Dear Jerry Saltz: Saw the first go-round of The Next Great Artist haven't had time to see the 2nd round. Caught up in entering Curatenyc2011. (I'm not a happy computer-user) I wish you would look at the Kevin Slayton (chief curator, Brooklyn Museum which I'm sure you know) choices for on-line exhibit at their site. The established art world doesn't see these artists and of course I'm partial to that site being one of his choices. But the other 32 are really fine artists and I'm sure you know Doug Berbe's work. His comments on my piece (Schemes) have changed my life. Thanks so much.

It's funny how what you see as "canonic defiance" is perceived by so many others as "lack of ability"

Jerry you should have fought for a 4 way finale :(

I'm sorry, I usually agree with the judges choices on this show, but Lola needed to go. She did not really participate in the challenge, she was a whiny baby, and what is with adding all kinds of kooky text to everything she does? If she had the fireman and had written a letter to him, i could understand more. But they were coin collectors. Also, i liked Dusty 's piece, and and felt that Yung was kept because of his prior work, not the piece presented in this challenge, which no one would ever purchase. I think Yung won alot of challenges, in fact, that this season he should not have. I am now hoping for a Sarah or Kemia? win.

Jerry, you made a GOOD decision. Stop second-guessing yourself.

Work of Art is so entertaining because we watch as artists explore their creative sensibilities to find a eureka idea that they can marry with their artistic strengths. Episode after episode, Lola demonstrated an inability to find her eureka idea. In its place, she put together assortments of stuff: paper weapons, scribbles, crystallized car parts. Lola never demonstrated that she was in the same class as the final three artists. Kymia, Young, and Sara have each won challenges on the strength of their cleverness and imagination. I'm thinking of Kymia's painting of the dead person on the beach with the carrot hanging out of their mouth. I'm thinking of Sara's beautiful exhaust sculpture. I'm thinking of Young & Dusty's Father/Son collaboration. Each of those pieces were concise and inspired. Lola has failed to show the same ability. As an artist, it seems she needs more time to refine her craft.

With this week's challenge, you see Lola's portrait as abstract and complex. I see a scattered mishmash of objects born of an artist who had no clear vision.

Don't beat yourself up, Jerry. Of course you were wrong, but Lola doesn't fit Bravo's demo and there's no way she could ever have won. She's there to allow the audience to get its hate on. You're being swayed in your critical judgment but random passersby who know nothing about art, you know it's not exactly all about the quality of the work. :) It's not your fault.

I think Lola is a at the senior year level of high school. She gives a great performs of an artist, but falls flat on actual talent. She has yet to learn how to take one idea and define it. Instead she vomits every idea she has at the moment on to a canvas and stomps her feet and pouts when people call her on it. I believe that she should have spent less time trying to be this sexual misfit/ witch and worked more on her ideas. In fact I believe she should have been eliminated from the beginning--all she created was "tv drama" for the show--and that's pretty much it. I think you got caught up in the sexual/rebellious image she was selling and bought it completely. If Lola were luke, you might not have been so taken by her "talents".

I can only base my opinions on what the editors decide to show me, so take it cautiously when I say Lola should have been eliminated. I never got the feeling that she was doing anything other then playing a game. It was never about her creating a piece that meant anything, it was about doing her best to create a piece that would impress the judges. I never believed anything she made. I could say the same for Young at times, but something personal did come through once in a while.

Consider the letter Lola wrote to the coin collectors. I wish I could have read more of it, but from the first line it felt jarringly pretentious. She loves them? She talked to them in total for less then an hour. Secret historians? That is pompous drivel. And consider the picture she slapped in at the last minute. If she wants to create a piece that questions traditional portraiture, then do so. Copping out at the last minute is revealing of how impersonal the work is. I think you were right when you said her work was all over the place. But I don't think you went far enough, her work was all over the places she thinks the judges might like. You said earlier in the show that she felt dishonest, and I agree. I also think she never became honest, and never made anything worthwhile. Maybe if she titled one of her pieces, "Please Like This" then we'd have something. But the illusion never gave way to reality.

Sara's piece was bad. I'm sorry to hear that you caved to the hero rhetoric, but I can't say I'd have done differently. The portrait was lame, it looked like something you'd buy in a truckstop giftshop. Maybe it looked better in person. The sculptural part was lame as well because how obvious and pretentious it was. The pretense being: firefighters are heroes. Firefighters do great service that I appreciate. But I don't think it's fair or honest to dramatize them with something like charred nameplates. Firefighters are normal people who work hard, dramatizing them with hero worship and works of art like this cheapens their actual contribution, in my opinion.

I'm still disappointed that Michelle went home. I think she was definitely the best artist on the show, though Kymia's carrot-girl drawing was brilliant. I guess under the rigid and artificial rules of a reality show, Michelle needed to be eliminated for her horrible, horrible piece. But honestly, I lay a lot of blame with the dishearteningly lame challenge. Hey, it's TV and I don't blame anyone, but the challenge was still lame. Young, Kymia, and Michelle would have made a good final 3. I'll definitely keep tabs on Michelle, anyway.

Also, I appreciate your honesty on this blog. You basically admitted that you made a mistake (even if I think your mistake lead to a good decision). That takes a strange kind of courage most people don't have or appreciate.

I have to say I also liked much of what Lola produced during this season. She took risks, when she couldn't think her way through an assignment she went with her gut and interpreted her assignment. As someone who once had to show a nude self-portrait photograph series to a class, it took a lot to make the one she sold in the park. Maybe Bill Powers will do a show of Lola's work at Half like he did for Miles last time.

Jere, you got the final three correct. Sara's body of work was head and shoulders above Lola's. Lola method of working was to create everything she could think of to illustrate the topic at hand and present it all, hoping the viewer would like something. This is no way to treat your audience; we only feel confused. The irony here is that I really like Lola's piece but I think it would have been much stronger with just that beautiful money presented the way she did with the two coin collector's names as the title. And, yes, I consider that a portrait. Her letter was just a distraction (I love you guys?) and didn't tell me anything more about her subjects than the money did.

I think the judges made the best choice for the final three. These three showed consistent ability all thought the season. Lola was scattered and resorted to writing all over her work. In fiction writing we have a thing called show, don't tell. Meaning let the action/dialog show what's going on in the story and don't tell or explain to your audience what is happening. Lola did not rely on her art to show. Every time she had to put writing on her work as if to clarify things for her audience. Maybe she'd do better as a writer than an artist. Dusty had real talent but wasn't consistent enough. I loved the little girl portrait but thought it could have gone farther. You made the right choices. Now I can't wait for this weeks episode!

Just goes to show that the value of a critic's opinion is that incites discussion. People should remember that it is opinion and is therefore subjective. It is affected by things that has nothing to do with the piece itself - from the critic's inner child to his/her perception or the artist to his/her mental state while viewing the piece.

Why does Young always have to do a piece about himself. His piece he did was a picture someone else did of him. He didn't even do it! all he did was put some chopped photos around the portrait another artist did. I'm not impressed by any of the artist, I have seen way better art in a motel and that's pretty tacky art. Although If any artist wins, I hope its Sarah.