Why I like "Work of Art"

Bravo's reality series has received both favorable reviews (the Globe's appreciation) and less-than-enthusiastic reports (Christopher Knight's review). I liked it, or at least the first episode, which aired last week. Because we rarely see the creative process on television: the messy plans, the last-minute revisions (eg., Miles Mendenhall's blown bulb necessitating a different printing approach), and so on.

Of course, since this is commercial TV, the show also includes contestants whining about the stress, calling each other hot, and putting down one another's work. And the artists on the show include a remarkable number of young and good-looking types. But I liked the questions the first episode posed: How do you adjust your working method when your technology fails? Must a portrait actually resemble its subject? (The judges said yes.)

Television rarely considers these kinds of issues, so I'm happy to see them addressed, even if in a glossy, borderline-trashy package. In fact, that makes it more fun. You can watch on Hulu.