BE! THAT! ART!

Cuba libre

2011-08-25T07:48:00.000-07:00

Ah Cuba – the land of bad food, old cars, and of course the setting of the unforgettable film classic Dirty Dancing Havana Nights.

Clearly a land of magic, and the art doesn’t disappoint.

Melisa and Jens (BTA vets, so you know we have high expectations here) took the streets of Havana to make us proud while they be’d art.

The highlight of this photo collection is a paparazzi-style shot of a guy Being Art all on his own!! Mega bonus points for that one guys.

Thanks for keeping the BTA dream alive. We’ll dedicate this one to the memory of the ever-righteous Patrick Swayze.

First comes love, then comes marriage...

2011-08-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

I really do think that nothing beats getting all dressed up in your fanciest frocks and heading out to be Be Some Art.

If some people can get married while you’re Being Art, even better!

This adventurous bride and groom chose to tie the knot at a cool gallery in Toronto, and their guests took it upon themselves to create a spectacle by Being Art! Oh, how we love people who have no shame.

Two extremely enthusiastic thumbs up for this series of photos. Your key selling points: our first-ever shot of a bride Being Art, and you have done an extremely creative impression of an erect nipple.

The That Arch?

2011-08-25T07:25:00.000-07:00

It would stand to reason that teachers - the people who shape the minds of tomorrows leaders - would know the difference between an "arch" and "art".

Though sometimes, when you're on vacation, you drink your lunch and logic runs out the window... which apparently is what happened here. Julie thinks she's pretty darn funny, being that ARCH at La Pedrera in Barcelona... Of course we know that great architecture certainly counts as art and we always welcome the opportunity to expand our genre!

Keep on posing, art fans! We'll try to stop neglecting our poor little blog.

2011-07-29T07:43:00.000-07:00

Well imagine my surprise when I saw that our last BTA post was Oct 20, 2010!!! How is that possible you ask?! We're not sure either. Life gets busy and the next thing you know you're spending time at work actually WORKING and not posting your favourite BTA's.

IT Graham sent this BTA to me ages ago and it brought me so much happiness and delight. He was just strolling along minding his own business when he came across this real estate agent that someone how looks just like Graham!! Since I'm a bit rusty and not feeling particularly critical today (it's a rarity in my life) all I can say is this pic gets a 10/10! I don't even care that Graham has got the wrong hand crossed over, it's one of the best pics I've seen in a long time.

And here's to hoping we don't take another NINE months to post another BTA!

A little link love

2010-10-20T10:57:00.000-07:00

While this doesn't quite fit with our category of being art, n'or does it work over on our friend Lucas' art bombing website (more on that to follow shortly) - I couldn't resist sharing this site with our fans. How funny is THIS trick??

Just wait, there's more!! Click here for a slideshow of some wicked people/money mash-ups from mint.com - That'll tide you over 'til we check in again!!

And that's how you do it.

2010-10-08T12:00:00.000-07:00

If you follow BTA religiously and obviously hundreds of thousands of you do, you will recall seeing this "art" a few posts ago. Apparently no one can resist posing like Canadian legend Glenn Gould. And with a point of her toe, a tip of her (faux) hat and crossing of her leg, Megan gives a big fat "in your face' to Jill and Grahame who attempted this BTA earlier on. But you can't really fault Jill and Grahame -- they were courting, they were falling in love, they were all rainbows and poutine. Megan on the other hand just buckled down, ignored love and gave it her all in this BTA. Take that to the bank and smoke it.....or something.

9.5/10. My work here is done.

Standin' in the Light of Your BTA Halo

2010-10-07T08:36:00.000-07:00

Back into the vaults we go!
Meet Lange. Great guy, athlete extraordinaire, handy man, and now, archangel.
He's for sure getting through the pearly gates for this effort alone. I mean, that demure bowed head, those perfectly crossed arms, that lei around his neck. Wait, what? And what's with the light saber? Looks like just another night at the drag show. I mean, on the town. If he was smart or better versed in BTA he woulda taken that feather boa out of his pocket and slapped on some wings. Also the knees are wrong but I don't really care.
I do understand why he held onto the light saber though, you never put down your weapon! Especially on a pub crawl. Guaranteed someone would have stolen it for the night, and that'd just be sad for Lange. Good news is that he could have traded for an inflatable mallot, a barbie cellphone, a bedazzled vest, or even a fireman's hat.
So, good decision to hold on to whatchou got.
This gets a wholehearted Cloud 9/10.

BTA Anywhere version 2.0

2010-09-30T12:04:00.000-07:00

Told you I had more in the archives! Imagine my archive consisted of one photo? That would be embarrassing. I really meant to get more shots up yesterday but then someone asked me to do some work... and since I was at work, I figured "hey, why not?"

But now I'm back.

Today I bring you some art-around-town courtesy of Cabbagetown and Ben Wick's pub. Now, any time you add more than 1 person into a picture you get a few levels of dedication and ability. And in this particular picture, I'm proud to report that none of the girls actually resembles dear old Ben Wicks at all. So for that, I dock points. However, for yet another impromptu awesome shot, I award bonus points. For being dressed in black to fit the part, I detract "boring wardrobe" points and add "prepare-ed-ness" points.

My rating system is whack.

Props to Jen who seemed to get the mouth right. Jill looks like she's coughing and Miragh looks like she just swallowed something yucky (Jager?).

7/10.

Any time is BTA time.

2010-09-29T12:19:00.000-07:00

Since the dawn of digital photography, the photo archive belonging to our group of friends has gotten pretty freakin' extensive. So extensive, in fact, that we've forgotten about half the photos we've ever taken. That could also be because we drink a lot. Hard to say.

Regardless, every so often we dust off those old photos and see what we've gotten up to. A little trip down memory lane called up these memories of being some art!

Check this one out - back from when Grahame and Jill were first dating. Grahame jumped right on board with our antics (likely not understanding the complexity behind the practice of Being That Art, but eager to participate just the same).

This is taken in front of the CBC building in Toronto after an Argos game one night - which just goes to show that BTA opportunities are all around us. Don't hold back people - have some beers, hit the town and see what opportunities await.

For the record, newbie Grahame got this one a bit more than vet Jill did - her version of the man looks a little sad. Still - for your free-spirited attitude, we give you an 8/10 for this bad boy.

15 Minutes of BTA Fame

2010-08-30T14:09:00.001-07:00

I'd like to think that I'm a proud Canadian. We got a pretty good thing going here -- poutine and doctors are easily accessible so what more could you want in a country??

But then I think back to my days (all 3 of them) in Chicago. We took the Art Institute by storm and BTA'd it up all over the place there. Security merely looked on in bewilderment. But go ahead, lie down on the floor, wrap your body around a statue, balance on one leg and lean into a million dollar piece of art. Chicago didn't say NO. Then we take a trip to our nation's capital to celebrate our home and native land (ugh, did I really just write that?) on Canada Day. We are PUMPED to go the National Gallery to check out some art and more importantly BE some art.

So we were delighted to first see this Warhol in the Pop Life exhibit. Erin and I got right to it. And it's GOOD. Ok well whatever, my head isn't perfect and I needed glasses and a snooty glare (it's difficult for me to be snooty because I'm just so damn NICE.). As soon as we snapped that photo we got in trouble. IN TROUBLE. For BTAing!! Clearly that security guard did not know that Be That Art is Canada's Fastest Growing Game in the WORLD. We were told that photography is not allowed ANYWHERE in the National Gallery.

Time to take a trip to Pawnee and see if Tom Haverford is up for another green card marriage.

BTA Lesson Learned!

2010-08-20T13:36:00.000-07:00

It would appear as though our friend Phil has been to summer school and learned a lesson or two! Nothing like a bad review to motivate and come out on top. Let's see what he's done for us lately..

Alright!! Now we're talkin'!

Arms up! Legs spread! Looks pretty Eiffel Towerish to me! That sounded a little prison officer, didn't it.. Sorry.

A little bend in the elbow is my only real critique, but I love that he got far enough back to get the whole tower and pose in view. Now you're starting to think like a pro. Magnifique!

8/10!

Next!

Ingarps Travaror is the place to be! I'm guessing that this is a target warehouse. Or a place that designs shields for people, probably. Otherwise what could this man be holding up? All's I know is that Phil is holding an egg and I wish I knew where he got it. I don't think this is a major Finnish cultural icon, but BTA-worthy none the less and I am a big fan.

8.5/10 for finding props!

And finalement!
THIS is what I'm talking about. Gettin' down & dirty and making an ass of yourself. It's not your fault that your arms are longer than your thighs, that's what being a primate's all about. We don't speak in moo's for a reason. But that's a moo point. Way to go Phil! The best part about this is that I hear that Walt the photographer had him convinced that the camera didn't take for the first few tries, so Phil was on his hands and knees, at a work function, in front of strangers, in a foreign land (Slovakia?) and posing as a cow, for a good length of time. Excellent. 9/10!!! Get out your cap & gown, because you're all gradumacated. Class Dismissed!

Free Flowin Freddy Fails BTA

2010-08-09T12:45:00.000-07:00

Oh how the mighty have fallen. Miragh goes from having that once in a life time moment of finding her perfect BTA to this one. I guess they don't call it "once in a life time" for nothing.

Perhaps I'm being too harsh. But I expect more from Miragh. First off, how could she get the finger wrong?? Clearly Free Flowin; Freddy is giving the thumbs up. A GIANT miss there Miragh. Also her erroneous finger is covering Free Flowin' himself. That's a BTA no-no.

Well let this be a lesson to you all. Don't let perfection go to your head.

Photo Finish BTA!

2010-08-06T13:04:00.000-07:00

They say diamonds are a girl's best friend. Well welcome to Stanley Park where Jen hit up Harry Winston and got all blinged out like Sandra Bullock at the Oscars for her trip through BC. Okay, that is a lie, but this IS Harry Winston (Jerome) that she's BTA'ing and they really do look like besties with their in sync-itude.
Well done Jen! Right down to the shadow. Well played my friend. I really wish you were wearing short shorts and a 70s runner's tank though. If I'm being honest here, and I am, I wish you had a flat top hairdo.
Harry Winston Jerome was BC's athlete of the century, a record-setting man as fast as lightning. But try as you might Harry, you're now cast in bronze and not going anywhere. Sucka.
In the shadow, don't they look like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito in Twins?
But I digress. Back to Jen. You make this look easy. 9.5/10!
And as for the photo finish, I think you had this one by a nose.

BTA Perfection

2010-08-05T13:35:00.000-07:00

You know, there comes a time in every BTA-er's life when you find your perfect BTA (similar to when Joey found his hand twin). This moment has arrived for Miragh.

I think now is about the time the world joins together in perfect harmony and rejoices over Miragh completing one of the Major Milestones in her life -- finding her Perfect BTA. In case you are keeping track, this milestone falls slightly behind finding the Best Poutine in the World and is miles ahead of getting married. (We all know how overrated that milestone is.)

Enjoy your moment Miragh, there may never be another one like it.

11/10 -- as if I even needed to post a score.

Mexico Magic!

2010-08-05T12:04:00.000-07:00

Bienvenida to Central America, a BTA first! Who doesn't love all things Mexican? I love tacos, guacamole, salsa, rrrhum punch, and con quesa nacho 'cheese'. So far I see nothing but good things coming from this country. Let's see if Amy & Jenny can keep up the country's good rep...

Success!! This pic is pretty great! I appreciate the vacation BTAing, and the air of givin'er in what looks like the middle of a busy street. I don't know what exactly this statue is all about, but I also don't really give a hoot, unless it's the godess of guac or some such thing. Maybe it's a pizza head, who can say? I think the girls really captured it, and putting the two of them side by side really works for the gerth of this statue. 8.5/10!
Next Amy takes a solo gig and gets gumby-like inside another street sculpture.

My initial thought is that Amy might be breaking the rules by interacting with the art, BUT I think she gets a get out of jail free card, because she really is being the art, and just happens to be posing inside of it. I like it muy much!! How did you climb up there? I don't know what this sculpture is either, but on first impression I think it's a duck. Or a shoe horn. Either way, I say that earns you a solid 8/10. I might have gone higher but the contraversy over rule breaking or not might debase my esteem as a BTA judge.
I'd say Mexico put in a good showing here, so its rep sticks. However, in writing this, I did come up with one Mexican thing that I hate. Mexican wrestling masks. The. Worst. Now please excuse me while I eat my feelings out of a nacho filled sombrero.

Obrigada, Portugal!

2010-08-05T10:15:00.001-07:00

It’s a well documented fact that team BTA is a fan of the drink.

In fact, it’s also a well documented fact that there is no better way to BE art then when you are intoxicated.

With these things in mind, you can imagine our delight when this photo of Ana in Albufeira, Portugal came our way.

A BTA rookie, Ana went straight for our favourite subject matter and really nailed the spirit of BTA. She looks like an idiot... in the best possible way. Okay, let the record show that I’m a poet and I don’t know it.

Back to Ana.

This picture cracks me up. Sure, I’d like to be able to see her eyes to know if she really got the FACE right, but honestly, for a first-timer, I really dig what she’s doing. 8/10 & Cheers!!

BTA Roadtrip!

2010-07-16T12:50:00.000-07:00

Time for a little group fun! First off I'd like to give props to Canada for having a 143rd anniversary on a Thursday and giving us a four day weekend. That really worked out well for the BTA crew as we made our way in a comedy of errors to our nation's capital and tore up the 'twa. In this pic you might be a little confused as to what exactly we are BTAing, and you might think that our token boy Ben is wearing a very fancily brimmed baseball cap (what a fashionista. fashionisto?), when in fact that is the statue we are BTAing from afar!

Meet Samuel de Champlain, french navigator and I'm pretty sure a closet courieur de bois. EVERYone knows what that is. He came to our country and found some land and got scurvy and stuff, and so for that he gets a statue. Really! That's all it takes! From left to right we have Ben & Carrie (Aussies), Julz (a Kiwi), and the home growns: Charla, Jen, Jill, Amy, Miragh, and JT. I'd say all put in a pretty good effort here, especially with our varying degrees of eyesight. I will point out to our blindest friend Charla (seriously, SO blind) that she is out of line and hiding her arm behind Jen. Tisk tisk for a vet! Really though, this one's all about the spirit so way to go us. I feel like this really gave the foreigners a good idea of what Canader's really aboot. Directing the shoot is our peg-legged friend Erin who hobbled her way through a girls roadtrip, visited a paramedic bus, and learned to wear high heels like a trooper.

If you want to learn more about this awesome dude, I urge you to click here for a very informative historical video.

Who did it best? - Part 1

2010-07-08T11:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, so here is an interesting one. Nancy is posing as Jill posing as "Glade Keepers Burden" (that's the title of the art). Interestingly Jill has also posed as her OWN art (now we're getting into new BeThatArt territory....love it). Firstly, I think Nancy portrays the emotion of this pic quite well...I can feel the upsettedness of someone that has perhaps just lost everything due to the apocalypse (yes, that is the vision behind this art). Her finger placement is a little off though and we'd like to see just a little bit more of the expression on her face. All in all...good first time being that art! 7/10. Now let's see how well Jill does at being her own art! Stay tuned!

A Rookie BTA Pose

2010-07-08T10:19:00.001-07:00

This photo makes me happy and sad. (I need to work on my adjectives apparently because that's the best I got.)

Happy - BTA is catching on! People love being that art. The phenonenom is spreading!! I love that. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Sad - It's just not that great a BTA pose. I mean, he's trying, he probably hasn't done much BTA before and he was without the guidance and tutelage of a BTA pro. So as a first attempt -- well done. But just like I'd never get an A+ on the first draft of my high school ISU, I can't give this a passing grade. Instead here is some advice that my best friend often gives me - "Just think about it!" Straighten the arms, spread those legs, look straight ahead and you, my friend, have an awesome BTA pic in the making.

So while it appears the sad totally outweighs the happy given by my ramblings, it definitely tickles me pink that Be That Art is slowly taking over the world. Keep up the good work.

BTA Does Ballet.

2010-07-08T09:38:00.000-07:00

First of all.....winter. Ugh. Remember snow?? Yeah me neither. I can barely keep my swack in check these past few days but then I see snow, ice, and winter coats and I'm not all that fussed any more about my sweaty back.

Ok enough about the weather, we havea an AWESOME BTA here! Catherine, is delicate and dainty just like the ice ballerina next to her. And from one dancer to another -- good hands but that right arm should just be a tad higher (think first position rather than fifth en bas in your port-de-bras....wow those are words I haven't said in a long time). I guess what Catherine really needs is a tutu.

Let's look at the leg positioning a bit. Catherine kinda looks like she has to pee....but then again so does the ice sculpture so I will accept everything she's doing!

Let's call it a 9/10 and hit the beach!

Cape Town's Finest BTA

2010-05-27T14:47:00.000-07:00

Welcome to another installment from South Africa! This time we're in Cape Town, a city well known for its culture. So what better place to BTA than in our guest house living room :) If anyone gets to Cape Town, and I highly recommend you do, stay at Parker Cottage. It's awesome. Just look at all of the fun it had to offer!Holla newbies! Meet Val and a voodoo doll, whose similarities are uncanny. I've heard what voodoo dolls can do to you, so mocking one was a risky move.. Danger points are awarded! Also, don't they look like they belong on that 80's Big Comfy Couch show? Awesome. I'd say that the hair similarities are pretty close too, but I think Val would use the voodoo doll on me :) 7.5/10 plus danger pay gets you a solid 8/10!

Next I get behind the camera and really get insulting. A pillow hat and a hippo gun sorta say it all, hardly traditional tribal dress or firearm, I'm guessing.

My apologies to both art and Africa. But, I still happen to like the picture, and happen to think it's funny. That pillow hat could be a new trend, like the urban sombrero. It'd sure make carrying a pail of water on your head more cushy. 7/10.

Time for the boys..let's see how they did! First up is Rossco P. Sockhead.Umm..okay. What do you say.. This is a commitment to BTA if ever I saw one. Chopping off your arms and making a dirty sock your snout are sheer gold. Here's hoping your olfactory senses are dulled. I am really liking your attitude mister!! Who even knows what scary cross-animal (wuzzle?) he's dealing with here, but good on'ya. 8.5/10!

I've saved the best for last here.. La piece de resistance.. Are you even ready for this?

OH SLAP! Seriously!!! Amazing stuff here. Welcome to BTA Ryan! And do you ever know how to make an entrance! This to me is the Easter Bunny personified. He for sure has flower ears! Purple blanket skirt? Definitely! This is perfection in every which way. I have a craving for mini-eggs. Thanks a lot. A whopping 10/10 for making me so freaking happy to see this.

Ladies! BTA Seamen! 12 o'clock!

2010-05-21T13:40:00.000-07:00

Well looky looky who came back for more BTA action! You may recognize him as the St. Louis Arch, but for this installment Ross was ready to put his devilish good looks into action. Welcome back, you're practically a vet at this now. Let's see if that reflects in your BTA talent..Welcome to Cape Town's Victoria & Alfred waterfront. Of course we didn't inquire into who this sailor was, or what ship he figure-headed, but I can tell you that he is pale (seasick?) and looks a little light in the loafers, so let's just call him Alfred. And Toot! Toot! Rrraaer, let's focus on the sailor on the left. I'd say he's really honing his craft here. The pose, the face, the (map)book is spot-on. The only thing missing is a large 2x4 coming out of your back. In hindsight, as the photographer and therefore director of the shoot, I should have moved you left and put that lightpost to good use. Idiot! If it weren't for your crappy director, you would have gotten a 9.75 ( I can't play favourites). But it was for your crappy director, so you get 9.5. Success!! You always say I'm expensive to keep, so now I just cost you .25 points.
Meet Bartolomeu Dias, Portuguese explorer, superintendant of the royal warehouses (sanitation engineer?), and the first Euro to sail around the southern tip of Africa, circa 1488. Blah-di-blah, I'm sure the locals 'thank' you for colonizing the area, and I will in turn thank you for giving our blog material. Ross Dias puts in a good effort here, but Bartolomeu made things a little more difficult by standing in a puddle of water, swords, and sea monsters. Irregardless, I'm gonna dole out props to the poser for hoping for a photo-shopped sword. And also for amusing me when I asked him to BTA. You can hardly tell that his last word before the picture was "UGH" :) 7.5 for the attitude and result, take that. Lesson learned: Always listen to the captain.

Know your Roots

2010-05-14T06:52:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay again in posting new stuff, we've been off galavanting the globe, working hard on some new materials that will be ready for public viewing all in due time. We'll let the suspense get you riled up a little more..

Time to meet some new BTA faces as we put on our cowboy hats and head to Calgary!!

Keep it in the family! Cousins Billy & Ashley came across a wicked set of sculptures outside the Roots store downtown (I can't get more specific than that). First off, good eye rookies! Of course anyone in their right BTA mind would not be able to walk by this without thinking of its potential for awesomeness. Don't the sculptures look like they're taking a little page out of Fat Joe's lyric library as they 'lean back..lean back'. Two things strike me as slightly off, #1 is the posers' adroit postures, #2 is that they are not wearing bellbottoms that cover their shoes. However! That should not discount their efforts and vision for getting this caught on film (or, digital memory card..). They are in perfect silhouette and mostly look 2-D themselves. Also, I think you can see that they set careful guidelines for themselves to pose in unison. Look at their hands, right legs forward, and uber serious faces like they mean business, Ash next time wear your runners tongue-out ;) A solid 8/10! Well done kiddos! Next hurdle should be to get the numbers down pat, I want to see this BTA'd with 7 posers. Challenge!
Keep'em coming!!

BTA Needed to hit the Lou

2010-03-12T13:43:00.000-08:00

No! Not the 'loo.

St. Louis!!! Home of famous stars Nelly & Akon! And 'famous' intellects Mark Twain & Maya Angelou. But really, you heard me say Nelly, right? (Oh why do I live this way? Hey! Must be the Money!!).

So in a 12 hour drive from TO to the STL, I (hi! it's Miragh here!) made it very clear that if there were any 'big' anythings, 'big nickle' 'big apple' 'big paul bunyon' what have you, that the car would be stopping. And stop it did!!!! Welcome to Licoln, Illinois. Where on Route 66, we for sure got our kicks. Because not only is Lincoln a good place to get a roadside bite, it is home to the world's biggest..... COVERED CHUCKWAGON!!!!

You can't make this stuff up. The wheels are 10' in diameter and the whole thing weighs 25 tonnes or something ridiculous, and a 12' Abe Lincoln is at the helm, reading a book, which only proves that he is a distracted driver. I don't need to point out that the covered chuckwagon is in fact uncovered, do I? I'd say that being on hour 9 of the drive motivated me to really give this one a solid effort, props and all. I congratulate myself a) for finding a world's biggest on the world's boringest drive and b) for absolutely nailing this one. 9.5/10. Less a half point for forgetting to bring my top hat.

Next up! We find Scott perusing the ladieswear in the mall. This mannequin is not art. I realize. But holy moly she is posing fabulously, way to show off that sassy outfit. Work is sista! And work it Scott! Did Tyra teach you that?? Something could have been done to spruce up his outfit, and he might have thought to take off his chapeau, but for a first timer with little guidance, this is an excellent start. 7/10 snaps for you!

Okay and la piece de resistance from our little sojourn is none other than the infamous St. Louis Arch. I thought it'd be a lot smaller but dang! is it big! All weekend I'd been concocting a plan for a fancy back arch BTA. But, the day we went to see it was muddy and rainy and gross. So I recruited a man for the job. Ross is up!! Downward Dog is a pretty decent way to recreate this feat of modern architecture.

Meet the BTA crew's husband, Ross. Long-time supporter, photographer, and financier to our cause. So to get out from behind the camera and deliver this performance, it's just plain noble. Well done JR!! 8/10 proves you get the concept and studied your muse. But you lost 2 points for not straightening those legs. However, for subbing in last minute, and putting your hands on muddy pavement, you've earned another half point. 8.5/10!!!

Be That Art: A Geography Lesson

2010-03-05T12:17:00.001-08:00

It's Friday and it's March. The weather is starting to warm up and I'm feeling a little nostalgic about last summer. I can't wait for the summer to arrive again!! So, I decided it was time to go back into the summer 2009 archives and see what BTA stuff we haven't posted yet. We were BTA-ing it up so much last summer that it was impossible to post all BTA goodness. On this particular night in Chicago we convinced Concierge George (from our hotel) to come out with us. Then we taught him about Be That Art. Then he taught us about "Be That State" which then lead to us screaming at him "WE LOVE YOU!!" And then we put our own Canadian twist on it and came up with (you'll never guess) Be That Province! Concierge George (who I might add is also an Experience Designer and super awesome and had one of the best hair cuts ever) took a stab at being one of our Canadian provinces. We gave him an easy one - Saskatchewan.

Good work George! But I have to say, you're rather well dressed for a prairie province (giant burn on the prairies! Guess that's my Toronto snobbery coming out.) George gets an 8/10 for his effort here. Now let's turn our attention to something a little more advanced - Ontario.

I am comparing myself to a picture of Ontario now. You know what, I don't think I did half bad! (ps - I miss wearing my jumper.) My left arm could be a little more swoopy perhaps but I think I'm also concentrating on not spilling my beer. And I would like to add that I am balancing on very high heels AND we had just gotten off a boat cruise that was open bar. So while my body positioning may not be perfect, the fact that I'm UPRIGHT gets me a 10/10. Go me!!

Miragh then decided to take another approach to the game and said she was going to be Newfoundland.

If you're thinking that Miragh looks nothing like Newfoundland you are absolutely right. But what is its nick name?? That's right!! THE ROCK. Suddenly Miragh's interpretation makes a lot more sense. Also, her dress is the perfect rock colour! (ignore her shoes....no wait don't ignore them, they're too cute to be overlooked!!) So although Miragh hasn't given us a proper lesson in BTA Geography, she has proven once again, that a little creative thinking gets you some wicked awesome BTA pics!! Still she's not balancing on one foot so she can only get a 9/10.

Are you a Better BTA-er than a Third Grader?

2010-02-18T13:32:00.000-08:00

Ok, there is so much goodness going on in this photo. First of all, look how Be That Art is spanning the generations! Young and old can find joy being that art. Secondly, besides the fact that Andie is doing a pretty darn good (I would've said "damn good" but chances are Andie will read this and then I'll get in trouble from her parents when Andie starts swearing around the house.) impression of Roger Federer, she's also BTA-ing while playing the part of a SUPER HERO. That alone scores young Andie an 8.5/10.

BUT....adult Megan thought she could out shine Andie's attempt here. Let's see if she can do it better.

Oh my. Megan has done really well here. I almost feel like Megan has won the US Open and not Roger. There is passion behind her BTA work here. I can't even really find anything to criticize. Oh wait, I can. Megan might have totally rocked being that art but unfortunately she is not wearing a super hero costume with faux abs. BTA score = 9.5/10.....minus 2 points for boring attire.

I guess you really can't out smart a third grader. Congrats Andie!

Kickin' it Old School!

2010-02-18T13:15:00.001-08:00

The Place: Boboli Gardens, Florence, Italy
The Art: Some very posey dunce-capped men
The Poser: Flood Pant Miragh

Okay, so this was taken in 2003 when I didn't know the rule that short people needn't wear ankle pants. I should have had a party in my flip-flops and invited my pants down.
However, had I rolled them up below the knee I might have matched the sculptures a little better in their Renaissance-happy short pants. I'm also missing their signature smurf hat.
Okay okay you snobs, I'm also breaking every rule of BTA by interacting with the art, instead of being it. So there. It's a straight up failure. I just really wanted to get in on their action and find out what they were looking at!! Really, what could the missing third guy have been doing that warranted those expressions? Maybe it was a Renaissance girl flashing her wrist or shoulder or something risque.
Irregardless, I'm gonna throw me 3/10 points just for the BTA foresight. And also for my crew-neck sleeveless Roots t-shirt hoodie. That's right.

Megan vs. Johnny: A BTA Showdown

2009-11-16T19:46:00.000-08:00

I'm so happy to see that the people I work with have embraced Be That Art. I'm happy to see that they go on vacation and think of ME and how they can be that art.

Just last week Megan and her bf Johnny took a trip to Montreal. They went head to head with a classic BTA-off. Who will win? You decide.

The Place: Montreal, QC
The Art: Fun statues
The Poser: Megan

First of all, Johnny clearly ain't no professional photographer. But we'll let it slide this time. Megan is doing her best to be the woman she is standing closest to. Head positioning...slightly off. Hand positioning, pretty darn good. Leg positioning....way off. Sorry Meg. I definitely appreicate that you've even taken your BTA work as far as opening your mouth like your statue friend but you gotta keep those legs closed (insert dirty joke here) if you want to truly Be That Art. Wonder what Johnny came up with...

Oooh Johnny, not bad at all! Excellent right hand work. Immediately I can see that you are being this art. However, next time, if you really mean business you gotta sit to really get the pose right (this is not the first time I have chastised someone for not completely committing to a BTA picture, but I do hope it is the last.) I think where Johnny really loses me is the face. I mean I get it...Johnny, you're a happy guy! But This isn't about YOU, it's about being that art.

So what to do? Megan's got the face down pat, Johnny's got the hands; Megan knows how to take a picture, Johnny does not; Megan and Johnny's lower bodies are not quite up to snuff. What to do?! Ok, because Megan does nice things for me at work, I'm giving this showdown to Megan!! Congrats! Hmm, I did say YOU could decide....I take it back, I'm the decision maker around here.

Be That Art before there was Be That Art...sounds deep huh?

2009-11-16T19:33:00.000-08:00

Be That Art is still in its infancy; it was created by 5 girls on a trip to Chicago this past summer that needed to spice things up in an art gallery. Very quickly it has become Canada's FAVOURITE Game show (again this is just in my head). So we were delighted to see that others have been Being That Art years before we ever dreamed it up.

This is going ALL THE WAY back to 2004!!! Were there even computers back then?! Weren't people still communicating by telegram?? Some how Blythe managed to capture this photo with what was surely the first digital camera ever made. It was probably 3 or 4 megapixels!!

The Place: I don't know, but I think I want to go there.

The Art: an unknown sculpture (we really have to get better at identifying our art)

The Poser: Blythe

Blythe doesn't even have an inkling that in 5 years this photo will be part of the fastest growing phenomenon in the WORLD. And for that, I don't even care that she's holding a beer in her hand. She has earned herself a 10/10 for being a visionary and a special place in my heart.

(And for the record, I get that 2004 wasn't really that long ago. Don't worry I'm old. Like born in the 70's kinda old. I know, it's shocking huh? I don't look a day over 19.)

BTA Goes Hindu!

2009-11-16T19:02:00.000-08:00

While we were in India, we did a lot more than take pictures with fast food icons. We actually saw some really cool stuff. That's right, cool Indian stuff. Some of our favourite things were Hindu gods. Did you know that you're not supposed take pictures of Hindu gods? Yup, us neither. So here we are doing our best to Be That Art with various gods. Remember, BTA is all about art appreciation, we hope we don't offend anyone....but I guess Erin probably already did that when she talked about Baby Jesus art. So at least we offend equally.

The Place: Jodhpur, India

The Art: a Hindu god (I still can't keep track of who's who)

The Poser: Charlie

First of all, I asked Charla to sit on the ground to fully get this body positioning right and she wouldn't do it, so she loses a point immediately for lack of commitment to Be That Art. (I told you, I'm tough.) BUT she is balancing rather precariously on that railing so I'll give her a half point back. Right arm is nearly perfect, bonus point for her. Left arm is a little straight, deduct bonus point. Face is accurately serene and godly. Kudos for using kleenex as her flower prop. I think the scale has tipped in Charlie's favour -- you got yourself a 9/10!! Well done Charlie.

Next up, a group BTA!

The place: Still in Jodhpur

The Art: More Hindu gods.....I'm going to guess this one is Krishna because he's playing a flute. That's about all I learned.

The Posers: Jen, Charla and special BTA guest star Bunty!! (Bunty was our driver in India, he was super awesome and not just because he got into BTA. Here's my little plug for Bunty... www.indiaprivatedriver.com. If you're going to India you gotta email Bunty).

Sorry for the PSA...now back to the matter at hand. There is a lot going on in the art behind us so it's almost too hard to tell which art we're being. I'm the god who I think is Krishna (obviously I'm the god) and Bunty and Charla are my.....helpers? Slaves? Bandmates? Almost impossible to tell. Now I don't normally rock a ponytail so high on my head but I did this to be the head piece that Krishna is sporting. Kinda works...I think...if anything, it's a good reminder for me NOT to wear my ponytail this high in real, non BTA, life. Bunty has really applied himself here. He barely knew what Be That Art was all about, but he follows instructions really well. Poor Charlie is covering up her little guy that she's trying to be and you can barely tell that she is in fact doing an excellent job being that art. But when a team loses in the championships, do you blame one team player?! No!! You blame the coach. And in this case, you blame the art director/photographer.....Jill. So I think the posers have earned themselves a solid 9.5/10 and the photographer only gets a 5/10. And that my friends....is a dang shame.

Team BTA Goes to India!!

2009-11-16T18:34:00.000-08:00

First of all, we here at BTA would like to apologize for our lack of postings. Our loyal following is getting bored...and by loyal following I mean the 2 other people that find this stuff funny. Well we have a good reason for not posting anything for a few weeks now. Three of the 5 BTA-ers were in India! That's right, we were travelling the world, exploring the sites, getting immersed in authentic Indian culture and everywhere we went, we of course looked for Be That Art opportunities. Check out the pics of AUTHENTIC Indian culture below:

The Place: Jaipur India (See how authentic this is?!)
The Poser: Jill
The Art: None other than Ronald McDonald. Yup that's right, we went to India and took pictures with the freaky, giant American fast food clown.

I would like to do a compare and contrast Jill's two poses with Ronny McD. Her fist attempt was in Jaipur and I think she has done an admirable job capturing RD's body positioning. However, doesn't Ronald look like he's saying "I know, I get it. I look like an idiot in this outfit." and Jill's face looks more like she's saying, "Holy hell, I am SO FREAKIN' excited to be in India!!" Also, she's a BTA vet so she should know better than to have foliage covering up her pose. I'm not throwing out 9's and 10's like Erin seems so happy to do. Jill, you got yourself a 7.5/10. Maybe she did better in our next encounter with The Ron. Let's take a closer look... We're in Delhi here (but I guess that was totally obvious from the picture...how can you NOT tell it's Delhi??) and Jill was super pumped to see her old buddy sitting on the bench again. Ronald looks a little less embarassed with himself and a little more like, "Hey little kids, come join me on the bench! It's fun!" While Jill has fixed her hand positioning here and taken care to ensure nothing is blocking her pose, her face is still a little....well....a little like a crazy person's. I'm also pretty sure Jill has a double chin in this picture, and Ronald most certainly does not have a double chin. He's obviously been taking care of himself. His face is his livliehood afterall. So I'll up this BTA pic to an 8/10.

And for the record, we only ate at McDonald's once and it was just a snack and it was after 10 days of eating real Indian food and we just wanted a little bit of "western food" in our diet so get off my back, we're not those kind of tourists that travel half way round the world to eat Pizza Hut and McDonalds. ....and breathe. There I said it.

London-Town

2009-10-12T17:16:00.000-07:00

This summer I enjoyed a lovely visit to Oxford, because my dear friend Sharon is spending some time there with her darling Newfie mathemagician husband Tom. The trip was made complete by Melisa, our mutal partner in crime, who was en-route home from India where her German boyfriend Jens was for the summer. Confused? So were we. But not much stops us from Being That Art. Let's get started.

The place: Saint Mary the Virgin Church, Oxford.

The poser: Erin (okay, that's me)

The art: something religious

The verdict: as Miragh previously mentioned, self evaluation is difficult. I mean, I have experience on my side, but the conditions here were challenging: tiny space, inclement

weather, possible chance that i'm going to Hell (which

may or may not be the fault of the art impersonation)... heck, shall we call it a 10? I think yes.

The place: The fountain outside the National Gallery, London

The poser: Sharon

The art: Mer-folk

The verdict: Sharon is amazing at Being That Art. I swear I saw her kick some kids and tourists out of the way to clear a spot for this.

The only thing that could have improved it is if she spouted some water from her mouth or something. 9/10.

After Shar & Melis dragged me (a little bit kicking and screaming, or at least eye-rolling) through some Baby Jesus art, they politely indulged my craving for something a little more modern...

The place: Walking in My Mind exhibition, Hayward Gallery, London

The posers: Sharon, Melis, and Erin

The art: Yayoi Kusama's installation

The verdict: The artist sees her life as a dot lost among a million other dots... ain't that the truth. We got busy with these sculptures, some of us even sitting in damp astroturf to get these great shots. A total 10/10.

Also, Melis and Shar decided that maybe modern art isn't so bad, so this was a successful endeavor.

The place: Somewhere on the streets of London

The posers: Melisa, Erin, and Sharon

The art: A perching lady, dancing bunnies

The verdict: This is a street-style BTA, in that I'm not sure where we were or what art we were being, but gosh-darnit we were having fun. And the kind people were moving out of our way so we could take the photos - perhaps because we appeared to be crazy people?

Whatever the case may be, Melis took a few tries to eventually get this one right, but in the end she nailed it - good girl. 9/10 - it was an awkward position. As for Shar and I, we late

r regretted not putting our hair into bunny ears, but overall pretty good, right? I'm giving us a 9/10 too.

Note to future BTA-ers... should you want glowing reviews all-around, take me on your trip with you. Peace & love - e$

the Nuit Blanche highlight

2009-10-12T16:58:00.000-07:00

Once a year, our lovely hometown hosts a spectacular "all-night art thing"... as you can imagine, this might be ground zero for our little blog project. However, the art is SO interactive that we usually get so caught up playing with the art, we forget to BE the art. And also, the bars stay open until 4am, and it's pretty cold, so we end up a bit too intoxicated in REMEMBER to be the art.

Regardless, our boy Andy stepped it up this year to crank out a winner.

The place: Somewhere on Queen Street, betwixt watering holes

The poser: Andy

The art: Crawling boy

The verdict: Andy had this one pretty much nailed, before he even noticed the art. 10/10.

We'll see you back on the streets, Oct 2nd 2010, flasks in hand!

You can dress us up...

2009-10-05T14:42:00.001-07:00

For this edition of BTA, we get really dolled up and classy.
And then we get down to business.

The Place: JT & Andy's fairytale wedding at Casa Loma
The Posers: Jill & Erin
The Art: a swordy knight in shining armor

All's I'm gonna say is that I LOVE THIS. Forget finding appropriate weaponry, Erin uses Jill's limbs to show that she means business and could get Medieval on anyone's ass!
I'm not going to get picky here, I'm just gonna dole out a 9/10 for all of the goodness these girls delivered. Erin's arms scream BTA professionalism, and Jill's swordlike prowess is uncanny. While I'm pretty sure a knight's armour provides full arm/leg coverage, these girls updated the look to get with the times in short and sassy frocks.
I knight thee wicked awesome.

Casa Loma is a veritable BTA playground. I think when we hit the bigtime we'll try to move our head offices in. Shotgun Peacock Alley!!! Everywhere you look, every corner you turn there is something waiting for our crew to reenact, maybe except a giant Druxy's sign and basement photocopier..those are tough ones, but found treasures, none the less.. The second I saw this beauty I was practically itching to have a go at her.

The Place: The Conservatory, Casa Loma
The Poser: Miragh
The Art: Art Deco Flavor Flav

First off, self-evaluation can be difficult. You've got to balance modesty with confidence, without coming off too gloaty. But let's be honest here.. I gave this one my all and it turned out damn fine. Wine glasses substitute clocks (barometers? who can really say..) which I say is an appropriate substitute for anything. If only I was draped head to toe in a curtain, I'd have this one nailed. Next time.

So for all of you thinking of walking down the aisle in the future, if you plan on inviting us, please make sure it's as wicked at JT's wedding was (as a whole, and in the art department).

Be That Art goes to the Hammer!

2009-09-28T18:58:00.001-07:00

I'm very happy that people are travelling to Paris, New York, Tokyo, Singapore, etc. Those are high class cities. But some times we don't all have the luxury of travelling to distant lands. Some times all we have is Ontario's very own Steel Town....Hamilton.

But that doesn't deter the BTA team! We can be that art where ever we go! Even if the art is some times not easy to find.

The art: A Picture of Simon the Dog

The Poser: Megan, a Steel Town Sister

The Place: Hamilton, ON

Megan is new to BTA so we'll go easy on her for her first time. She's put in a solid first timer effort here. She's got the tongue part down pat. But are you really feeling the "dog vibe" from Megan? Yeah me neither. Hmmm, maybe that's a good thing.

Later that evening...

The art: Random sticks in the vase

The Posers: 2 Megans, a Jen and Blythe

Location: The Hammer

The girls are doing their best to be that art. We were trying to find something that could be considered art. Are the sticks in a vase some sort of post-modern expression of chaos theory? Or are they just decorative twigs in a lovely vase? Almost there girls...but you're still only getting a 6/10.

We need to take this mission on the road...and look what we've found! Legitimate art! And on someone's front porch too. Good thing it was late at night so we didn't disturb the people who had this cut out painting on their front porch.

Well I do believe Megan has taken her Be That Art skills up a notch. She's gotten herself a solid 8/10 here! She's chosen to use her hand as the gas mask rather than as the actual hand. We here at BTA applaud creative, outside the box thinking. Keep up the good work Megan!

Let this be a lesson to you all...you don't need to go to Fancytown to find good art.

The "turning tragedy into comedy" edition

2009-09-28T14:47:00.000-07:00

So a while back, my friend Erick went to Paree (that's Paris when you pronounce it properly. Stay with me, kids). At least I think that's what happened, I don't really know the full story.

But I'm pretty sure he went to Paree.

It was a cultural expedition, and every day young Erick would wake up, shout "zut, alors!" and amble out on his way. He'd stop for pain-au-chocolat, cafe au lait, vin rouge, fromage, fromage and more fromage, more vin rouge, and then he'd be ready to start his day. Armed with little more than a guidebook and a baguette, young Erick approached the Musee d'Orsay innocently enough - part of the quest was of course intended to see the famous "Whistler's Mother". He followed the instructions in the guidebook carefully and went to where it should be. Confused at its absence, he wondered if maybe he had perhaps had a bit too much vin, and circled the Musee another time. Much to Erick's chagrin, he learned that poor old Whistler's Mother was on tour, and part of his journey to Paree had been in vain.

Never one to let the circumstances overwhelm him, Erick wisely partook in another glass of vin, and did what any self-respecting tourist would do...

He be'd that art, anyway.

The place: Musee d'Orsay, Paris
The poser: Erick
The verdict: 11/10. You made art where art didn't even exist.

*Absolutely no piece of this story is factual, aside from this being Erick and that's what he's actually doing.

A Family Affair

2009-09-28T14:37:00.001-07:00

Word to your moms!

Sorry for the mini-vacay, life has been busy for the BTA team... the last few weeks have brought many ups and downs for all of us, but don't worry, we still did find some BTA ops. Shots coming soon. In the meantime, we're happy to share a couple more guest submissions.

First of all, let's check out Nikky:

The place: Florence

The poser: our friend Nikky

The verdict: Pretty freakin' excellent - it's clear that Nikky has been bein' that art since before the blog was made. Bonus points for propping appropriately. I'm going out on a limb. It's a 10.

Alright Nikky in Florence part 2. I'd say the first effort is a tad stronger, a tad more accurate. However effort number two still shows great promise - team BTA is proud. 8/10 Nikky.

And now here's where we get super, duper adorable... check out Jamie:

The place: Somewhere in Panama

The poser: Nikky's son Jamie

The verdict: Okay, okay, Jamie isn't REALLY being any sort of art. However, it's still super-cute, right? And if you get 5 bonus points for being cute, that makes this picture a solid 6/10 (cuz I also think you get a point just for showing up, here at BTA).

Nice work, our dear friends. Nice work.

BTA: India - Rockin' the Rock Garden

2009-09-13T17:37:00.000-07:00

Greetings art lovers!

You'll notice the blog has a new look and feel - it's all part of the process here at BTA - we're evolving with the world around us, much like art itself... whoa, trippy.

Tonight's special edition post comes to us all the way from India!

Now, the first attempt here it's a bit of a wash - it's an "A" for effort, "D" for art - I mean, I don't know if these guys have SEEN art before, but this ain't it. However, this blog is not a place of judgement, it's a place of celebration. And therefore, I'd like to give the team an honourable mention for showing up at the party.

The good news is, the guys picked up their game.

The place: Nek Chand's Rock Garden in Chandigarh, India.

The poser: guest poser, Paul

The art: A blue frog

The verdict: I think we can officially start rating now. I mean, I don't actually think this blue frog will ever show up in a museum's permanent collection, but I've seen wackier art.

"What is art?" discussion aside, Paul gets a 7/10 for strong mimicking of Blue Frog's facial expression and hand position. Plus, Paul also wore blue. If he'd just organized his feet a bit more, he'd be a 10.

The place: Rock Garden, again

The poser: another guest, Mike

The art: men built out of commercial waste

The verdict: Okay, now we're talkin' - built out of waste that's a comment on the very society it seeks to represent - kids, we've got art!! I'm going to go ahead and give Mike a 9/10 for embodying the melancholy that these waste-men so clearly want to convey... doesn't this whole scene make you kinda sad?

Except then you remember that this is BTA, and you laugh again.

Exactly.

And, finally...

The place: The Capital complex in Chandigarh, India

The posers: Paul, Karen, Dan, Tracy and Asia

The art: Le Corbusier's open hand sculpture

The verdict: Our Indian correspondent who submitted these fabulous Indian shots (shout out to Jens!! whoop whoop!) says that this was as close as these folks could get without getting shot. Team BTA cocks a suspicious eyebrow and says "REALLY? DID YOU REALLY, REALLY TRY?" Sometimes, you have to take great risks to get a great BTA shot. HOWEVER, even we recognize the challenge of getting 5 people to Be! That! Art! all at once, so points there. This picture rates a solid "6", bonus points if you go back and come out with wounds.

Thanks for coming out, India!!

Be That Art Goes International!

2009-09-09T04:23:00.000-07:00

Canadian fans rejoice - Be That Art has spread to the mysterious Far East! After rapidly gaining popularity in Canada, Be That Art made its South East Asian debut in the tropical island city/state of Singapore on Saturday September 5th. Local artisans are delighted at the prospect of this new craze bringing more attention and respect to their traditional art forms.

After just a brief glimpse at this blog, new participants Nicole, Ali and K jumped at the chance to show off their skills at being that art.

The place: Keriann and Kelso's guest room

The art: Sakura, by Fuji Sayonara

The posers: Be That Art veteran Charla and newcomer Nicole

Next up, Sakura photographer Ali was keen to step out from behind the camera and BE THAT ART.

The place: Keriann and Kelso's
The art: Balinese Joy
The poser: Ali

The photo shoot soon drew the attention of others and our next poser, K, dove into the Be That Art experience without any inhibition. The usually beautiful and elegant K really embraced "ugly" to get the perfect shot. We applaud your dedication to being that art!

The place: Keriann and Kelso's hallway

The art: Balinese Water God

The poser: Lovely K (accidentally sporting Charla's side pony)

There you have it - the first Asian attempts to Be That Art. It's now up to you, the people, to cast your judgement. Stay tuned for more exciting updates from Be That Art's newest posers. Xie xie ni.

What NOT to do.

2009-09-03T18:44:00.000-07:00

We hope by now you've kinda gotten the hang of "be that art" but in case you need some examples of what NOT to do, I will demonstrate. They are still great photos, but they aren't exactly "being the art" and that's really the whole point.

Mistake #1: Using the art.

Miragh found this fire hydrant on the streets of Manhattan and just couldn't resist acting like she was pushing it over. Cute pic but in no way is she "being the art". She's simply trying to make us believe she could tip over a fire hydrant. And we've seen her pipes, we know she can't.

Mistake #2: Adding to the art.

Again, another amazing photo. This picture actually really creeps me out. But some of you people new to "be that art" might think Jill is being the art, but she's really not. She's adding her own take on the art by strategically sticking her face in it.

Mistake #3: Putting an M&M Leather Jacket in a display case and calling it art.

Ok so this isn't really an example of what not to do in a Be That Art photo attempt. I really just wanted to ask the question, WHY?? Why would anyone make this jacket and please dear God, tell me no one actually wears it!! So we were IN the M&M store. So what?? I'm there for the wacky M&M colours, not to see this jacket on display, behind glass...as if someone might try to steal it so it has to be behind protective glass! I probably just need to get over this.

So there you have it. Some simple guidelines of what not to do! Once again, send us your "be that art" photo to bethatart@gmail.com. And if you're wearing a leather M&M jacket, I'm warning you now, there will be much judgement and ridicule.

Play "Be That Art" almost anywhere!

2009-09-03T18:21:00.000-07:00

Let's make something clear. We don't go to museums and art galleries all that often. But when we do, we make the most of our time there. I'd like to now demonstrate how Be That Art can played almost anywhere so that you too can get out your camera and start snapping without feeling like you need to spend an afternoon in a gallery.
#1
The Place: Outside a bar in Chicago
The Posers: Jill, Charla, Jen & Erin
The Art: A bar sign

This attempt at "be that art" probably really only earns us a 5/10. I mean, sure we look super cute in a fun summer dresses but that doesn't really mean we get more than a passing grade. But the effort was there. We all really thought we had nailed that wink and bob hair cut that the Red Head has going on. Maybe it was the missing white headband. Maybe it was lighting. Or maybe, just maybe it was all the vodka red bulls we had consumed and that's why we couldn't pull it off. Come to think of it...it looks more like we're holding each other up for support than posing for a "be that art" pic.

The Place: Outside a 7-11

The Art: G.I. Joe movie poster

The Poser: Jen

Do I need to start off by saying that I might have been into the vodka red bull again? No I didn't think so. I worked hard on this "be that art" and I could never get it quite right. Maybe if I had put the bag down I would've had a chance. Also, I think I'm trying to be a lady and not stand in a wide stance while wearing a shirt that I also like to call a dress. It's always so difficult to self-evaluate, but I will give myself a 7/10, mainly because of the intense look on my face and my really cute shoes.

The Place: Lego Store

The Art: A Lego Dinosaur

The Poser: Charlie

Clap. Clap. Clap. Charla is finally really showing what "be that art" is all about when you're not in a museum. She's got the bared teeth, the little arms, and even the correct leg position. The people in the Lego store thought we were wicked. Congrats Charlie, you've earned yourself a 9/10! Oh and if anyone has seen the Lego egg timer I bought, I'm still missing it. Or better yet, if anyone knows where I can get myself another Lego egg timer, please let me know. I don't think my original one is coming back to me.

So I hope this gives you a glimpse at all the fun places you can "be that art". Street corners, stores, bars.....the options are endless!! Send us your "Be that art" and we'd love to publish it on our blog. And we'll give you a rating. Don't worry, it will all be constructive criticism.

Email us at: bethatart@gmail.com

Be That Art History Lesson!

2009-09-03T13:19:00.000-07:00

Eight weeks and one years ago, our foremothers brought forth on this continent a new game, conceived in stupidity and dedicated to the proposition that all re-enacted art is not made equal.
The Place: MoMA, New York City
The Art: Picasso’s Desmoiselles D’Avignon
The Posers: Miragh, Charla, Erin
This is the birthplace of BTA folks, and where we had the sudden urge to get all up in art's grill. Now, this is before rules were established, lines were crossed, and competition ensued. So, by today's rankings these girls would earn a 6.0/10. All they've really got down is the doe-eyed look. But back then, this was sheer gold. What you don't see is the next shot in the Picasso series, where Charla posed as a naked boy, and Erin his pony. Back then we were shy.

Art Institute of Chicago

2009-09-02T12:16:00.000-07:00

It’s time to get abstract up in here!
Don’t feel like you need to seek out art that has easily recreatable (spellcheck caught that as ‘regrettable’, coincidence? I think no) human poses. This game is open to interpretation.
The Place: Art Institute of Chicago
The Art: We should really start writing these down.

The Posers: Charla, Jill, Jen
For an early run at abstract art, Charla, Jill and Jen earn a solid 9.0/10 for their efforts here. No one’s perfect. Bonus points were awarded to all three for their choice of wardrobe, and to Charla for posing not only as the sculpture, but as its stand as well. And just so we’re clear, they did not all wear matching bracelets that day. Those are of-age wristbands from the beer tent visit that was made pre-gallery. Hey, whatever gets the creative juices flowing.

Well done girls!

At Chicago's Midway Airport

2009-09-01T18:09:00.000-07:00

Our trip to Chicago might have been ending soon, but art was EVERYWHERE in the Midway airport and we couldn't resist.

The Place: The airport....this isn't new information

The Art: The Blues Brothers

The Posers: Erin & Jill

Now that's a solid 8.5/10! Erin gains extra bonus points for using her water bottle as a prop and looking like she's singing. Jill is dangerously close to missing the placement of her right leg but her enthusiasm is making me want to sing a Blues Brothers tune....if only I knew one. Umm, surely I must know one. Didn't one of those guys die? I think it might have been the rotund one. Belushi I think.

How "Be That Art" works

2009-09-01T17:53:00.001-07:00

Time to introduce you to Be That Art.

The Place: Chicago's Art Institute

The Artist: No idea (we told you, we're not art afficiandos)

The Posers: Miragh & Jill

Miragh and Jill get a 7.5/10 for their attempt here. Kudos to Jill for hanging out on the floor of the Art Institute and not showing us whether it was granny panty day or not. But Miragh's fantastic posture is hindering her from truly capturing the curve of naked woman #2's back. Let's not even talk about Miragh's left hand placement. It's all wrong...ok I did talk about it. And while we don't condone public nudity, how awesome and dedicated would they have been if they had shed a few layers?? That would've guaranteed them a 9/10 and a possible arrest.