Unit 7

Part 3

TIPS! you should collaborate with the other candidate. discuss each picture in turn before negotiating a decision. move the discussion on, don’t linger on one picture.

Useful vocabulary:

Why don’t we talk about them all in turn?Let’s move on …That’s as much as we can say about that.What about the next …?

This one is interesting. What do you think about …?Have you any other ideas about this?Let’s go back to …

Task

I’d like you to imagine that there is a plan to open an arts centre in a small town. The idea is that this will attract visitors to the area. Here are some of the things the organizers are considering as possible exhibits. Talk together about whether these are appropriate things to exhibit in an arts centre. Then decide which four might attract visitors.

Part 4

Discuss:

1. Should towns invest money in arts centres, or in new businesses? Why?/Why not?2. What kind of art do you like? Why?3. Some people say that all art is a waste of time. What do you think?4. Do you think art should still be taught in schools? Why?/Why not?5. Should artists be paid more or less money than singers or actors? Why?/Why not?

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Part 2: Individual Long Turn

In the exam you have to talk on your own for about a minute. What do you think you should spend most time on in this task?a) describing what you can see in the pictureb) speculating on what the people might be enjoyingc) speculating on how long the pictures might be on show

TIP! You should try to use a range of language and functions, so only describe what you can see very briefly otherwise you will not have time to speculate. Try to organise your talk clearly, using the task to help you. The task is summarised on the exam paper to help you.

Task

Here are some photographs of people looking at pictures. Compare two of the photographs and say what the people might be enjoying about the pictures, and how long the pictures might be on show.

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Part 4Discussion

1. What do you think of the alliance between art and technology? What are the convincing arguments for viewing computer games as a work of art (based on the

reading)? Do you think a computer game could be considered as a work of art? Why/Why not? What aspects of computer games would you view as a) artistic, b) technical? How have our ideas about what is art been changed by technology?

2. Outdoor art exhibitions charitable auction sales: pros and cons. Compile a list comprising works of art that are suitable for an auction sale benefiting charities. What

makes them suitable? Should they be of much artistic value? Why/Why not? Should works of art be displayed in the open air across cities? Why/Why not?

3. Traditional and temporary forms of art: their value. Make a list of traditional forms of art in other cultures. Describe a few examples that have impressed

you most. Do you think they lose anything when they are borrowed into a different culture? Make a list of temporary forms of art. Describe the most amazing and beautiful examples. Do you think that anything temporary has any real value? Would you like to have henna art on your body? Why/Why not?

4. Collections: a hobby or a madness? Why do people collect things? What kind of things do you collect, have you ever collected or would you like to collect in the future? What makes a collection of anything valuable?

5. My room. My mess. My business. Do you have a roomful of clutter, or are you tidy? What do you think of the advice the writer gives at the end of the text ‘Reject, recycle or retain?’? Do you think that collecting souvenirs could be a good way of making money?

6. Is all art art?Rate the value of art in the following cases:

animal art children art art involving unconventional techniques or materials

7. What are the pros and cons of pop bands becoming a product? Use 10 words from the following list of in your answer.

8. Can lip-synching be justified? Is there any musician to whom it would be acceptable to lip-synch? What disappointed the author of the article most about the inauguration performance? What arguments for the lip-synched performance do you find reasonable?

9. Give your arguments for and against illegally downloading music from the Internet.

10. In what cases comebacks in music business are justified?

11. As part of the annual local festival which takes place in your area, your school/college theatre is going to be able to put on one of the following shows:• A tragedy by William Shakespeare

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• A classical music concert• A jazz concert• A modern art exhibition• A stand-up comedy show• A rock concert

In groups, decide which show would be most appropriate. Consider the following:• Which show would attract the most sizeable audience in your area?• Which show would promote your school's image as a place where art is appreciated?

12. Match the keywords to the paintings, add at least two keywords to describe each painting.

• heavy shades • calming effect • dull colours • gentle brush strokes • oppressive surroundings • use of warm colours • sense of security • glum lighting

innocence • sensitivity • warmth • trust • friendship

distance • mistrust • fear • repression • insincerity

Talk about each painting.• How does each painting make you feel?• Which one would you like to have in your possession? Why?

Model Answers# 11– As far as attracting a large audience is concerned, I think the obvious choice is the rock concert. – I'm not sure... I think a Shakespeare play would also fill the theatre.– What about a modern art exhibition? Don't forget that there’s an Art College in town. – That’s true. A lot of art students would come.

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– But it wouldn't generate as much interest from the general public, would it?– I suppose not. I like the idea of the stand-up comedy show, too.– Yeah, something original. If we advertise properly it will be successful, I think.– Sure, so would the jazz concert and the classical music concert, but I still think the rock concert is the safest option. – It doesn’t quite promote the school's image as a place where art goes on, though, does it? – It doesn't, really. I'm beginning to think the Shakespeare play is more appropriate. – That's why I suggested it – it combines certain revenue with an artistic image. – Yes. okay, l suppose you're right.

# 12 Sargent painted Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose in Cottonwood, a quaint English town that had once been a major stopping point for horses but declined with the advent of the railroad in the mid-1800s.Although considered a Realist, during his late twenties Sargent became increasingly enamored by the Impressionist style which originated in Paris, where he completed his artistic training. Sargent's inspiration for this painting came from a boating trip that he took along the Thames River, in which he saw Chinese lanterns hanging among trees and lilies.Sargent worked on this composition in the Impressionist manner, using natural light in natural settings (outdoors). However, because that magical moment between sunrise and sunset only happened for a few moments each day, Sargent was forced to paint only for these few minutes each day.Sargent sought to have an accurate rendering of light and color in an outdoor painting which was a goal of the Impressionists or, like Sargent, Impressionist-inspired artists of the time.Sargent wanted to appeal to a British audience but at the same time retain elements of his Impressionism-inspired style and show of technical virtuosity. Impressionism was based on capturing things in the moment and it was one of the early modern styles. However, it used the aesthetic style popular in Britain at the time, where beauty was sufficient as a theme and there was no need for moral and social messages.

The way Carnation Lily, Lily, Rose was created was rather unusual; it was not intended to capture the most perfect sunset but more the affect that this perfect sunset has, in terms of color, shadows, and light.Lighting: The lighting in this canvas successfully shows the moment in the day where the sun has started setting and twilight and daylight are at equal effect with each other, their unity offset by the orange glow of the lanterns which provides a surreal contrast. The flowers skillfully reflect both the dusk and the lanterns.Use of space: At first glance Carnation Lily, Lily, Rose lacks unity: the eye is drawn to so many aspects of the composition: the brilliant clash of light and color of the girls, the vegetation, and the lantern. Although framed by the vegetation, the girls are also removed from it: their white gowns and movements are still, while the grass swirls around their feet and the flowers curl around. The girls are depicted in a shallow space while the surrounding vegetation and lanterns are abstract.The painting is from a small persons' perspective. The lilies are outsized as if the viewer is seeing them through the eyes of a child, and the light from the Chinese lanterns casts a magical glow over the scene.

Rene Magritte’s painting, The Lovers (1928), is an oil on canvas depicting two individuals locked in an embrace. The figures are kissing one another through veils. They are situated in a room with the back wall, side wall and ceiling showing. The back wall is blue-grey with a lighter shade on the bottom half and a darker shade on the top half. The side wall is brick red with it lighter at the bottom blending to a darker shade through to the top. The ceiling is white and has a decorative trim along the border of the red wall, but it does not continue along the border of the blue-grey wall. The male figure wears a black suit and tie with a solid white shirt. He embraces a woman clad in a red, sleeveless garment with white trim. The woman’s tanned arm is exposed. The man is in a dominant position relative to the woman. She tilts her head up while he leans down to kiss. Both figures have a whitish veil completely covering their faces and necks. On both figures the veils are tight against the front of the face and top of the head and then relax towards the back. The woman’s face is tilted slightly to the left making her lover more prominent and revealing the distinct outline of his nose.FeaturesThe title of the painting implies that the two people depicted are lovers. The shading of the walls appears to come from a light source that emerges from the floor or lower portion of the space and angles up towards the middle of the room. The light allows for contrast and shading of all the elements in the painting. The painting consists of bold and saturated colors. When viewing the painting the first thing that stuck out was the colors. They are all solid and bold colors that add to the context of the painting. The walls are a very specific color. The only way to know that the ceiling is in fact a ceiling is the trim along the red wall. The background is overtaken by the rear blue wall yet it is the way these walls are lit that adds to a sense of gloom and even dread. The significance of the red, white and blue walls may have something to do with the time Magritte spent in Paris. (Art Directory) The male figure is in a solid black suit and tie and with the whitish veils the painting comes together with a sense that there is something dark about it aside from the obvious.The most prominent feature of the painting is the veils. They are also the most intriguing aspect of it. What about this couple needs to be hidden is what I asked myself. However the only part of them that is hidden is their faces. At first I thought that maybe they were an interracial couple since we can only see a small part of the woman’s arm and nothing of the man’s skin color. Another possibility that came to mind was that they may have had some sort of disease or contagion and they only way they were able to show their affection to each other is to kiss through a veil. Then something stood out to me with the way the veils were situated on each of them. The veil of the man is

wrapped from the front of him around to the back. At first the veil of the woman seems to only be draped over her but then I noticed the contours of the veil and how they appear to wrap to the back. Perhaps the veils are actually connected and are one piece of cloth. This added to the importance of the veils and the connectedness of the two individuals. Another more sinister aspect of the veils came to light as well. When looking at the veil on the woman the way the folds are formed outline what appears to be a hand with claws. As if the man were reaching inside of the veil and holding onto the back of her head. ElementsThe elements that make up this painting are the room and the lovers. The way the room is painted makes it seem almost insignificant. The bold colors are shadowed and there are no windows to give perspective. However it is unusual to see a room with such a variety of colored walls. The lovers are the primary object and the one that adds the most mystery and intrigue. The way they are both positioned is suggestive. The man is in a dominant position with his shoulders angled. The woman appears to be tilting her hear up towards him but after looking at the position of her body as well it appears more like she is leaning backwards. The most significant aspect of the lovers is the veils. It is actually a rather bland painting however by simply covering the faces with veils it becomes far more interesting and thought provoking. The psychological impact however is far greater with all of these elements. The color blue is associated with calm or water which is associated with life. The color red is associated with anger, lust and love while white is associated with purity which also happens to be the least shown. Black is commonly associated with death which the man may be representative of. The woman is dressed in red which may mean love or passion. The veils are of a whitish or grayish color and depending upon how you see it could mean purity or could mean the purity is fading or tainted. Trying to put all of these elements together to form a single meaning is rather difficult. It is the culmination of elements that are supposed to impact the viewer. By taking the psychological physical aspects of the painting I can derive the meaning that death and love are always connected but will always be separated by a veil of innocence. Yet since the man in the painting is in a dominant position and the woman leaning back another interpretation might be love succumbs to death and the veils allow for the viewer to attribute any face to the figures. Another aspect of the painting that may contribute to its meaning could stem from the positions of the figures and the colors of the walls. The man represents death and stands next to the red wall representing love and in front of the blue wall representing water or life. The woman represents love and stands in front of the wall representing the water or life as well. From this I can see a meaning of life, love and death are always connected.

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