Reality Art(ist) TV
by Onajide Shabaka
What is the nature of the reality TV show and why would an artist want to be on it? That questioned was asked many times at the initial steps toward a real audition. Is it because they think somebody might laugh that every single said, "Haha, oh, I don’t know, I’m just doing it on a whim." A whim? Standing out in the heat, humidity and burning sun for a chance to be on TV, on a whim? No, there’s much more we’re not being told.
[We are] the production company that did Project Runway and Top Chef. We are casting a new show that will showcase emerging visual artists creating and competing on Bravo. Given the people involved, this project is going to have high impact in the art world. As someone whose content gets in front of a lot of artists, we’re hoping you might find this exciting.
If you’re an emerging or mid-career visual artist with a unique, powerful voice that demands a bigger stage – well. . . Here. It. Is.
We want contemporary artists. Your medium could be one of many (or several of many) – painting, sculpture, installation, video, photography, mixed-media – we want voices that believe in their art and want the world to know.
*To be considered for the cast, attend one of our four regional casting calls around the country, go to www.BravoTV.com/casting to download an application and see what you need to bring with you to an open call.*
Not a single person said, "…for the fame and money." Maybe they know what’s happened to many so called "reality actors" and the fact that those lives have only been improved or enhanced in minor ways at the end of it all. Maybe the artists are trying not to get our hopes up too high by responding in a way that lowers expecations. We all know that visual artists are given rejections as few others in the work force. Oh yes, one person said he was unemployed and doing it on a whim.
Of those that got through to the initial round had to be artists with work the jurors defined as fine art, not craft, not design, not something else. Once you met that criteria, you could then be moved on to the next step. The whole process is a bit of a mystery for most of us and there were very few who could answer questions on the streets. At any rate, most people seemed okay with the process as they went through it. We’ll see what’s next after contacting a few that made it through the initial process.
