Work of Art: The Next Great Artist

:

Season 1
  • Network: Bravo
  • Series Premiere Date: Jun 9, 2010
Season #: 2, 1
Metascore
68

Generally favorable reviews - based on 12 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
Watch Now

Where To Watch

Buy on
Stream On

Critic Reviews

  1. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Ken Tucker
    83
    That's where the fun of Work of Art resides, in convincing viewers that egomaniacal kooks can make good and bad art, and yes, there are standards besides split-second opinions.
  2. Newsday
    Reviewed by: Verne Gay
    83
    The judging process seems arbitrary - a couple of artists are penalized for being too abstract; someone who is even more abstract (let's just say this one likes cats) goes to the next round. Otherwise, a winner.
  3. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Sebastian Smee
    80
    The show has all the necessary ingredients. It's fast-paced, it's mildly sexy, and you don't have to pay too much attention to get hooked - it just sort of insinuates itself into your consciousness.
  5. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Hank Stuever
    80
    I wouldn't have predicted this, but it turns out that it's a whole lot more fun to watch people paint on deadline than it is to watch them make deadline clothing ("Project Runway") or cook deadline food ("Top Chef").
  6. Salon
    Reviewed by: Heather Havrilesky
    80
    Even if it slices and dices art into something consumable and therefore disposable, I love the audacity of Bravo's Work of Art: The Search for the Next Great Artist. This show takes all of the petulance and nastiness and passion of "Project Runway" or "Top Chef" and applies it to the rarefied realm of fine art.
  7. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Randee Dawn
    70
    This is a show that will benefit from some fine-tuning. What it lacks in originality it should make up for in content, and in the end we all know that this is a franchise (of sorts) that has very good bones.
  8. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Ginia Bellafante
    70
    The series is a free-for-all (a good thing), pitting representational artists against conceptual ones and so on.
  9. Variety
    Reviewed by: Geoffrey Berkshire
    70
    Whether Work of Art winds up engaging with any of those larger questions or simply provides an addictive mix of catfights and craftsmanship, it certainly has the goods to become more than just a knockoff.

Awards & Rankings

50
#50 Best TV Season of 2010

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 13 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. KundK
    Aug 29, 2010
    8
    The most entertaining of all "Next XY" shows. It is very interesting to watch the creative process or the lack of creativity under the gun andThe most entertaining of all "Next XY" shows. It is very interesting to watch the creative process or the lack of creativity under the gun and the critiques were almost always entertaining. I hope the second season dispenses with the Photoshop amateurs, performance artists and I-Only-Take-Pictures-Of-My-Boobies artists and mounts a really tough playing field of competent artists. Unfortunately, some of the challenges were almost insultingly commercial and/or trite.… Full Review »
  2. martinex
    Aug 24, 2010
    10
    This was the best reality show of the season. Watching these artists struggle through the creative process was fascinating as well as theThis was the best reality show of the season. Watching these artists struggle through the creative process was fascinating as well as the critics often pretentious opinions. The show points out the universal truth that art is in the eye of the beholder. Great show.… Full Review »
See all user reviews »