfect for a gallery. Seeing all the pieces together will be an experience. On an unrelated note, you would think with as many times the word "Audi" was used, the producers would have racked up enough money in placement that they could have given you a car for winning the challenge. Then again you don't have to change immunity's oil.
Hi Jaclyn, have you ever seen the Camera Van -- Harrod Blank decorated a van with hundreds of cameras & hid functioning cameras among them, so he could capture people staring at him & his art car without them knowing he was taking their photo. I'm actually writing because I owe you an apology: I had totally bought into the character the show was portraying as you, the idea that you take naked photos of yourself every time because that's all you know to do. When you started talking about the male gaze I assumed it was going to be more of the same, yada yada. Then you did something totally different, thought-provoking & engaging. Thanks for making me rethink my assumptions.
Congrats on the win! I very much liked your use of the mirrors, switching from the voided voyeurs to the (distorted) self. I'm hoping later episodes dedicate more time for discussion of intent & analysis. Though, silver-lining to the peculiar editing: It got me searching for people's blogs. I had also found Jaime Lynn Henderson's, but now you're the only contestant left blogging the show?
Hi Jaclyn - I thought your piece was the best in this episode. Not only your original idea but the final presentation as well. Keep up the great work!
Great job! I hope you stick around so we can see more of your unique perspective.
My boyfriend & I are obsessed with the show. I'm ashamed to say we had fallen for most of the "personas", including yours, until tonight when we googled our hearts out and read interviews and blogs. I loved reading everything you've written thus far and have added you to my google reader. I'm very interested in the ideas you present in your work (I did mostly self-portraits in college...until I dropped out but hey! oh well) and it's nice to know you're "aware" or your own intentions. ;) You're obviously incredibly talented (your oil paintings! stunning!) and intelligent, and my new favorite. (okay--I cant lie.....I still favor Miles almost solely on how attractive he is!)
Awesome! I'm not familiar with google reader, I'll have to get on that. It's really encouraging that people are taking the initiative to learn about the artists on their own. I am glad you are a fan of the show, and that Miles and I are your favs!!!
This was an amazing piece to have conceived and executed so quickly. It's layers are so interesting--still loving it as commentary on being on the show (as I thought the "shock" art piece was as well). I am rooting for you to win!