Previously: Well, there was a lot of product placement, and then Jaime Lynn sadly got sent away. Also, Erik turned into a bit of an ass, and Jaclyn's a phony and either a slut or a prude; it's hard to tell. Erik and Mark talk about what's what: Erik thinks he has more incentive to win than anyone because he has less to go home to. Mark thinks he (Mark) can win, and he just has to keep his eye on the prize. Have you noticed how everyone on this show loves nothing more than talking about themselves? China Chow greets the artists when they arrive at the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council's LentSpace. Wow, that's a mouthful. She has with her their guest judge, Yvonne Force Villareal, co-founder of Art Production Fund. Yvonne tells them what she thinks is important about public art: bringing important messages to the public, and making something inspired by the site.
The challenge, then, is to create their own art installation project here in LentSpace. They get a full two days (artists say: yay!), but they have to work in two teams (artists say: boo!). They split up by picking colored paint tubes. Blue Team: Jaclyn, Erik, Miles, Peregrine. Red Team: Ryan, Mark, Nicole, Abdi. They get fifteen minutes to explore the site before going to the studio to each pitch a vision to their team, who will decide which one to go with. The Blue Team, however, is talking about theirs here (it's mostly Miles with the ideas, of course), which is exactly the opposite of what China just told them to do. However, they all seem to be agreeing, so that's good. Miles thinks Erik will flourish in a group situation. Red Team's doing the same thing, with Nicole leading with her ideas. They all seem in agreement, too.
Back at the studio (which is stocked with all of the supplies they need, so no shopping is necessary), they get to work. Nicole explains that the Red Team is making a complicated geometric form you can sit on and lean on and look up at the sky. Abdi suggests making it moveable, and everyone's like, "Yeah!" Except Ryan, who's like, "This thing cannot be moveable," since it has to be "sit-on-able" and "sustainable, and not fall apart." Everyone: "Yeah!" What a fickle bunch. The Blue Team continues to talk about their idea, which I don't understand, but Jaclyn starts to hate it, because she thinks it looks like a tree house. Basically, she shoots down the one idea Erik's contributed, which is to add vines coming up from soil in the bottom. Jaclyn says that's a "silly" idea. Erik says he wants his design mark on this, and they're like, "It's a collaboration." Oh, and also, WE'RE HOPING TO THROW YOU UNDER THE BUS LATER.
Red Team's hard at work sculpting, welding, making frames, joking about Jerry jumping on their statue. Back with the Blue Team, Erik says everyone has a job: three of them doing art and Jaclyn making sure they have food and snacks and stuff. Their sculpture has a circular element at the top that Jaclyn says people will be able to stand in and look up at the stars. Red Team is doing more sawing, and dealing with Ryan being a goof. With 30 minutes left in the day, they're all trying to be carpenters. Ryan crawls all over the rickety structure he's built, which he assures his teammates is stable. Time's up and they head home for the night. Erik whines to Ryan that no one would listen to his ideas.
morning, everyone wakes up. Miles feels like he's been assigned the role of project manager. Jaclyn's excited she has immunity, but really wants their sculpture to win and to see it in this space. Studio. Both teams are essentially making sculptures that also function as seats for people visiting LentSpace. So much for originality. Blue Team's is all curvy, and Red Team's is blocky and square. Jaclyn offers some help to her team, and Peregrine sends her away, because she's obviously a nuisance. Red Team's making molds to replicate rocks and how beautiful nature can be. Mark sees the other team's piece and finds the height and construction work intimidating. He thinks maybe his team should just quit now. Music of pratfalls plays as Ryan and Mark work. Ryan says his father's a carpenter and he would be terrified about the way Ryan's working. His dad cut his thumb off and had to sew it back on. Ryan's on a good road to follow in his footsteps.
Blue Team. Ryan feels for Erik, because the other members of his team don't click with him. Jaclyn tries to help him by suggesting he make snake scales to wrap around the back instead of a plain sheet of metal. But when he starts to do that, Miles tells him he needs him on a different task and that Erik cannot question him. It's very bullshit and even Ryan talks about how Miles is a good artist but he's very arrogant. Miles tells Erik there can be no "singular me" in any of this, except that he means there can be no Erik in this, because it's really busy being all about Miles. Erik's at wit's end, since they won't listen to a single idea of his. He feels like the leper of the group. There's an expression I've never heard before. Simon comes in and tells the group that they'll be judged as individuals the day, and to be prepared to tell the judges what they contributed individually to the project. One will win, and one will go home.
He starts his tour by visiting the Red Team. Simon says the concept was Nicole's, so she explains they wanted to tie in the sky and the rocks. Simon thinks it's a lovely shape, but isn't sure what they're going to do with all of their rocks, and says that can kill it or make it extraordinary. Blue Team. Jaclyn explains their sinewy sculpture that contrasts with the buildings of the cityscape and stands out in the simple park. Simon asks what their message is, and Miles says he doesn't want to speak for anyone else, but it's a continuation of his last piece about the simple beauty you can find in the city. Not that it's about Miles or anything. Erik says he stayed quiet because Miles and Jaclyn were being their typical egotistical selves. Simon asks Erik what he's been doing, and Erik says he's lifted a lot of heavy stuff. Simon is no Tim Gunn because he doesn't question this and just says, "At least you're strong." He likes their piece and leaves. He's concerned about time for both teams.
Simon leaves, and Miles tells Erik they have to really get going to finish this, but Erik says he doesn't care that much about time because he doesn't care much about what they're doing. They're all, "Don't do this," and he tells Miles he loves the character he's playing and thinks he's a great actor and the whole tortured artist thing, which was all about corporate America and then going to sleep, "But I'm not your fucking helper, dude." Peregrine says he needs to help them all, and Erik says he's happy to help build another homeless shelter. Jaclyn defends the work, and Erik's like, "What do I need to do to help?" Miles says he feels like he's dealing with a fourth-grader and then tells Erik he won't continue to work on it, either, until Erik stops with his "bad-ass macho attitude." And threatening to quit is totally, like, fifth grade, at least. Miles makes threats to Erik, and then Erik asks if he's the boss. Miles acts dumb, as if he hasn't been bossing everyone around. The women take Miles's side, but Erik says he's been through too much to have a tortured art pussy giving him life lessons.
Mark isn't sure if what Erik did was right or wrong, but he supports him, because he's wanted to say all of that stuff to Miles at some point during this competition. Now the teams have to move their oddly shaped sculptures in an elevator and into a moving truck. Red goes first, and it's difficult but drama-free. Blue Team's , and when Miles tells Erik what to do, Erik says he'll just take off, then. He smokes while they paint their sculpture in the truck, which Miles finds "so disappointing." Peregrine's afraid Erik will yell at her , and Miles is nervous about tomorrow. Back at the house, Ryan and Erik find their usual hangout in the window, and Erik shows Ryan a note Jaclyn passed him at the studio that says, "Argue with us on something. Insist. Say it needs this. You need to convince us." He thinks Jaclyn maybe wanted to help him, but didn't want to outwardly disagree with Miles. My world might be turning upside-down if I'm thinking I might start to like Jaclyn. But Jaclyn interviews about how she, Miles and Peregrine have worked so hard and just want it finished, but they'll need Erik to lift their heavy piece into the supports.
The morning, they're at the park, placing their art. Erik has a better attitude today, because he realizes he has a better chance staying by busting his ass than by quitting. Mark has no idea how they'll decide one person wins and one goes home in two teams like this. Finally, Blue realizes their sculpture is missing something, so they let Erik put some metal on it, but they only sort of let him have his own way. Jaclyn's not impressed with the Red Team's jagged shapes. But the Red Team finishes, and Miles's team... oops, I mean the Blue Team is still putting pieces all over theirs. Ryan and Mark watch, and Ryan says it's a "dangerous jungle gym," or "a weird tree house constructed by a meth addict." I'm not sure if Ryan's a great artist, but I hope he sticks around, because he sure is funny. Blue Team works right up to the end. Miles loves their piece, but knows if it falls apart, he'll be going home.
For our weird mini-clip between commercials, we get Ryan making coffee "the way Miles makes art." He acts frantic and splashes around a lot, getting a lot of water on the floor. Ryan says Miles's performances are very impressive, then he stands there after making his coffee and very sincerely says, "The way I made... coffee... I wanted to make... I can't even talk about it right now." Ha. That's awesome.
China and the many judges (Jerry, Jeanne, Bill and Yvonne) line up opposite the artists. China explains everything to us again, and then they open the park to the public and the judges. Blue Team's piece is called "Scale." Miles voiceovers that it's "beautifully and visually interesting that is both interactive and artistic." Erik says he doesn't feel involved in it, and thinks it looks like a question mark. The judges have a hard time crawling into it, but they do. Bill thinks it smells like cedar mixed with beeswax, which "is kinda cool." Red Team's piece, "The Noumenon," is seven objects -- six smaller pieces and a major structure at the center, where people can lean on it or sit and just chill. China stands on it. Nicole says their team banded together like brothers, and it was cool to see her team stand by each other.
Artists and judges face off again. Blue Team explains, one by one, how their piece is fun and interesting to look at. They say Erik's idea was the metal scales on it. Miles talks about how it's not bolted together, but is two separate pieces. They ask Erik his thoughts, and he says he doesn't have a lot to say because he's not a big fan of it, since they wouldn't listen to or consider any of his ideas. Jerry asks why a lot and then asks Erik what his ideas were. He says he wanted a snake-scale pattern for the scales on the back, and wanted vines. Jerry: "Just wondering." I have no idea what to make of that.
Red Team says they were inspired by Yvonne, and how she defined public art as inspired by the site, and theirs is inspired by sky, which you don't stop to look at that often in New York. They also wanted something that multiple people could enjoy, by sitting or standing or laying on it. Nicole says "The Noumenon" is "a term for finding or highlighting, searching out the hidden magic, within our world." Bill asks if it's new age, and she says it's not. They ask why it's not bigger if people are meant to lie on it, and Ryan demonstrates how that works, and that it's "really nice." The judges laugh. China says they'll head back to the gallery for the crit, starting with the Blue Team.
Gallery. The judges have more questions for the Blue Team, so they ask Erik to elaborate. He says he didn't like it, and then he reads them his note from Jaclyn. Bill says it's a nice note to get, and he says he thought so at first until he did it, and she didn't back him up. He adds that he doesn't think she's smart enough to sabotage her and set her up in that way. Well, it's not that smart if it was sabotage, since she did it on paper and you just showed the judges. And, anyway, sabotage? What is this? Big Brother? Jeanne asks him if the shingles were his concept, and he says they weren't his concept and he didn't even know the piece was called "Scale" until they told the judges at the site. Miles interrupts to say that's because Erik chose not to participate, which is the only thing that was a problem. Or something snotty like that. He tells Erik that his problem is insecurity, so when they shot his ideas down, this is how he chose to address it. Erik admits his insecurities are a problem and says this was like the in crowd and the outcast and that he wouldn't usually finish a sentence before they'd say, "No. Absolutely not." They all try to pretend he's lying, but, well, you know... cameras. Jerry looks exasperated. China stops their talk about the fighting, and wants to keep it focused on the work. They like some stuff, they don't like some stuff. They ask why they pointed it the way they did, and Jaclyn says it was the most open sky. Jerry tells them they pointed it right at the hole left by the twin towers. The three people who care all look shocked, and Yvonne says maybe it was intuition. She clearly hasn't watched this show, or she'd know these artists aren't capable of such a thing. China sends them away.
Back room. Blue tells Red to get out there. Then Miles talks about how cool the shingles looked, and Erik says he'll be surprised if he's still here after tonight. Jaclyn tells him he doesn't deserve to be, and he asks why. They all accuse him of quitting, and Miles tells him to get out of their space. He doesn't, so the three of them get up and leave, with Peregrine throwing a gross, "Hang out with yourself" back over her shoulder. Erik hangs his head.
Red Team's crit. Yvonne tells them there's real lyricism in their piece, that it's simple, but poetic. Jeanne says it's too close to '70s and '80s minimalist work. Bill asks if they think it holds its own to the other one, and they definitely do. China likes that it was beautiful with no one in the space and then became interactive, which made her think of a modern Stonehenge. Ryan says he took on the role of building it with Mark and Abdi. The others say Ryan surprised them all by being a "mathematical genius." The judges send them out, and then discuss the teams: Red first. They seemed to like theirs, and thought it had poetry behind it. They liked that it was about the whole sky. They also praise them for getting along so well, and feeling like a collective. They think they could have pushed it further, because it was simplistic. On to Blue: Jerry thought it screamed site specificity: Sit in me and I'll show you something. It attracted him first. They liked things about it, but didn't think it had that much meaning. Bill says someone called it a dangerous jungle gym, and says it does look that way. China says it was disappointing to watch them claw at each other. Yvonne says there's not more public art because people can't come together to make something happen. They've made their decisions. We see happy, laughing Jaclyn, Miles and Peregrine in the back room, and then sad, mopey Erik by himself.
We're back with both teams lined up before the judges. China reminds them they were supposed to work in teams to make a public art installation that had something to say. One team succeeded: the Red Team, who made a true work of art. Miles smiles at them sheepishly. Jaclyn pouts. Yvonne congratulates them on making a piece of art with meaning, and working together. They tell them to choose the winner, since it was a team challenge. They want to choose Nicole or Ryan. China says it's for bragging rights, not immunity, and Ryan's like, "Okay, Nicole." She's so happy to have won, and thanks him for being a gentleman. She says she's going to keep pushing it now that she's finally won a challenge. Red Team goes to the studio, leaving the Blue Team. Erik looks nervous, because he has to be thinking, "Do these fools get to choose the loser?" China tells them they didn't really like their structure, but their failure to work as a team was the real problem. Jaclyn has immunity, and Peregrine's safe, so of course they keep Miles. In the backroom, Erik gets sincere hugs from the Red Team, especially his BFF Ryan. Peregrine tells him she looks forward to seeing him again, and he says he wishes he could say the same, but can't to those three. Miles acts very put out by this. Erik says he wishes he'd gone home the first week for painting a clown on a palette instead of for somebody else's work. Amen.
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DeAnn, a writer and editor in Portland, Oregon, didn't realize she cared at all, but would stop watching this show after that "decision" by the judges if it weren't a TWoP assignment. You can contact her at twopmodmars@gmail.com.