Archive of Ben Macaulay

Ben Macaulay is a Manhattan-based writer, artist, designer and translator. He joined AFC in December 2011 and has written mainly about art in reality television. His main interest is typography, and he is working on an MA in Linguistics at The Graduate Center, CUNY.

Ben has written 13 article(s) for AFC.

Posts by author:

Ben Macaulay

Gallery Girls Episode 8: Cheers to Double-Fisting

by Ben Macaulay on October 3, 2012
Thumbnail image for Gallery Girls Episode 8: Cheers to Double-Fisting

The season finale of Gallery Girls picks up two weeks after Art Basel, and none of the drama from Miami has been put to rest. While one would expect a season finale to give some closure to the show’s plots, the girls manage to lose their way and alienate themselves even further during their eighth televised hour.

Read the full article →

Gallery Girls Episode 7: “It Feels So Good to Be a Gangster”

by Ben Macaulay on September 27, 2012
Thumbnail image for Gallery Girls Episode 7: “It Feels So Good to Be a Gangster”

This week, a record two gallery girls worked.

Read the full article →

Gallery Girls Episode 6: We’ve All Made Mistakes

by Ben Macaulay on September 19, 2012
Thumbnail image for Gallery Girls Episode 6: We’ve All Made Mistakes

Our seven gallery girls have gotten comfortable in their roles on the show, shrugging off their dead-end art-related responsibilities for the subsidized gossip that keeps the show running. As the gargantuan art fair Art Basel approaches, they drag themselves to Miami kicking and screaming, literally coming to tears when faced with the idea of being productive.

Read the full article →

Gallery Girls Episode 5: I Didn’t See a Vagina in It, But Spencer’s Boss Did

by Ben Macaulay on September 12, 2012
Thumbnail image for Gallery Girls Episode 5: I Didn’t See a Vagina in It, But Spencer’s Boss Did

For weeks, we’ve been watching Angela mis-prepare for her show, dragging her feet between meaningless snapshots and letting her external locus of responsibility take care of the rest. A venue has finally agreed to her terms (showing unseen work from an unknown artist for no money), but their schedule only leaves Angela with a few days to have other people print her work.

Read the full article →

Gallery Girls Episode 4: “Gays and Asians, We Can’t Handle Either of You Anymore”

by Ben Macaulay on September 6, 2012
Thumbnail image for Gallery Girls Episode 4: “Gays and Asians, We Can’t Handle Either of You Anymore”

Another week, another episode of Gallery Girls. This week, they squabble over nothing, get drunk, hold unrealistic expectations of others, and enjoy mysterious wealth and privilege. Wait, wasn’t that last week?

Read the full article →

Gallery Girls Episode 3: “It’s Like, Actual Dirt”

by Ben Macaulay on August 30, 2012
Thumbnail image for Gallery Girls Episode 3: “It’s Like, Actual Dirt”

A few reflections on this week’s Gallery Girls: Eli Klein is awful, artist Ethan Cook is going places, and Damien Hirst’s work might be better than garbage bags. More where this comes from after the jump.

Read the full article →

Gallery Girls Episode 2: “I Feel Like We’re Being Raped Right Now”

by Ben Macaulay on August 22, 2012
Thumbnail image for Gallery Girls Episode 2: “I Feel Like We’re Being Raped Right Now”

This week’s highlights: this dog, bagel curation, sexual frustration, and ‘The worst, most ghetto place’ in the world, Williamsburg. If that offends you, you probably have an STD.

Read the full article →

Gallery Girls Episode 1: I’m Just Going to Let Her Rot

by Ben Macaulay on August 13, 2012
Thumbnail image for Gallery Girls Episode 1: I’m Just Going to Let Her Rot

Tonight’s episode of Gallery Girls, recapped in excruciating detail.

Read the full article →

Work of Art Season 2 Finale: Harmoniously Together

by Ben Macaulay on December 23, 2011
Thumbnail image for Work of Art Season 2 Finale: Harmoniously Together

In this week’s finale of Work of Art, Bravo has finally loosened its reins on the show’s three remaining artists: Kymia Nawabi, Sara Jimenez and Young Sun Han. The harsh time constraints that have hindered work in past challenges have been lifted, and the artists are given three months to produce an exhibition from the comfort of their own studios.

The show follows Simon as he scuttles between the artists’ places of residence in at least two Fiat 500’s, two months into the challenge.

Read the full article →

Work of Art Episode 9 Recap: “GOOD ART.”

by Ben Macaulay on December 16, 2011
Thumbnail image for Work of Art Episode 9 Recap: “GOOD ART.”

Wherein the contestants get banished to the hinterlands of Putnam County, and return with rare treasures. Also, China wears a giant button, and a dance party so good it makes someone cry.

Read the full article →