The Next Great Artist - Exclusive Interview with Peregrine Honig

Work of Art: The Next Great Artist - Exclusive Interview with Peregrine Honig
Posted on 08/12/2010 by Gina in Work Of Art and Cast Interviews

by Gina Scarpa and Mike Bandy


On last night's season finale of Work of Art: The Next Great Artist, the three artists remaining in the competition, Peregrine, Abdi, and Miles, presented their final art shows at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. The judges admired the work that Peregrine put into her exhibit, "Fair Game", but felt it was cluttered. She took second place, while Abdi took the win. Today, we caught up with Peregrine in an exclusive interview about her journey on Work of Art, the friends she made, and her upcoming art show.



Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What made you want to try out for Work of Art?

A. Peregrine: I had just finished a book called "Widow" and I really didn't have the funds to market it. I thought, "Hey, I'll just do this and it'll be a way for people to get to know me."



Q. Gina, RealityWanted: I know it's very difficult to judge art. Was that a concern of yours, going into the show?

A. Peregrine: Art is subjective but I know that I walk into a room, and even in my own work, there's a winning piece. I've curated a lot and for me, I do choose what I consider to be the best and what I consider to be the most beautiful.



Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Being the runner up on Work of Art is quite an accomplishment. How do you feel?

A. Peregrine: I feel absolutely great. I adore Adbi and Miles. We all worked very hard. It was like the Olympics. Silver ain't so bad.



Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Has this experience made you a stronger artist?

A. Peregrine: Being on the show did not make me a stronger artist. It made me a more intelligent person. It's such an experience.



Q. Gina, RealityWanted: You seemed very emotional when it came to the twin fawns photo. Tell us a little bit about your process for creating it.

A. Peregrine: I have struggled with that piece for so long. It took tears alone to get those fawns. I had to take care of them and fix them. The glass was hand blown and cut in half. My friend did that. It's been maybe seven years, almost eight years, to bring that piece together. Finally, I found a way I wanted it to be printed. The frame alone was almost $1,000. To get that piece in front of New York City in front of a million or two million people, I really had to consider what would be effective and beautiful. To have it be so successful and seen by so many people is very awesome.



Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Who was your favorite artist to work with on Work of Art, and why?

A. Peregrine: I didn't work with Nicole but I adore Nicole. I worked around her a lot. She was very inspiring to me. Her sense of spirit is phenomenal.



Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What's coming up next for you?

A. Peregrine: I have a solo show coming up with Dwight Hackett Projects. I have a tiny little dog that I continue to puppy train. I have a really wonderful life. I have made some really great friends in this project.