English For Artists
English For Artists
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ENGLISH
for the Students of
Art
Dr. Mohammad Saber Khaghaninejad
first edition
2016
II
Table of Contents
Unit Title Page
V
To the Teachers ………………………………………………
VII
Pronunciation Guide …………………………………………
III
18 Abstract Expressionism ………………………………………… 219
19 Pop arts ……………………………………………….………… 230
20 Minimalism ……………………………………………...…… 243
IV
To the Teachers
Pre-reading
This section is aimed at familiarizing the students with the pronunciation and
meaning of the new lexical items employed in the lesson and eliminating their
phonetic problems through individual as well as choral practice in the classroom.
Here, an attempt has been made to present difficult terms and expressions,
especially those which help understanding the text. It is to be noted that teachers
can use good sentences and examples of their own to reinforce the perception of
each term for their students.
Exercises
This section contains comprehension, vocabulary and word derivatives test items.
It is aimed at encouraging the students to expand their lexical awareness through
a more developed enquiry. It is expected that the subject of each exercise be first
explained to the students perhaps by doing an example. After performing each
V
exercise, additional information can be presented by asking students if they have
any further knowledge about each topic or term. Finally, the part for finding
word equivalents in the text is there to deepen the basic concept of the text and to
lead to students toward primary steps in constructing personal, specialized
dictionaries.
References
In the end, the references from which the reading passages are derived have been
provided. For each text preparation at least some five or six valid sources have
been delved.
Ultimately, it should be admitted that this book is not devoid of possible
inadequacies, and thus, I expect my dear colleagues to let me know about their
amending reformative views and recommendation.
VI
Pronunciation Guide Vowels and diphthongs
Consonants
1 p as in pen /pen/ 13 s as in so /su:/
2 b as in bad /bæd/ 14 z as in zoo /zu:/
3 t as in tea /ti:/ 15 ʃ as in shoe /ʃ u:/
4 d as in did /dId/ 16 ʒ as in vision /viʒ en/
5 k as in kept /kept/ 17 h as in hat /hæt/
6 g as in got /gʌ t/ 18 m as in man /mæn/
7 ʧ as in chain /ʧ eɪ n/ 19 n as in no /nəʊ /
8 j as in jam /jæm/ 20 ŋ as in sing /Siŋ/
9 f as in fell /fel/ 21 l as in leg /leg/
10 v as in van /væn/ 22 r as in red /red/
11 Ɵ as in Think /Ɵ ink/ 23 j as in yes /jes/
12 ð as in That /ðæt/ 24 w as in war /wa:r/
25 dʒ As in subject /səbˈdʒekt/
Stress
VII
VIII
Part 1
An Artistic Overview
In the first part of the book some artistic concepts are presented. To be
exact, the readers are provided with various definitions of art, its history
and social functions, its relationship with politics and some controversies
in addition to a few interrelated concepts such as, form, genre, style and
value judgment. Students are expected
To read the given passages and get familiar with the approved
descriptions of the provided artistic themes and then
Perform the following reading comprehension exercises which are
designed in diverse formats of true/false, multiple-choice, open,
matching and cloze test items.
They are also supposed to learn the lexical items whose perceptions
are required for the passages’ understanding. These items are
introduced and exemplifies in the vocabulary list of each chapter.
Lesson 1
What is Art?
Write the names of some important people and places given in the
reading passage.
………………… ……………… ……………… ………………
Read the first sentences of each paragraph. What do you think the
reading is probably about?
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
4 English for the students of art
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Group work
Discuss the following terms in groups and compare your answers with
your partners.
Applied art Decorative art
Medieval art Architecture
Folk art Theories of art
Part Ι. Reading
What is art?
[1] There are many definitions of art, rising and falling in popularity at
different points in human history. The loosest definition of ‘art’ today is
the creation of a thing, not by nature itself, but by the will of a person or
group. It can be visual, meant to be seen; it can be music or poetry, meant
to be heard; it can be a novel to read, a play to watch or a dance to take
part in; it can be buildings or clothing; digital or virtual; it can be the
disciplined training of plants or animals. So broad is the possible
definition of ‘art’ that some say one can make an art out of living life
itself. This definition, however, is not complete, because it includes many
things people do and objects created that we do not consider art. So, what
separates a painting from a carburetor? Here again, people try to make a
distinction through over-simplification: ‘art’ is anything made, lacking
Lesson one 5
useful purpose. This is also a fallacy, as ‘art’ also serves many purposes,
crucial to society. In more familiar terms, ‘art’ is usually defined as that
was made in order to express feelings, communicate information, make a
philosophical point, entertain someone, or beautify one's surroundings.
[2] ‘Art’ is a diverse range of human activities and the products of those
activities; visual arts include the creation of images or objects including
painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and other visual media.
Architecture is often included as one of the visual arts. Music, theatre,
film, dance, and other performing arts, as well as literature, and other
media such as interactive media are included in a broader definition of
‘art’. Until the 17th century, ‘art’ referred to any skill or mastery and was
not differentiated from crafts or sciences, but in modern usage, the ‘fine
arts’, where aesthetic considerations are paramount, are distinguished from
acquired skills in general, and the decorative or applied arts. ‘Art’ has
been characterized in terms of mimesis, expression, communication of
emotion, or other values. During the Romantic period, ‘art’ came to be
seen as a special faculty of the human mind to be classified with religion
and science. Though the definition of what constitutes art is disputed and
has changed over time, general descriptions mention an idea of human
agency and creation through imaginative or technical skill.
[3] By a broad definition of ‘art’, artistic works have existed for almost as
long as humankind, from early pre-historic art to contemporary art;
however, some theories restrict the concept to modern Western societies.
The first and broadest sense of “art” is the one that has remained closest to
the older Latin meaning, which roughly translates to ‘skill’ or ‘craft’.
However, there are many other colloquial uses of the word, all with some
relation to its etymology.
6 English for the students of art
[4] In medieval philosophy, John Chrysostom held that “the name of art
should be applied to those only which contribute towards and produce
necessities of life”. Thomas Aquinas, when treating the adornment of
women, gives an ethical justification as “in the case of an art directed to the
production of goods which men cannot use without sin, it follows that the
workmen sin in making such things, as directly affording others an occasion
of sin; for instance, if a man were to make idols or anything pertaining to
idolatrous worship. But in the case of an art the products of which may be
employed by man either for a good or for an evil use, such as swords,
arrows, and the like, the practice of such an art is not sinful. These alone
should be called arts”. Aquinas held that art is nothing else than “the right
reason about certain works to be made,” and that it is commendable, not for
the will with which a craftsman does a work, “but for the quality of the
work. Art, therefore, properly speaking, is an operative habit.” Aristotle and
Aquinas distinguish it from the related habit of prudence. The second and
Lesson one 7
more recent sense of the word art is as an abbreviation for creative art or
fine art and emerged in the early 17th century.
[5] Throughout time, ‘art’ has not always been made by individual artists, or
even by people who would dare to identify themselves as artists. Some of
the most ancient and profound art is ‘folk art’, created by anonymous people
under unknown circumstances. Folk art may be religious in nature - perhaps
even an attempt to create a magical object. It may have been made by
itinerant or untrained artists. It may not have been considered art at all at the
time of its creation. ‘Art’ as we know it today is a fairly modern concept. In
the twenty-first century, the question “what is art?” has been debated for so
long that, in terms of creating an art survey text, Marcel Duchamp's
inclusive definition of ‘art’ seems to be reasonable, “Art is whatever an
artist says it is”.
B. Comprehension check
Read each statement and decide whether it is true or false. Write “T”
before true statements and “F” before false ones.
……. 2. Until the 17th century, art referred to any skill or mastery and
was not differentiated from crafts or sciences.
……. 3. Artistic works have existed for almost as long as human history.
……. 4. Aquinas believed that artists are sinners.
……. 5. Folk art is created by famous people in different historical periods.
……. 6. Today, there is a clear definition for “art” among the scholars.
D. Synonym finding
Find a single word in the passage which means:
E. Matching
Match the words in column Ι with their appropriate equivalents in
column ΙΙ. Insert the letters in the parentheses provided. There are more
choices in column ΙΙ than required.
column Ι column ΙΙ
1 fallacy (……) a. informal, conversational
2 magical (……) b. to be related to, relevant
3 colloquial (……) c. thoughtful
4 pertain (……) d. erroneous belief, myth
5 ancient (……) e. environment
6 profound (……) f. agency
7 surroundings (……) g. antique
h. supernatural
Lesson one 13
F. Word formation
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the following table.
Make necessary changes.
1- Due to some financial ………….., I cannot help you more than that.
2- She speaks so ………….. that no one can reject her viewpoints. She is
a good lawyer.
3- Having a strong body ………….. he had no trouble climbing the
mountain.
4- Before being employed here, it isnecessary to make a …………..
between full-time jobs and part-time jobs.
5- This is not an acceptable ………….. ! You have been absent for three
days and missed two of your midterm exams.
G. Cloze test
There are some missing words in the following text. Find the best
choice for each blank and mark it in your book.
Few modern scholars have been more divided than Plato and Aristotle on
the question …... (1)….. the importance of art, with Aristotle strongly
supporting art in general and Plato generally being …...(2)….. to its
relative importance. Socrates also said that poetry is inspired by the
14 English for the students of art
muses, and is accordingly not rational. With …..(3)….. to the literary and
musical arts, Aristotle called poetry, tragedy, comedy and music to be
imitative art; for example, music imitates rhythm and harmony, .….(4)…..
dance imitates rhythm alone, and poetry the language. Comedy, for
instance, is a dramatic …..(5)…… of men worse than average, whereas
tragedy imitates men slightly better than average.
References
Bayley, J. (1986). What is Art? New York: Chelsea House.
Maude, A. (1901). What is Art? An Introduction. London: Grant Richards
publications.
Noyes, G. (1918). Tolstoy. London: Duffield.
History of Art
Write the names of some important people and places given in the
reading passage.
………………… ……………… ……………… ………………
Read the first sentences of each paragraph. What do you think the
reading is probably about?
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
16 English for the students of art
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Group work
Discuss the following terms in groups and compare your answers with
your partners.
Civilization Iconography
Cave paintings Calligraphy
Biblical art Modernism
Part Ι. Reading
History of Art
produced them. The oldest art objects in the world—a series of tiny,
drilled snail shells about 75,000 years old—were discovered in a South
African cave. Containers that may have been used to hold paints have
been found dating as far back as 100,000 years.
[3] Many great traditions in art have a foundation in the art of one of the
great ancient civilizations: Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, India,
China, Ancient Greece, Rome, as well as Inca and Maya. Each of these
centers of early civilization developed a unique and characteristic style in
its art. Because of the size and duration of these civilizations, more of their
art works have survived and more of their influence has been transmitted
to other cultures and later times. Some also have provided the first records
of how artists worked. In Byzantine and Medieval art of the Western
Middle Ages, much art focused on the expression of Biblical and religious
truths, and used styles that showed the higher glory of a heavenly world,
such as the use of gold in the background of paintings, or glass in mosaics
or windows, which also presented figures in idealized, patterned forms.
Nevertheless a classical realist tradition persisted in small Byzantine
works, and realism steadily grew in the art of Catholic Europe.
18 English for the students of art
forever victorious.
Lesson two 19
[5] The western ‘Age of Enlightenment’ in the 18th century saw artistic
depictions of physical and rational certainties of the clockwork universe,
as well as politically revolutionary visions of a post-monarchist world,
such as Blake's portrayal of Newton as a divine geometer, or David's
propagandistic paintings. This led to Romantic rejections of this in favor
of pictures of the emotional side and individuality of humans, exemplified
in the novels of Goethe. The late 19th century then saw a host of artistic
movements, such as Symbolism and impressionism among others.
[6] The history of twentieth century art is a narrative of endless possibilities
and the search for new standards, each being torn down in succession by the
next. Thus, the parameters of Impressionism, Expressionism, Cubism,
Surrealism, etc. cannot be maintained very much beyond the time of their
invention. Increasing global interaction during this time saw an equivalent
influence of other cultures into western art, such as Pablo Picasso being
influenced by African sculpture. West has had huge impacts on Eastern art
in the 19th and 20th centuries, with originally western ideas like
Communism and Post-Modernism exerting a powerful influence on artistic
styles. Modernism, the idealistic search for truth, gave way in the latter half
of the 20th century to a realization of its unattainability. Relativism was
accepted as an unavoidable truth, which led to the period of contemporary
art and post-modern criticism, where cultures of the world and of history are
seen as changing forms, which can be appreciated and drawn from only
with irony. Furthermore the separation of cultures is increasingly blurred
and some argue it is now more appropriate to think in terms of a global
culture, rather than regional cultures.
20 English for the students of art
B. Comprehension check
Read each statement and decide whether it is true or false. Write “T”
before true statements and “F” before false ones.
…..... 1. The study of the history of art was initially developed before
the Renaissance
……. 2. The first signs of human artistic activity date back to 100,000
years.
……. 3. All art works of ancient civilizations have survived and their
influences have been transmitted to other cultures.
……. 4. Chinese art styles vary greatly from era to era and each one is
traditionally named for its symbolic features.
24 English for the students of art
2- Which one of the followings has not been the focus of Islamic art?
A) iconography B) calligraphy
C) geometry D) architecture
D. Synonym finding
Find a single word in the passage which means:
E. Matching
Match the words in column Ι with their appropriate equivalents in
column ΙΙ. Insert the letters in the parentheses provided. There are more
choices in column ΙΙ than required.
column Ι column ΙΙ
1 objective (……) a. sketch, plan
2 tiny (……) b. theater
3 corporeal (……) c. sequence, order
26 English for the students of art
F. Word formation
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the following table.
Make necessary changes.
G. Cloze test
There are some missing words in the following text. Find the best
choice for each blank and mark it in your book.
The history of art is the history of any activity or product made by humans
in a visual form for aesthetical or communicative purposes, ……(1)…..
ideas, emotions or, in general, a worldview. Over time visual art has been
classified in diverse ways, from the medieval ……(2)…… between liberal
arts and mechanical arts, to the modern distinction between fine arts and
applied arts, or to the many contemporary definitions, which define art as
a manifestation of human’s ..….(3)…... Today, art enjoys a wide network
of study; the 20th century has seen the proliferation of institutions,
foundations, art museums and galleries, in both the public and …..(4)…..
sectors, dedicated to the analysis and cataloging of works of art as well as
exhibitions aimed at a mainstream…..(5)……..
References
Adams, L. (2007). Art across Time. Boston: McGraw-Hill.
Honour, H., and Fleming, J. (1999). The Visual Arts: A History. New York:
Henry N. Abrams.
28 English for the students of art
Fine Arts
Write the names of some important people and places given in the
reading passage.
……………… ……………… ………………… …………………
Read the first sentences of each paragraph. What do you think the
reading is probably about?
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
30 English for the students of art
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Group work
Discuss the following terms in groups and compare your answers with
your partners.
Fine arts Poetry
creativity emotional judgment
Self-expression Audience senses
Part Ι. Reading
Fine Arts
[1] ‘Fine art’, from the 17th century on, has meant art forms developed
primarily for aesthetics, distinguishing them from applied arts that also have
to serve some practical function. Traditionally speaking, the five main ‘fine
arts’ were painting, sculpture, architecture, music and poetry, with minor
arts including theater and dance. Today, the ‘fine arts’ commonly include
additional forms, including film, photography and calligraphy. Calligraphy
is a type of visual art. It is often called the art of fancy lettering. A
contemporary definition of calligraphic practice is “the art of giving form to
signs in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner”. Modern
calligraphy ranges from functional hand-lettered inscriptions and designs to
fine art pieces where the abstract expression of the handwritten mark may or
may not compromise the legibility of the letters.
Lesson three 31
[2] ‘Fine art’ means that a skill is being used to express the artist’s
creativity, or to engage the audience’s aesthetic sensibilities, or to draw
the audience towards consideration of the finer things. The word art can
refer to several things: a study of creative skill, a process of using the
creative skill, a product of the creative skill, or the audience's experience
with the creative skill. Art is something that stimulates an individual's
thoughts, emotions, beliefs, or ideas through the senses. Artworks can be
explicitly made for this purpose or interpreted on the basis of images or
objects. Although the application of scientific knowledge to derive a new
scientific theory involves skill and results in the “creation” of something
new, this represents science only and is not categorized as art.
32 English for the students of art
[3] Often, if the skill is being used in a common or practical way, people
will consider it a craft instead of art. Likewise, if the skill is being used in
a commercial or industrial way, it may be considered commercial art
instead of ‘fine art’. On the other hand, crafts and design are sometimes
considered applied art. Some art followers have argued that the difference
between ‘fine art’ and applied art has more to do with value judgments
made about the art than any clear definitional difference. However, even
‘fine art’ often has goals beyond pure creativity and self-expression. The
purpose of works of art may be to communicate ideas politically,
spiritually, or philosophically and to create a sense of beauty or to
generate strong emotions.
[4] The nature of art has been described by philosopher Wollheim as “one
of the most elusive of the traditional problems of human culture”. Art has
been defined as a vehicle for the expression or communication of
emotions and ideas, a means for exploring and appreciating formal
Lesson three 33
B. Comprehension check
Read each statement and decide whether it is true or false. Write “T”
before true statements and “F” before false ones.
…..... 1. Traditionally speaking, there are five main “fine arts” in the
world of art.
……. 2. Fine art expresses the artist's creativity and neglects the
audience's aesthetic sensibilities.
……. 3. Fine art often has goals beyond pure creativity and self-
expression.
……. 4 Tolstoy identified that art expresses emotions, and that the
work of art essentially exists in the mind of the creator.
……. 5. Heidegger has considered art as a medium for the self-
expression of a community.
……. 6. According to the author “art” and “fine art” hare synonymous.
D. Synonym finding
Find a single word in the passage which means:
E. Matching
Match the words in column Ι with their appropriate equivalents in
column ΙΙ. Insert the letters in the parentheses provided. There are more
choices in column ΙΙ than required.
column Ι column ΙΙ
1 harmonious (……) a. highly developed
2 theory (……) b. lately
3 mimesis (……) c. condition
4 advanced (……) d. scientific guess
5 recently (……) e. rhythmical
6 interpretation (……) f. imitation
7 statue (……) g. sculpture
h. explanation
F. Word formation
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the following table.
Make necessary changes.
G. Cloze test
There are some missing words in the following text. Find the best
choice for each blank and mark it in your book.
Fine arts film is a term that encompasses …..(1)……pictures and the field
of film as a fine art form. A fine arts movie theater is usually a building
for viewing such movies. Films are produced by …..(2)….. images from
the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation
……(3)……or special effects. Films are cultural artifacts created by
specific cultures, which reflect those …..(4)….., and, in turn, affect them.
Film is considered to be an important art form, a source of popular
entertainment and a powerful method for educating citizens. The visual
elements of cinema give motion pictures a …..(5)….. power of
communication. Some films have become popular worldwide attractions
by using the subtitles that translate the dialogue.
References
Caffin, C. H. (1901). Photography as a fine art; the achievements and
possibilities of photographic art in America. New York: Doubleday.
Torrey, J. (1874). A theory of fine art. New York: Scribner, Armstrong, and Co.
Lesson 4
Write the names of some important people and places given in the
reading passage.
……………… ……………… ………………… …………………
Read the first sentences of each paragraph. What do you think the
reading is probably about?
………………………………………………………………………………
42 English for the students of art
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Group work
Discuss the following terms in groups and compare your answers with
your partners.
Genre Medium (media)
Style Pointillism
Form/content Archeology
Part Ι. Reading
[1] The creative arts are often divided into more specific categories, each
related to its technique, or medium, such as decorative arts, plastic arts,
performing arts, or literature. Unlike scientific fields, art is one of the few
subjects which is academically organized according to technique. An
artistic medium is the substance or material the artistic work is made from,
and may also refer to the technique used. For example, paint is a medium
used in painting, and paper is a medium used in drawing.
[2] An art form is the specific shape, or quality an artistic expression takes.
The media used often influence the form. For example, the form of a
sculpture must exist in space in three dimensions, and respond to gravity.
The constraints and limitations of a particular medium are thus called its
Lesson four 43
they know about, the use of genre as a tool must be able to adapt to
changing meanings.
[6] The style of an artwork, artist, or movement is the distinctive method and
form followed by the respective art. A particular style may have specific
cultural meanings. For example, Roy Lichtenstein is known a painter
associated with the American Pop art movement of the 1960s, despite his
use of dots. Lichtenstein used evenly spaced dots as a style to question the
‘high’ art of painting with the ‘low’ art of comics, thus commenting on class
distinctions in culture. Pointillism, a technique in late Impressionism
(1880s) developed especially by the artist Georges Seurat, employs dots to
create variation in color and depth in an attempt to approximate the way
people really see color. Both artists use dots, but the particular style and
technique relate to the artistic movement adopted by each artist.
[7] In the visual arts, style is a “distinctive manner which permits the
grouping of works into related categories” or “any distinctive, and therefore
recognizable, way in which an act is performed or an artifact made or ought
to be performed and made.” It refers to the visual appearance of a work of
art that relates it to other works by the same artist or one from the same
period, training, location, art movement or archaeological culture; “the
notion of style has long been the art historian's principal mode of classifying
works of art. By style he selects and shapes the history of art".
[8] Style is often divided into the general style of a period, country or
cultural group, group of artists or art movement, and the individual style of
the artist within that group style. Divisions within both types of styles are
often made, such as between ‘early’, ‘middle’ or ‘late’. In some artists,
such as Picasso for example, these divisions may be marked and easy to
see but in others they are more subtle. Style is seen as usually dynamic, in
most periods always changing by a gradual process, though the speed of
Lesson four 45
this varies greatly, between the very slow development in style typical of
pre-historic art or ancient Egyptian art to the rapid changes in modern art
styles. Style often develops in a series of jumps, with relatively sudden
changes followed by periods of slower development.
[9] These are all ways of beginning to define a work of art, to narrow it
down. The decision to cast a sculpture in bronze, for instance, inevitably
affects its meaning; the work becomes something different from how it
might be if it had been cast in gold or plastic or chocolate, even if
everything else about the artwork remains the same. Next, you might
examine how the materials in each artwork have become an arrangement
of shapes, colors, textures, and lines. These, in turn, are organized into
various patterns and compositional structures. In your interpretation, you
would comment on how salient features of the form contribute to the
overall meaning of the finished artwork, although, the meaning of most
artworks is not discussed in terms of materials, techniques, and forms.
Most interpretations also include a discussion of the ideas and feelings the
artwork engenders.
B. Comprehension check
Read each statement and decide whether it is true or false. Write “T”
before true statements and “F” before false ones.
48 English for the students of art
A) style B) genre
C) medium D) form
D. Synonym finding
Find a single word in the passage which means:
E. Matching
Match the words in column Ι with their appropriate equivalents in
column ΙΙ. Insert the letters in the parentheses provided. There are more
choices in column ΙΙ than required.
column Ι column ΙΙ
1 organize (……) a. amusement
2 particular (……) b. idea, concept
3 horror (……) c. connect, relate
4 entertainment (……) d. special
5 proliferate (……) e. approximation
6 notion (……) f. fright
7 associate (……) g. grow, produce
h. put in order, arrange
F. Word formation
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the following table.
Make necessary changes.
1. Every day, my friend and I go to school together but after the school
we take our …………. ways home.
2. The weather changes are …………. in different seasons of the year.
3. It is …………. to know that if you want a success in future you
should try as best as your ability.
4. …………., it is 10 p.m. and I am a little bit late.
5. Ali and Ahmad are brothers and they study physics and math,
………….
G. Cloze test
There are some missing words in the following text. Find the best
choice for each blank and mark it in your book.
References
Dana, A. and Margaret, I. (2003). Art and Thought. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
De Zegher, C. (1996). Inside the Visible. MIT Press.
Hatcher, E. (1999). Art as Culture: An Introduction to the Anthropology of Art.
Holly, M. A. and Moxey, K. (2002). Art History and Aesthetics of Visual Arts.
New Haven: Yale University Press.
Functions of art
Write the names of some important people and places given in the
reading passage.
……………… ………………… ………………… ………………
Read the first sentences of each paragraph. What do you think the
reading is probably about?
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
54 English for the students of art
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Group work
Discuss the following terms in groups and compare your answers with
your partners.
Functions of art Symbols
Imagination Entertainment
Rituals Propaganda
Part Ι. Reading
Functions of art
[1] Art has had a great number of different functions throughout its history,
making its purpose difficult to abstract or quantify to any single concept.
This does not imply that the purpose of art is ‘vague’, but that it has had
many unique, different reasons for being created. Some of these functions
of art are provided in the following outline.
1. Basic human instinct for harmony, balance, rhythm. Art at this level is
not an action or an object, but an internal appreciation of balance and
harmony (beauty), and therefore an aspect of being human.
2. Experience of the mysterious. Art provides a way to experience one's
self in relation to the universe. This experience may often come
unmotivated, as one appreciates art, music or poetry. “The most
beautiful thing we can experience is the mysteries. It is the source of all
true art and science” Albert Einstein.
3. Expression of the imagination. Art provides a means to express the
imagination in ways that are not tied to the formality of spoken or
written language. Unlike words, which come in sequences and each of
which have a definite meaning, art provides a range of forms, symbols
and ideas with meanings that are malleable.
4. Ritualistic and symbolic functions. In many cultures, art is used in
rituals, performances and dances as a decoration or symbol. While
these often have no specific (motivated) purpose, anthropologists know
that they often serve a purpose at the level of meaning within a
particular culture. This meaning is not furnished by any one individual,
but is often the result of many generations of change, and of a
cosmological relationship within the culture.
B. Comprehension check
Read each statement and decide whether it is true or false. Write “T”
before true statements and “F” before false ones.
…..... 1. The purpose of art is not vague, but it has many unique reasons
for being created.
……. 2. “Expression of the imagination” is one of the motivated
functions of art.
……. 3. Art provides a range of forms, symbols and ideas with malleable
meanings unlike words.
……. 4. Almost all the functions of art are motivated.
Lesson five 61
2- All of the followings are the instances of ‘art for political change
except ………
A) Surrealism. B) Constructivism.
C) Abstract Expressionism. D) Cubism.
B) Art as entertainment.
C) Expression of imagination.
D) Human instinct for harmony.
D. Word formation
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the following table.
Make necessary changes.
E. Synonym finding
Find a single word in the passage which means:
F. Matching
Match the words in column Ι with their appropriate equivalents in
column ΙΙ. Insert the letters in the parentheses provided. There are more
choices in column ΙΙ than required.
column Ι column ΙΙ
1 vague (……) a. transmit
2 unique (……) b. on purpose
3 convey (……) c. treatment, cure
4 seek (……) d. psychology
64 English for the students of art
G. Cloze test
There are some missing words in the following text. Find the best
choice for each blank and mark it in your book.
Art serves many different functions, which are typically divided into
personal, physical and social functions. Art benefits individuals and groups
in a …..(1)….. of different ways depending on the interplay between the
individuals and the art and the type of artwork itself. Some artworks have
physical functions; for example, some early groups in human …..(2)…..
decorated and designed their weapons and tools ….(3)….. Because the
artwork is imposed directly onto a physical object with a specific function,
these pieces of art have physical functions. Another form of artwork with a
physical function is the …..(4)…. and design of buildings and other
structures. Social functions are some of the most common functions of art.
These types of artwork are intended to convey some sort of message, often
of a religious or political ….(5)….. Personal functions are difficult to
characterize. Because art can mean different things to different people based
on their personal life history and experiences, these personal functions vary
greatly. Two different people may receive vastly different personal
functions from the same piece of artwork.
Lesson five 65
References
Briant, A. and Pollock, G. (2010). Digital and Other Virtualities: Renegotiating
the image. London and NY: I.B.Tauris.
Jung, C. (1978). Man and His Symbols. London: Pan Books.
Value judgment
Write the names of some important people and places given in the
reading passage.
……………… ………..……… ………………… ………………
Read the first sentences of each paragraph. What do you think the
reading is probably about?
………………………………………………………………………………
Lesson six 67
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Group work
Discuss the following terms in groups and compare your answers with
your partners.
Value judgment Art dealer
Artwork’s price Auction
Art’s market Art collections
Part Ι. Reading
Value judgment
[1] The word ‘art’ is also used to apply judgments of value; it is this use of the
word as a measure of high quality and high value that gives the term its
flavor of subjectivity. Making judgments of value requires a basis for
criticism. Though perception is always colored by experience, and is
necessarily subjective, it is commonly understood that what is not
somehow aesthetically satisfying cannot be art.
[2] However, ‘good’ art is not always or even regularly aesthetically
appealing to a majority of viewers. In other words, an artist's prime
motivation need not be the pursuit of the aesthetic. Also, art often depicts
terrible images made for social, moral, or thought-provoking reasons. For
example, Francisco Goya's painting depicting the Spanish shootings of
68 English for the students of art
An art dealer
[6] As stated there are several ways to get a valuation on art. The easiest is
to find out whether or not your art is by a ‘registered’ artist. This means
by an artist who has sold at auction, gallery or is showing in a museum,
whether dead or still living. If it is by a registered artist, you can find
values for other works by the same artist and do comparisons. This is the
simplified way, and not always accurate. Another way is to take it to a
local museum, and have their art experts, who frequently do appraisals,
look at the work, they would have the books that list every artist who has
ever sold a painting (almost) and could tell you more about your work,
they may or may not charge for this work and you would need to call
70 English for the students of art
B. Comprehension check
Read each statement and decide whether it is true or false. Write “T”
before true statements and “F” before false ones.
considered as art.
……. 3. The rarity of the artist’s skill is a key parameter for judging
about the artworks.
……. 4. Cultural values play important roles in artistic valuation.
……. 5. Art valuation is accomplished only for collection, investment,
divestment, and financing purposes.
……. 6. Judging the value of artworks is usually free of charge.
D. Word formation
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the following table.
Make necessary changes.
E. Synonym finding
Find a single word in the passage which means:
1 analysis (para.1) ……………………..
2 attractive (para.2) …………………….
3 discuss, argue (para.2) …………………….
4 higher, better (para.3) …………………….
5 leaving behind (para.3) ……………………..
6 very many (para.5) ……………………..
7 exact, correct (para.6) ……………………..
8 honest, reliable (para.6) ……………………..
9 normally (para.6) …………………….
10 cost, charge (para.6) ……………………..
F. Matching
Match the words in column Ι with their appropriate equivalents in
column ΙΙ. Insert the letters in the parentheses provided. There are more
choices in column ΙΙ than required.
column Ι column ΙΙ
1 basis (……) a. picture
2 majority (……) b. generous, helpful
3 depiction (……) c. judgment
4 universal (……) d. record, list
5 charitable (……) e. foundation, root
6 appraisal (……) f. worldwide, global
7 register (……) g. rarity
h. mainstream
Lesson six 77
G. Cloze test
There are some missing words in the following text. Find the best
choice for each blank and mark it in your book.
References
Cushan, A. (2014). Investigation into Facts and Values: Groundwork for a
theory of moral conflict resolution. Ondwelle: Melbourne.
Art controversies
Write the names of some important people and places given in the
reading passage.
…………….… ……………… ……………… ………………
Read the first sentences of each paragraph. What do you think the
reading is probably about?
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………
80 English for the students of art
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Group work
Discuss the following terms in groups and compare your answers with
your partners.
Controversy Anti-art
Aniconism Capitalism
Originality Bourgeois ideology
Part Ι. Reading
Art controversies
[1] In determining what you believe ‘art’ is, you first need to understand a bit
about art controversies throughout history. There are many ethical issues
that arise in determining what is or is not art. Not only that, but you need to
read about what art critics have to say about art today: Does government
have a right to judge the artworks? Does today's art reflect society's morals?
etc.. As time has moved on and contemporary art has moved with it,
controversy has somehow always managed to keep up. Going back to the
beginning of art historical study cases can be found of both individual artists
and groups who have rocked the artistic with their innovative contributions
to the art of the day. The 20th century was no exception.
[2] Art has long been controversial, that is to say disliked by some viewers,
for a wide variety of reasons, though most pre-modern controversies are
Lesson seven 81
in a glass of the artist's own urine. The resulting uproar led to comments in
the United States Senate about public funding of the arts.
[6] Anti-art is a loosely-used term applied to an array of concepts and
attitudes that reject prior definitions of art and question art in general. Anti-
art tends to conduct this questioning and rejection from the vantage point of
art. The term is associated with the Dada movement and is generally
accepted as attributable to Marcel Duchamp pre-World War I around 1914,
when he began to use found objects as art. It was used to describe
revolutionary forms of art.
B. Comprehension check
Read each statement and decide whether it is true or false. Write “T”
before true statements and “F” before false ones.
…..... 1. The art of 20th century was not controversial unlike the classic art.
D. Word formation
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the following table.
Make necessary changes.
1. You had to be more careful! These are the ……………… of you have
done.
2. Reformists and ……………… are two great political parties of the
country.
3. During the previous year, you have worked very hard. ………………,
you have enough money to pay your university tuition.
4. Unfortunately, some western directors try to attract the audience
through ……………… of the actors.
88 English for the students of art
5. I have lost all my money, my cell phone and the keys. I cannot forgot
that ……………… experience.
E. Synonym finding
Find a single word in the passage which means:
F. Matching
Match the words in column Ι with their appropriate equivalents in
column ΙΙ. Insert the letters in the parentheses provided. There are more
choices in column ΙΙ than required.
column Ι column ΙΙ
1 controversy (……) a. sink, soak
2 unpopular (……) b. collection, group
3 submerge (……) c. decorum
4 array (……) d. unusual
5 peculiar (……) e. disagreement
Lesson seven 89
G. Cloze test
There are some missing words in the following text. Find the best
choice for each blank and mark it in your book.
References
Dubin, S. C. (1992). Arresting Images: Impolitic Art and Uncivil Actions.
England: Routledge Press.
Walker, J. A. (1999). Art and Outrage: Provocation, Controversy, and the Visual
Arts. NewYork: Pluto Press.
Write the names of some important people and places given in the
reading passage.
……………… ………………… ………………… ………………
Read the first sentences of each paragraph. What do you think the
reading is probably about?
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
92 English for the students of art
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Group work
Discuss the following terms in groups and compare your answers with
your partners.
Cold war Political movement
Anti-war art Political campaigns
Steryotyping Political cinema
Part Ι. Reading
[1] Considering Groys, “art has its own power in the world, and is as much a
force in the power play of global politics today”, it should be mentioned
that for such a politically-intractable phenomenon, the greatest artists and
social critics believe that “art is useful as a tool for political change”.
There are, nevertheless, examples where artists employ art in the service
of political change.
[2] The connection between music and politics, particularly political
expression in music, has been seen in many cultures. Although music
influences political movements and rituals, it is not clear how or even if,
general audiences relate music on a political level. Time has shown how
music can be used in anti-establishment or protest themes, including anti-
Lesson eight 93
war songs, although pro-establishment ideas are also used, for example in
national anthems, patriotic songs, and political campaigns.
[3] A range of contemporary classical composers of socialist or Marxist
sympathies have attempted in often quite radically different ways to relate
their politics to their works. Primary amongst those from the earlier 20th
century are Kurt Weill and Hanns Eisler, both of whom moved away from
atonal idioms that had become prominent in their time, feeling these to
alienate audiences, towards music and music-theatre that had roots in
popular music (for example cabaret songs), though with sophisticated
harmonies that reflected their musical background.
[4] Racist music or white power music is music associated with and
promoting neo-Nazism and white supremacy ideologies. Although
musicologists point out that many, if not most early cultures had songs to
promote themselves and denigrate any perceived enemies, the origins of
Racist music is tied to the early 1970s.
[5] Political Cinema in the narrow sense of the term refers to political films
which do not hide their political stance. This does not mean that they are
necessarily pure propaganda. The difference to other films is not that they
are political but how they show it. Political cinema is a cinema which
portrays current or historical events or social conditions in a partisan way
in order to inform or to agitate the spectator. Political cinema exists in
different forms such as documentaries, feature films, or even animated and
experimental films. Form has always been an important concern for
political film makers. While some, like pioneering Lionel Rogosin, argued
that radical films, in order to liberate the imagination of the spectator, have
to break not only with the content but also with the form of cinema, the
falsely reassuring clichés, stereotypes and conventions of film making.
94 English for the students of art
They urge us to break down the barriers that alienate us from nature.
B. Comprehension check
Read each statement and decide whether it is true or false. Write “T”
before true statements and “F” before false ones.
D. Word formation
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the following table.
Make necessary changes.
E. Synonym finding
Find a single word in the passage which means:
F. Matching
Match the words in column Ι with their appropriate equivalents in
column ΙΙ. Insert the letters in the parentheses provided. There are more
choices in column ΙΙ than required.
column Ι column ΙΙ
1 isolate (……) a. foolish
2 vigorous (……) b. secretive
3 stupid (……) c. free
4 authority (……) d. noticeable
5 liberate (……) e. energetic, powerful
6 considerable (……) f. power
7 underground (……) g. favorable
h. separate
Lesson eight 101
G. Cloze test
There are some missing words in the following text. Find the best
choice for each blank and mark it in your book.
George Orwell wrote the book Animal farm from November 1943 to
February 1944, when the wartime union with the Soviet Union was at its
height and Stalin was ….(1)…. highly by the British people, a
circumstance that Orwell hated. It was ….(2)…. rejected by a number of
British and American publishers, including one of Orwell's own, Victor
Gollancz. Its publication was thus ….(3)…., though it became a great
commercial success when it did finally appear. Time magazine chose the
book as one of the 100 best English-language ….(4)….. It also featured at
number 31 on the Modern Library List of Best 20th-Century Novels. It
….(5)…. a Retrospective Hugo Award in 1996, and is also included in the
Great Books of the Western World selection.
References
Esche, C., and Bradley, W. (2007). Art and Social Change: A Critical Reader.
London: Tate Publishing Co.
Groys, B. (2008). Art Power. Cambridge: MIT Press.
102 English for the students of art
Romanticism
Write the names of some important people and places given in the
reading passage.
……………… ……………… ………………… ………………
Read the first sentences of each paragraph. What do you think the
reading is probably about?
………………………………………………………………………………
106 English for the students of art
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Group work
Discuss the following terms in groups and compare your answers with
your partners.
Overflow of feelings Industrial revolution
Political message Artificiality
Age of Enlightenment Neoclassicism
Part Ι. Reading
Romanticism
[1] Romanticism (also the Romantic era or the Romantic period) was an
artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe
toward the end of the 18th century and in most areas was at its peak in the
approximate period from 1800 to 1850. Partly a reaction to the Industrial
Revolution, it was also a revolt against aristocratic social and political
norms of the ‘Age of Enlightenment’ and a reaction against the scientific
rationalization of nature.
[2] Defining the nature of Romanticism may be approached from the
starting point of the primary importance of the free expression of the
feelings of the artist. The importance the Romantics placed on
untrammeled feeling is summed up in the remark of the German painter
Lesson nine 107
Caspar David Friedrich that “the artist's feeling is his law”. To William
Wordsworth, poetry should be “the spontaneous overflow of powerful
feelings”. In order to truly express these feelings, the content of the art
must come from the imagination of the artist, with as little interference as
possible from ‘artificial’ rules dictating what a work should contain.
Coleridge was not alone in believing that natural laws govern these
matters in which imagination has the key role at least for a creative artist.
[5] Francisco Goya is today generally regarded as the greatest painter of the
Romantic period, “the last great painter in whose art thought and
observation were balanced and combined to form a faultless unity”. But
the extent to which he was a Romantic is a complex question; in Spain
there was still a struggle to introduce the values of the Enlightenment, in
Lesson nine 109
B. Comprehension check
Read each statement and decide whether it is true or false. Write “T”
before true statements and “F” before false ones.
D. Word formation
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the following table.
Make necessary changes.
E. Synonym finding
Find a single word in the passage which means:
F. Matching
Match the words in column Ι with their appropriate equivalents in
column ΙΙ. Insert the letters in the parentheses provided. There are more
choices in column ΙΙ than required.
column Ι column ΙΙ
1 defect (……) a. government
2 struggle (……) b. trammel
3 spontaneous (……) c. join, support
4 regime (……) d. topic, subject
5 share (……) e. natural, unplanned
6 wed (……) f. fault
7 theme (……) g. fight
h. divide
G. Cloze test
There are some missing words in the following text. Find the best
choice for each blank and mark it in your book.
References
Berlin, I. (1990). The Crooked Timber of Humanity: Chapters in the History of
Ideas. London: John Murray.
Bowra, C. M. (1949). The Romantic Imagination. New York: Oxford University Press.
Realism
Write the names of some important people and places given in the
reading passage.
……………… ……………… ………………… ………………
Read the first sentences of each paragraph. What do you think the
reading is probably about?
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
118 English for the students of art
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Group work
Discuss the following terms in groups and compare your answers with
your partners.
Reality of life Objectivity
Leonardo da Vinci Naturalism
Working class Art for everyone
Part Ι. Reading
Realism
[1] ‘Realism’ in the arts may be generally defined as the attempt to represent
subject matter truthfully, without artificiality and avoiding artistic
conventions, implausible, exotic and supernatural elements. In its most
specific sense, ‘Realism’ was an artistic movement that began in France in
the 1850s, after the 1848 Revolution. Realists rejected ‘Romanticism’,
which had dominated French literature and art since the late 18th century.
‘Realism’ revolted against the exotic subject matter and exaggerated
emotionalism and drama of the Romantic Movement. Instead it sought to
portray real and typical contemporary people and situations with truth and
accuracy, and not avoiding unpleasant or sordid aspects of life. Realist
works depicted people of all classes in situations that arise in ordinary life.
The popularity of such ‘realistic’ works grew with the introduction of
Lesson ten 119
_Outskirts of Paris
B. Comprehension check
Read each statement and decide whether it is true or false. Write “T”
before true statements and “F” before false ones.
D. Word formation
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the following table.
Make necessary changes.
E. Synonym finding
Find a single word in the passage which means:
Lesson ten 127
F. Matching
Match the words in column Ι with their appropriate equivalents in
column ΙΙ. Insert the letters in the parentheses provided. There are more
choices in column ΙΙ than required.
column Ι column ΙΙ
1 convince (……) a. unusual, odd
2 contempt (……) b. size
3 exotic (……) c. hatred, scorn
4 factual (……) d. persuade
5 scale (……) e. founder, initiator
6 originator (……) f. redolence
7 dramatization (……) g. objective
h. story-telling
128 English for the students of art
G. Cloze test
There are some missing words in the following text. Find the best
choice for each blank and mark it in your book.
References
Baron, C. and Engel, M. (2010). Realism/Anti-Realism in 20th-Century
Literature. NL: Rodopi.
Impressionism
Write the names of some important people and places given in the
reading passage.
……………… ……………… ………………… …………………
Read the first sentences of each paragraph. What do you think the
reading is probably about?
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
130 English for the students of art
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Group work
Discuss the following terms in groups and compare your answers with
your partners.
Impressionism Color theory
Nature’s role Japanese painting
Conservation of the Académie Painting outside
Part Ι. Reading
Impressionism
[1] Impressionism is the name given to a style of painting in France at the end
of the 19th century. The Impressionist artists were not a formal group but
more a collective of artists seeking recognition for their innovative
techniques and approach to using color in art. Many artists contributed to
the first exhibition of Impressionist painting in 1874. Claude Monet
(1840-1926), Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), Camille Pissarro
(1831-1903), Edgar Degas (1834-1917), Alfred Sisley (1839-99) and
Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) were the main
figures who formed the core of Impressionism.
Lesson eleven 131
failed to appreciate was the freshness of Impressionist color and the energy
of their brushwork which revealed a spontaneity that had only previously
been valued in the sketches of the old masters. However, the public grew to
love the vitality of the impressionist technique and in time Impressionism
grew to become the most popular movement in the history of art.
[4] The bold designs of Japanese paintings, popular in France at the time,
were another influence on impressionism. Their asymmetrical arrangements,
contrasting large areas of flat color with patches of intricate pattern, offered a
compositional format that the Impressionists could use to develop their ideas
about color. Sometimes, even the most avant-garde artists need the security of
knowing that the path they have chosen to follow has some roots in tradition.
The compositions of the Ukiyo-e masters such as Hokusai and Hiroshige
offered the Impressionists this confidence, albeit from another culture.
[5] Impressionism was the first movement where artists embraced painting
‘en plein air’ (painting outside). This was partially due to the introduction
Lesson eleven 133
of paint in tubes which, for the first time, enabled artists to carry all their
studio equipment around in a case. They also found it necessary to paint
outdoors because they were committed to observing the effects of light on
color in nature. Consequently landscapes, both in the town and
countryside, became their most natural and influential subject and is what
we immediately associate with Impressionism today.
[6] Still life was not a popular subject matter in Impressionism, mainly
because it was not a ‘plein air’ subject suited to capturing the atmospheric
qualities of light and color. However there are a few outstanding examples
such as Renoir's 'Fruit of the Midi' whose fruit and vegetables are carefully
chosen to create a range of prismatic colors that span the ‘Impressionist’
spectrum.
[7] Impressionism was the first movement in the canon of modern art and
had a massive effect on the development of art in the 20th century. Like
most revolutionary styles ‘Impressionism’ was gradually absorbed into the
mainstream and its limitations became frustrating to the succeeding
generation. Artists such as Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, Paul
Gauguin and Georges Seurat, although steeped in the traditions of
Impressionism, pushed the boundaries of the style in different creative
directions and in doing so laid the foundations of art in the 20th century.
For historical convenience these artists have been labeled as ‘Post-
Impressionists’ but, apart from their ‘Impressionist’ influence, they do not
have much in common. Van Gogh pushed art towards ‘Expressionism’,
Cézanne towards ‘Cubism’, and Gauguin and Seurat towards ‘Fauvism’
and ‘Divisionism’.
134 English for the students of art
Wow that was a great innovative idea you have given to the boss.
B. Comprehension check
Read each statement and decide whether it is true or false. Write “T”
before true statements and “F” before false ones.
D. Word formation
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the following table.
Make necessary changes.
E. Synonym finding
Find a single word in the passage which means:
F. Matching
Match the words in column Ι with their appropriate equivalents in
column ΙΙ. Insert the letters in the parentheses provided. There are more
choices in column ΙΙ than required.
column Ι column ΙΙ
1 embrace (……) a. central part
2 enthusiastically (……) b. distinct, opposite
3 core (……) c. catch, record
4 contrasting (……) d. excitedly
5 due to (……) e. growth, expansion
6 capture (……) f. hold closely
7 development (……) g. subjectivity
h. revolution
140 English for the students of art
G. Cloze test
There are some missing words in the following text. Find the best
choice for each blank and mark it in your book.
References
Bomford, D. Kirby, J. Leighton, J. Roy, A. and White, R. (1990). Impressionism.
London: National Gallery.
Post-Impressionism
Write the names of some important people and places given in the
reading passage.
……………… ……………… ………………… ………………
Read the first sentences of each paragraph. What do you think the
reading is probably about?
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Lesson twelve 143
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Group work
Discuss the following terms in groups and compare your answers with
your partners.
Impressionism’s limitations Color’s expressive power
Documentary illustration Spiritual vision
Exaggeration Informal movement
Part Ι. Reading
Post-Impressionism
crucifix that he saw in a church and he used its primitive form and
autumnal yellow color as a key to the work. He then simplified his
drawing, boldly outlines his shapes and exaggerates his color to magnify
the heightened emotion of the women's meditation.
[3] Vincent Van Gogh embraced the vivid color of ‘Impressionism’ but
discarded any Impressionist ideas about the careful analysis and effects of
color and light in nature. This was far too scientific an approach for this
temperamental Dutchman whose instincts were tuned to the expressive
power of color. When ‘Impressionism’ was filtered through the heightened
perception of Van Gogh's vision, the results pushed art towards
‘Expressionism’, an exploration of the spiritual and emotional side of art.
[4] Georges Seurat's frustration with the limitations of ‘Impressionism’,
particularly its lack of accurate line and detail, drove him to develop the
technique of ‘Pointillism’ or as it was otherwise called, Neo-
Lesson twelve 145
[5] One often sees works by Seurat that look more like ‘Impressionism’
than ‘Pointillism’. This is because he painted his sketches outside using an
Impressionistic technique to quickly capture the fleeting effects of natural
light and color. He would then take these preparatory sketches back to his
studio and rework them using his more methodical Pointillist technique.
This allowed him to take a more considered and classical approach to
composition, using sharper lines and more clearly defined shapes while
still retaining the vitality of Impressionist light and color. In sum, the
analytical method of Seurat's ‘Pointillism’ influenced those artists who
146 English for the students of art
B. Comprehension check
Read each statement and decide whether it is true or false. Write “T”
before true statements and “F” before false ones.
…..... 1. Post-impressionists were a few dependent artists in the 19th
century who rebelled against ‘Impressionism’.
……. 2. Post-impressionists focused on the emotional, structural,
symbolic and spiritual elements of painting.
……. 3. Van Gogh embraced any Impressionist ideas about the
careful analysis and effects of color and light in nature.
……. 4. Seurat's frustration with the loss of accurate lines and details
of ‘Impressionism’ drove him to develop the technique of
‘Pointillism’.
……. 5. Seurat’s ‘Pointillism’ was a scientific approach in
Lesson twelve 149
5- ‘Post-impressionism’ …………….
A) lasted for just a few years.
B) resulted in other schools to advent.
C) was very popular in its age.
D) was the result of ‘Impressionism’.
D. Word formation
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the following table.
Make necessary changes.
1. Stop it! Why are you …………. a very trivial situation like this?
2. Yesterday, the boss delivered a speech about the financial problems
but his words …………. the tension.
3. She plays an unimportant role of this episode but she tries to
………………. her own role in the press.
4. He is a divine man and focuses on …………. values.
5. I …………. recommend you to watch that movie. It is fantastic.
E. Synonym finding
Find a single word in the passage which means:
F. Matching
Match the words in column Ι with their appropriate equivalents in
column ΙΙ. Insert the letters in the parentheses provided. There are more
choices in column ΙΙ than required.
column Ι column ΙΙ
1 desirable (……) a. irrational, unfair
2 unreasonable (……) b. absent
3 adjust (……) c. perception
4 missing (……) d. keep, hold
5 heightened (……) e. set, regulate
6 understanding (……) f. superior, elevated
7 retain (……) g. blend
h. wanted, pleasing
152 English for the students of art
G. Cloze test
There are some missing words in the following text. Find the best
choice for each blank and mark it in your book.
References
Bowness, A. (1979). Post-Impressionism. Cross-Currents in European Painting.
London: Royal Academy of Arts.
Cogniat, R. (1975). Pissarro. New York: Crown.
Gowing, L. (2005). Facts on File Encyclopedia of Art. New York: Facts on File.
Lesson twelve 153
Expressionism
Write the names of some important people and places given in the
reading passage.
……………… ………………… ………………… ………………
Read the first sentences of each paragraph. What do you think the
reading is probably about?
………………………………………………………………………………
Lesson thirteen 155
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Group work
Discuss the following terms in groups and compare your answers with
your partners.
German psyche Self-expression
Inward look Melancholy
Distorted shapes Subjectivity
Part Ι. Reading
Expressionism
[1] 'Expressionism' is a term that embraces an early 20th century style of art,
music and literature that is charged with an emotional and spiritual vision
of the world. Expressionism is associated with Northern Europe in general
and Germany in particular. The 'Expressionist' spirit has always existed in
the German psyche.
[2] At the end of the 19th century, the 'Expressionist' spirit embodied in the
paintings of two awkward and isolated personalities – one was the
Dutchman, Vincent Van Gogh and the other a Norwegian, Edvard Munch.
While the 'Impressionists' were admiring the color and beauty of the
natural landscape, Van Gogh and Munch took a radically different
perspective. They chose to look inwards to discover a form of ‘self-
expression’ that offered them an individual voice in a world that they
156 English for the students of art
perceived as both insecure and hostile. It was this more subjective search
for a personal emotional truth that drove them on and ultimately paved the
way for the 'Expressionist' art forms of the 20th century that explored the
inner landscape of the soul.
[3] Paintings like Van Gogh’s Sunflowers (1888) opened our eyes to the
intensity of expressive color. He used color to express his feelings about a
subject, rather than to simply describe it. In a letter to his brother Theo he
explained, “instead of trying to reproduce exactly what I see before my
eyes, I use color more arbitrarily to express myself forcibly.” His
heightened vision helped to liberated color as an emotional instrument in
the repertoire of 20th century art and the vitality of his brushwork became
a key influence in the development of both the Fauves' and the
Expressionists’ painting technique.
Lesson thirteen 157
color could trigger our emotions much in the same way as music touches
our soul. This link between the visual and the aural inspired his
experiments with color as an abstract element for the subject of a
painting. The idea was reinforced by a chance experience in 1908. “I was
returning, immersed in thought from my sketching, when on opening the
studio door I was suddenly confronted by a picture of incandescent
beauty. Bewildered, I stopped and stared at it. The painting lacked all
subject, depicted no identifiable object and was entirely composed of
bright color. Finally, I approached closer and saw it for what it really
was - my own painting, standing on its side on the easel. One thing
became clear to me; objectiveness had no place in my paintings, and was
indeed harmful to them.”
The Expressionist spirit resurfaced in art across the world throughout the
20th century; Francis Bacon in Britain, the Abstract Expressionists in the
USA and eventually returning to Germany in the form of Anselm Kiefer in
the last quarter of the century.
B. Comprehension check
Read each statement and decide whether it is true or false. Write “T”
before true statements and “F” before false ones.
D. Word formation
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the following table.
Make necessary changes.
E. Synonym finding
Find a single word in the passage which means:
F. Matching
Match the words in column Ι with their appropriate equivalents in
column ΙΙ. Insert the letters in the parentheses provided. There are more
choices in column ΙΙ than required.
column Ι column ΙΙ
1 alienation (……) a. strengthen
2 pierce (……) b. power, force
3 reinforce (……) c. state, say publically
4 inhospitable (……) d. design, plan
5 intensity (……) e. separation
6 blueprint (……) f. prick
7 declare (……) g. unwelcoming
h. need
G. Cloze test
There are some missing words in the following text. Find the best
choice for each blank and mark it in your book.
166 English for the students of art
References
Bookbinder, J. (2006). Boston modern: figurative expressionism as alternative
modernism. Durham: University of New Hampshire Press.
Matějček, A. (1987). Expressionism: Art and Idea. New Haven: Yale University
Press.
Nietzsche, F. (1872). The Birth of Tragedy Out of The Spirit of Music. New
York: Dover publications.
Lesson thirteen 167
Schimmel, P. and Stein, J. E. (2009). The Figurative fifties: New York figurative
expressionism, The Other Tradition. California: Newport Harbor Art
Museum.
Lesson 14
Fauvism
Write the names of some important people and places given in the
reading passage.
……………… ………………… ………………… ………………
Read the first sentences of each paragraph. What do you think the
reading is probably about?
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Lesson fourteen 169
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Group work
Discuss the following terms in groups and compare your answers with
your partners.
Symbolic colors Paul Gauguin
Wild beasts Dense colors
Color’s power Simplified drawing
Part Ι. Reading
Fauvism
[1] ‘Fauvism’ has its roots in the post-impressionist paintings of Paul Gauguin.
It was his use of symbolic color that pushed art towards the style of
‘Fauvism’. Gauguin proposed that color had a symbolic vocabulary which
could be used to visually translate a range of emotions. In Vision after the
Sermon where Gauguin depicts Jacob wrestling with an angel, he paints the
background a flat red to emphasize the mood and subject of the sermon:
Jacob's spiritual battle in a blood red field of combat. Gauguin believed that
color had a mystical quality that could express our feelings about a subject
rather than simply describe a scene. By breaking the established descriptive
role that color had in painting, he inspired the younger artists of his day to
experiment with new possibilities for color in art.
170 English for the students of art
[2] At the start of the 20th century, two young artists, Henri Matisse and
André Derain formed the basis of a group of painters who enjoyed
painting pictures with outrageously bold colors. The group was nicknamed
‘Les Fauves’ which meant ‘wild beasts’ in French. Their title was coined
by the art critic Louis Vauxcelles who was amused by the exaggerated
color in their art.
[3] In 1905, Matisse and Derain went to stay in the port of Collioure in the
south of France and the Fauvist pictures that they painted there
revolutionized attitudes towards color in art. The sheer joy of expression
that they achieved through their liberated approach to color was a
rebellion for the art of painting. In Matisse's painting, The Open Window,
Collioure, color is used at its maximum intensity. The window frames,
clay flower pots and masts on the yachts have all been painted in a blazing
red. These are a bold complement to the range of greens that punctuate the
painting. To unify the interior/exterior relationship of space, the dense
Lesson fourteen 171
spectrum of colors used inside the room is echoed more sparingly in the
distant view through the window.
[5] ‘Fauvism’ was not a formal movement with a manifesto of rules and
regulations. It was more an instinctive coming together of artists who
wished to express themselves by using bold colors, simplified drawing and
expressive brushwork. ‘Les Fauves’ simply believed that color had a
spiritual quality which linked directly to your emotions and they loved to
use it at the highest possible pitch.
B. Comprehension check
Read each statement and decide whether it is true or false. Write “T”
before true statements and “F” before false ones.
…..... 1. Fauvism proposed that color had a symbolic vocabulary which
could visually translate a range of emotions.
……. 2. Gauguin as the father of Fauvism inspired the younger artists
to experiment with traditional possibilities for color in art.
……. 3. These artists were called Fauvist due to the exaggerated color
in their paintings.
……. 4. Fauvists rebelled against conventional painting through their
liberated approach to color.
……. 5. Unmodified brushstrokes devalued the Fauvist paintings.
D. Word formation
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the following table.
Make necessary changes.
E. Synonym finding
Find a single word in the passage which means:
F. Matching
Match the words in column Ι with their appropriate equivalents in
column ΙΙ. Insert the letters in the parentheses provided. There are more
choices in column ΙΙ than required.
178 English for the students of art
column Ι column ΙΙ
1 sparingly (……) a. degree
2 opponent (……) b. rival
3 flat (……) c. range, band
4 coin (……) d. express, transmit
5 spectrum (……) e. weakly, thinly
6 convey (……) f. create, invent
7 pitch (……) g. stimulate
h. level, smooth
G. Cloze test
There are some missing words in the following text. Find the best
choice for each blank and mark it in your book.
In 1896, Matisse, then an unknown art student, visited the artist John Peter
Russell on the island of Belle Île. Russell was an Impressionist painter;
Matisse had never ….. (1)…… seen an Impressionist work directly, and
was so ……(2)…… at the style that he left after ten days, saying, "I
couldn't stand it any more." The next year he returned as Russell's student
and ……(3)…… his earth-colored palette for bright Impressionist colors,
later stating, "Russell was my teacher, and Russell ……(4)……. color
theory to me." Russell had been a close friend of Vincent van Gogh and
gave Matisse a Van Gogh drawing …..(5)…….
References
Collins, B. (2003). Van Gogh and Gauguin: Electric Arguments and Utopian
Dreams. West view Press.
Freeman, J. (1990). The Fauve Landscape. Abbeville Press.
Cubism
Write the names of some important people and places given in the
reading passage.
……………… ………………… ………………… ………………
Read the first sentences of each paragraph. What do you think the
reading is probably about?
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Lesson fifteen 181
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Group work
Discuss the following terms in groups and compare your answers with
your partners.
Technological progress Conventions of art
Picasso Perspective
Photography Space reconfiguration
Part Ι. Reading
Cubism
the telephone, the motor car and the airplane heralded the dawn of a new
age. The problem for artists at this time was how to reflect the modernity
of the era using the tired and trusted traditions that had served art for the
last four centuries. Photography had begun to replace painting as the tool
for documenting the age. Artists needed a more radical approach - a “new
way of seeing” that expanded the possibilities of art in the same way that
technology was extending the boundaries of communication and travel.
This new way of seeing was called ‘Cubism’ - the first abstract style of
modern art. Picasso and Braque developed their ideas on ‘Cubism’ around
1907 in Paris and their starting point was a common interest in the later
paintings of Paul Cézanne.
[3] The limitations of perspective were also seen as an obstacle to progress
by the ‘Cubists’. The fact that a picture drawn in perspective could only
work from one viewpoint restricted their options. As the image was drawn
from a fixed position, the result was frozen, like a snapshot, but the
Cubists wanted to make pictures that reached beyond the rigid geometry
of perspective. They wanted to introduce the idea of ‘relativity’ - how the
artist perceived and selected elements from the subject, fusing both their
observations and memories into the one concentrated image.
Lesson fifteen 183
[4] A typical ‘Cubist’ painting depicts real people, places or objects, but
not from a fixed viewpoint. Instead it will show you many parts of the
subject at one time, viewed from different angles, and reconstructed into a
composition of planes, forms and colors. The whole idea of space is
reconfigured: the front, back and sides of the subject become
interchangeable elements in the design of the work.
[5] The ‘Cubists’ believed that the traditions of western art had become
exhausted and another remedy they applied to revitalize their work was to
draw on the expressive energy of art from other cultures, especially
African art. However, they were not interested in the true religious or
social symbolism of these cultural objects, but valued them superficially
for their expressive style. They viewed them as subversive elements that
could be used to attack and subsequently refresh the tired tradition of
western art. This inspiration to cross-reference art from different cultures
probably came from Paul Gauguin, the French ‘Post-impressionist’ artist,
whose paintings and prints were influenced by the native culture of Tahiti
and the Marquesas Islands where he spent his final years.
184 English for the students of art
[6] ‘Cubism’ was born in France but emigrated across Europe and integrated
with the artistic consciousness of several countries. It emerged as ‘Futurism’
in Italy, ‘Vorticism’ in England, ‘Suprematism’ and ‘Constructivism’ in
Russia, and ‘Expressionism’ in Germany. It also influenced several of the
major design and architectural styles of the 20th century and prevails to this
day as mode of expression in the language of art.
B. Comprehension check
Read each statement and decide whether it is true or false. Write “T”
before true statements and “F” before false ones.
B) expressive art
C) abstract art school
D) formal art movement
D. Word formation
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the following table.
Make necessary changes.
E. Synonym finding
Find a single word in the passage which means:
F. Matching
Match the words in column Ι with their appropriate equivalents in
column ΙΙ. Insert the letters in the parentheses provided. There are more
choices in column ΙΙ than required.
column Ι column ΙΙ
1 prevail (……) a. mirror
2 revitalize (……) b. local, natural
3 reflect (……) c. move abroad
4 progress (……) d. sequence
5 native (……) e. put together
6 emigrate (……) f. revive
7 integrate (……) g. current, usual
h. advance,
development
Lesson fifteen 191
G. Cloze test
There are some missing words in the following text. Find the best
choice for each blank and mark it in your book.
References
Barr, A. H. (1936). Cubism and Abstract Art. New York: Museum of Modern
Art.
192 English for the students of art
Cooper, D. (1970). The Cubist Epoch. London: Phaidon in association with the
Los Angeles County Museum of Art & the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Golding, J. (1959). Cubism: A History and an Analysis. New York: Wittenborn.
Lesson 16
Dadaism
Write the names of some important people and places given in the
reading passage.
……………… ………………… ………………… ………………
Read the first sentences of each paragraph. What do you think the
reading is probably about?
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
194 English for the students of art
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Group work
Discuss the following terms in groups and compare your answers with
your partners.
Anti-bourgeois Surrealism
Cabaret Voltaire Collage
Hobbyhorse Post-World War II optimism
Part Ι. Reading
Dadaism
[5] While broad, the movement was unstable. By 1924 in Paris, ‘Dada’
was melding into ‘Surrealism’, and artists had gone on to other ideas and
movements, including ‘Surrealism’, social ‘Realism’ and other forms of
modernism. Some theorists argue that ‘Dada’ was actually the beginning
of post-modern art.
[6] By the dawn of World War II, many of the European ‘Dadaists’ had
immigrated to the United States. Some died in death camps under Adolf
Hitler who persecuted the kind of ‘Degenerate art’ that ‘Dada’
represented. The movement became less active as post-World War II
optimism led to new movements in art and literature. The ‘Dadaists’
imitated the techniques developed during the cubist movement through the
pasting of cut pieces of paper items, but extended their art to encompass
items such as transportation tickets, maps, etc. to portray aspects of life,
rather than representing objects viewed as still life.
[7] The ‘Dadaists’ used scissors and glue rather than paintbrushes and
paints to express their views of modern life through images presented by
the media. A variation on the collage technique, photomontage utilized
actual or reproductions of real photographs printed in the press.
B. Comprehension check
Read each statement and decide whether it is true or false. Write “T”
before true statements and “F” before false ones.
A) ‘Cubism’ B) ‘Expressionism’
C) ‘Realism’ D) ‘Impressionism’
D. Word formation
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the following table.
Make necessary changes.
E. Synonym finding
Find a single word in the passage which means:
Lesson sixteen 203
F. Matching
Match the words in column Ι with their appropriate equivalents in
column ΙΙ. Insert the letters in the parentheses provided. There are more
choices in column ΙΙ than required.
column Ι column ΙΙ
1 facade (……) a. rebirth
2 homicide (……) b. blend
3 meld (……) c. optimism
4 strive (……) d. change
5 renaissance (……) e. wrong appearance
6 hopefulness (……) f. simplify
7 variation (……) g. attempt
h. murder
204 English for the students of art
G. Cloze test
There are some missing words in the following text. Find the best
choice for each blank and mark it in your book.
Having left Germany and Romania during the Great War, the artists found
themselves in Switzerland, a country …..(1)….. for its neutrality. Inside
this space of political neutrality they decided to use abstraction to fight
a…..(2)….. the social, political, and cultural ideas of that time. The
‘Dadaists’ believed those ideas to be a byproduct of bourgeois ….(3)…..
Marcel Janco recalled, "We had lost confidence in our culture. Everything
had to be demolished. We would begin again after the tabula rasa. At the
Cabaret Voltaire we began by shocking common sense, public opinion,
education, institutions, museums, good taste, in short, the whole prevailing
order." The Cabaret closed its doors. In 1917, Tzara wrote a second
‘Dada’ ….(4)…. considered one of the most important ‘Dada’ writings,
which was ….(5)….. in 1918. Other manifestos followed.
References
Ball, H. (1996). Flight Out Of Time. University of California Press: Berkeley and
Los Angeles.
Biro, M. (2009).The Dada Cyborg: Visions of the New Human in Weimar Berlin.
Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
Lesson sixteen 205
Lavin, M. (1993). Cut With the Kitchen Knife: The Weimar Photomontages of
Hannah Höch. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Sanouillet, M. (2009). Dada in Paris, Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press.
Lesson 17
Futurism
Write the names of some important people and places given in the
reading passage.
……………… ………………… ………………… ………………
Read the first sentences of each paragraph. What do you think the
reading is probably about?
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Lesson seventeen 207
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Group work
Discuss the following terms in groups and compare your answers with
your partners.
Intellectuals Modernity
Dynamic art Fascism
Nationalism Divisionism
Part Ι. Reading
Futurism
[1] ‘Futurism’ was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy in
the early 20th century. It emphasized and glorified themes associated with
contemporary concepts of the future, including speed, technology, youth
and violence, and objects such as the car, the airplane and the industrial
city. It was largely an Italian phenomenon, though there were parallel
movements in Russia, England and elsewhere. The ‘Futurists’ practiced in
every medium of art, including painting, sculpture, graphic design,
industrial design, interior design, urban design, theatre, film, fashion,
textiles, literature, music, architecture and even gastronomy.
[2] The founder of ‘Futurism’ was the Italian writer Filippo Tommaso
Marinetti. Marinetti launched the movement in his ‘Futurist’ Manifesto,
which he published for the first time on 5 February 1909 in La gazzetta
208 English for the students of art
[7] The outbreak of war disguised the fact that Italian ‘Futurism’ had come
to an end. The Florence ‘Futurists’ had formally acknowledged their
withdrawal from the movement by the end of 1914. Boccioni produced
only one war picture and was killed in 1916. Severini painted some
significant war pictures in 1915but in Paris turned towards ‘Cubism’ and
post-war was associated with the ‘Return to Order’. After the war,
Marinetti revived the movement. This revival was called il secondo
Futurismo (Second Futurism) by writers in the 1960s.
[8] Many Italian ‘Futurists’ supported ‘Fascism’ in the hope of
modernizing a country divided between the industrializing north and the
rural, archaic South. Like the ‘Fascists’, the ‘Futurists’ were Italian
nationalists, radicals, admirers of violence, and were opposed to
parliamentary democracy. Marinetti founded the Futurist Political Party in
early 1918, which was absorbed into Mussolini's Fasci di combattimento
in 1919, making Marinetti one of the first members of the National
Fascist Party. The Futurists' association with ‘Fascism’ after its triumph in
1922 brought them official acceptance in Italy and the ability to carry out
important work, especially in architecture. After the Second World War,
many ‘Futurist’ artists had difficulty in their careers because of their
association with a defeated and discredited regime.
Glorify your son, that your son may also glorify you.
B. Comprehension check
Read each statement and decide whether it is true or false. Write “T”
before true statements and “F” before false ones.
214 English for the students of art
D. Word formation
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the following table.
Make necessary changes.
E. Synonym finding
Find a single word in the passage which means:
1 equivalent (para.1) ……………………..
2 start (para.2) …………………….
3 provide, present (para.4) …………………….
4 vary (para.4) …………………….
5 feelings (para.5) ……………………..
6 expectation (para.5) ……………………..
7 strength, firmness (para.6) ……………………..
8 remove, clear (para.6) ……………………..
9 accept, admit (para.7) …………………….
10 aggression, cruelty (para.8) ……………………..
F. Matching
Match the words in column Ι with their appropriate equivalents in
column ΙΙ. Insert the letters in the parentheses provided. There are more
choices in column ΙΙ than required.
column Ι column ΙΙ
1 abolition (……) a. sin
2 vice (……) b. disagreement
3 loath (……) c. hate
4 exterior (……) d. ancient
5 conflict (……) e. external
6 archaic (……) f. destruction
7 association (……) g. connection
h. seek
Lesson seventeen 217
G. Cloze test
There are some missing words in the following text. Find the best
choice for each blank and mark it in your book.
‘Futurism’ had from the outset admired violence and was intensely
…..(1)…... The Futurist Manifesto had declared, "We will glorify war —the
world's only purity." Although it …..(2)…. much of its character and some of
its ideas to radical political movements, it was not much involved in
….(3)….. until the autumn of 1913. Then, fearing the re-election of Giolitti,
Marinetti published a political manifesto. In 1914 the ‘Futurists’ began to
campaign …..(4)…. against the Austro-Hungarian empire, which still
controlled some Italian territories. In September, Boccioni, seated in the
balcony of the Teatro dal Verme in Milan, tore up an Austrian flag and threw
it into the audience, while Marinetti waved an Italian ….(5)…... When Italy
entered the First World War in 1915, many Futurists joined the army.
References
Chiancone-Schneider, D. (2010). Zukunftsmusik oder Schnee von gestern?
Interdisziplinarität, Internationalität und Aktualität des Futurismus. Cologne:
Congress papers.
Coen, E. (1988). Umberto Boccioni. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
218 English for the students of art
Rodker, J. (1927). The future of futurism. New York: E.P. Dutton & company.
Lesson 18
Abstract Expressionism
Write the names of some important people and places given in the
reading passage.
……………… ……………… ………………… ………………
Read the first sentences of each paragraph. What do you think the
reading is probably about?
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
220 English for the students of art
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Group work
Discuss the following terms in groups and compare your answers with
your partners.
Universal acclaim Artist’s identity
Great depression Imitation
Action painting Direct expression
Part Ι. Reading
Abstract Expressionism
contact with European artists had been increased as a result of World War
II, which caused so many to seek refuge in the U.S.
[3] Their early works of ‘Abstract Expressionist’ feature pictographic and
biomorphic elements transformed into personal code. Jungian psychology
was compelling too, in its assertion of the collective unconscious.
Directness of expression was paramount, best achieved through lack of
premeditation.
[4] The first generation of ‘Abstract Expressionism’ flourished between
1943 and the mid 50s. The movement effectively shifted the art world's
focus from Europe (specifically Paris) to New York in the post-war years.
The paintings were seen widely in traveling exhibitions and through
publications. In the wake of ‘Abstract Expressionism’, new generations of
artists—both American and European—were profoundly marked by the
breakthroughs made by the first generation, and went on to create their
own important expressions based on, but not imitative of, those who
planned the way.
[5] In 1947, Pollock developed a radical new technique, pouring and
dripping thinned paint onto raw canvas laid on the ground (instead of
traditional methods of painting in which pigment is applied by brush to
stretched canvas positioned on an easel). The paintings were entirely
nonobjective and shocking to many viewers. De Kooning, too, was
developing his own version of a highly gestural style, alternating between
abstract work and powerful figurative images. Other colleagues, including
Krasner and Kline, were equally engaged in creating an art of dynamic
gesture in which every inch of a picture is fully charged.
[6] For ‘Abstract Expressionists’, the authenticity or value of a work lay in
its directness and immediacy of expression. A painting is meant to be a
revelation of the artist's authentic identity. The gesture, the artist's
222 English for the students of art
B. Comprehension check
Read each statement and decide whether it is true or false. Write “T”
before true statements and “F” before false ones.
Lesson eighteen 225
A) language. B) mode.
C) model. D) art.
4- All of the followings are the helpful factors for flourishing ‘Abstract
Expressionism’ except …………….
A) anti-war considerations.
B) immediacy of expression.
C) direct contact with European artists.
D) the period of ‘Great depression’.
D. Word formation
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the following table.
Make necessary changes.
E. Synonym finding
Find a single word in the passage which means:
F. Matching
Match the words in column Ι with their appropriate equivalents in
column ΙΙ. Insert the letters in the parentheses provided. There are more
choices in column ΙΙ than required.
column Ι column ΙΙ
1 redolent (……) a. contact
2 satisfy (……) b. widen, extend
3 exposure (……) c. wisdom
4 rationality (……) d. edition
5 stretch (……) e. personality
6 version (……) f. fragrant
7 identity (……) g. biomorphic
h. please, convince
228 English for the students of art
G. Cloze test
There are some missing words in the following text. Find the best
choice for each blank and mark it in your book.
References
Anfam, D. (1990). Abstract Expressionism. New York & London: Thames &
Hudson.
Guilbaut, S. (1983). How New York Stole the Idea of Modern Art. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press.
Herskovic, M. (2000). New York School Abstract Expressionists Artists Choice
by Artists. New York: New York School Press.
Pop Art
Write the names of some important people and places given in the
reading passage.
……………… ……………… ………………… ………………
Read the first sentences of each paragraph. What do you think the
reading is probably about?
………………………………………………………………………………
Lesson nineteen 231
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Group work
Discuss the following terms in groups and compare your answers with
your partners.
Optimism Commercial art
Mass-culture Architectural scale
The media Globalization
Part Ι. Reading
Pop Art
[1] ‘Pop Art’ was the art of popular culture. It was the visual art movement that
characterized a sense of optimism during the 1950's and 1960's. It coincided
with the globalization of pop music and youth culture, personified by Elvis
and the Beatles. ‘Pop Art’ was brash, young and fun and hostile to the
artistic establishment. It included different styles of painting and sculpture
from various countries, but what they all had in common was an interest in
mass-media, mass-production and mass-culture.
[2] The word ‘Pop’ was coined in 1954, by the British art critic Lawrence
Alloway, to describe a new type of art that was inspired by the imagery of
popular culture. Alloway, alongside the artists Richard Hamilton and
Eduardo Paolozzi, was among the founding members of the Independent
232 English for the students of art
[5] If there was one artist who personified ‘Pop Art’ it was Andy Warhol. He
originally worked as a ‘commercial artist’ and his subject matter was
derived from the imagery of mass-culture: advertising, comics, newspapers,
TV and the movies. Warhol embodied the spirit of American popular
culture and elevated its imagery to the status of museum art. He used
second-hand images of celebrities and consumer products which he
believed had an intrinsic banality that made them more interesting. He felt
that they had been stripped of their meaning and emotional presence
through their mass-exposure.
234 English for the students of art
[6] Claes Oldenburg was the ‘Pop’ Artist who gravitated towards sculpture
more than any of his contemporaries. At the start of 1960's he was
involved in various ‘Happenings’; spontaneous, improvised, artistic events
where the experience of the participants was more important than an end
product. Oldenburg's work is full of humorous irony and contradiction: on
one hand he makes hard objects like a bathroom sink out soft sagging
vinyl, while on the other he makes soft objects like a cheeseburger out of
hard painted plaster. He also subverts the relative size of objects by taking
small items like the spoon and cherry above and recreating them on an
architectural scale.
Lesson nineteen 235
B. Comprehension check
Read each statement and decide whether it is true or false. Write “T”
before true statements and “F” before false ones.
…..... ‘Pop art’ as a movement for intellectuals characterized a sense
of optimism during the 1950's and 1960's.
……. 2. Like other schools of art ‘Pop art’ initiated in France.
……. 3. Richard Hamilton and Eduardo Paolozzi were the forerunners
of ‘Pop art’ in America.
……. 4. American ‘Pop Art’ evolved as an attempt to reintroduce the
image as a structural device in painting.
……. 5. ‘Pop art’ as an instrument can be employed in commerce.
1- All of the following statements are true about ‘Pop art’ except
…………….
Lesson nineteen 239
D. Word formation
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the following table.
Make necessary changes.
E. Synonym finding
Find a single word in the passage which means:
F. Matching
Match the words in column Ι with their appropriate equivalents in
column ΙΙ. Insert the letters in the parentheses provided. There are more
choices in column ΙΙ than required.
column Ι column ΙΙ
1 elevate (……) a. comic
2 sag (……) b. description
3 imagery (……) c. motivate
4 forerunner (……) d. raise
5 provoke (……) e. noticeable
6 remarkable (……) f. vulnerable
7 humorous (……) g. pioneer
(……) h. sink
G. Cloze test
There are some missing words in the following text. Find the best
choice for each blank and mark it in your book.
given culture, most often …..(4)….. the use of irony. ‘Pop art’ often takes
as its imagery ….(5)….. is currently in use in advertising. Product labeling
and logos figure prominently in the imagery chosen by ‘Pop’ artists, like in
the Campbell's Soup Cans labels, by Andy Warhol.
References
Francis, M. and l Foster, H. (2010). Pop. London and New York: Phaidon.
Minimalism
Write the names of some important people and places given in the
reading passage.
……………… ………………… ………………… ………………
Read the first sentences of each paragraph. What do you think the
reading is probably about?
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
244 English for the students of art
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Group work
Discuss the following terms in groups and compare your answers with
your partners.
Objectivity versus subjectivity Immediacy of response
Simplicity Kasimir Malevich
Electronic songs ABC art
Part Ι. Reading
Minimalism
[2] The ‘minimalists’, who believed that ‘Action painting’ was too
personal and insubstantial, adopted the point of view that a work of art
should not refer to anything other than itself. For that reason they
attempted to rid their works of any extra-visual association. Use of the
hard edge, the simple form, and the linear rather than painterly approach
was intended to emphasize two-dimensionality and to allow the viewer an
immediate, purely visual response.
B. Comprehension check
Read each statement and decide whether it is true or false. Write “T”
before true statements and “F” before false ones.
D. Word formation
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the following table.
Make necessary changes.
Lesson Twenty 251
E. Synonym finding
Find a single word in the passage which means:
F. Matching
Match the words in column Ι with their appropriate equivalents in
column ΙΙ. Insert the letters in the parentheses provided. There are more
choices in column ΙΙ than required.
column Ι column ΙΙ
1 minimalism (……) a. intellectual
2 commemorate (……) b. available
3 response (……) c. method
4 scholar, thinker (……) d. speed
5 accessible (……) e. interior
6 pace (……) f. honor
7 approach (……) g. reductionism
h. reaction
G. Cloze test
There are some missing words in the following text. Find the best
choice for each blank and mark it in your book.
The Japanese ‘Minimalist’ architect, Tadao Ando conveys the Japanese
traditional ……(1)…… and his own perception of nature in his works. His
design concepts are pure geometry and nature. He …..(2)…… uses
concrete or natural wood and basic structural form to achieve austerity and
rays of light in space. He also sets up dialogue between the site and nature
to …..(3)….. relationship and order with the buildings. Ando’s works and
the translation of Japanese aesthetic principles are highly influential on
Japanese architecture. Another Japanese ‘Minimalist’ architect, Kazuyo
Sejima, produces iconic Japanese ‘Minimalist’ buildings. ……(4)……
Lesson Twenty 253
References
Asencio Cerver, F. (1997). The Architecture of Minimalism. New York: Arco;
Hearst Books international.
Bertoni, F. (2002). Minimalist Architecture, Basel, Boston, and Berlin: Birkhäuser.
Eastern Art
In the third part of the book a brief description of eastern art has been
offered. Indeed, the major art centers of east such as Buddhist art, Chinese
art, Indian art, Japanese art and Korean art in addition to the Islamic have
been portrayed in this part. Moreover, a survey of Iranian art as one of the
most determining art hubs of the east is provided as the concluding lessons
of the book.
To read the given passages and get familiar with the approved
descriptions of the provided artistic themes and then
Perform the following reading comprehension exercises which are
designed in diverse formats of true/false, multiple-choice, open,
matching and cloze test items.
They are also supposed to learn the lexical items whose perceptions
are required for the passages’ understanding. These items are
introduced and exemplifies in the vocabulary list of each chapter.
Lesson 21
Eastern Art
Write the names of some important people and places given in the
reading passage.
……………… ………………… ………………… ………………
Read the first sentences of each paragraph. What do you think the
reading is probably about?
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
258 English for the students of art
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Group work
Discuss the following terms in groups and compare your answers with
your partners.
Buddhism Rangoli
Indian art Sand-painting
Mandala Chinese art
Part Ι. Reading
Eastern Art
[1] The history of ‘Eastern art’ includes a vast range of influences from
various cultures and religions. Developments in ‘Eastern art’ are
historically parallel to those in ‘Western art’ a few centuries earlier.
Buddhist art, Chinese art, Indian art, Japanese art and Korean art each
had significant influence on ‘Western art’ and vice versa.
Buddhist art
[2] Buddhist art originated in the Indian subcontinent in the centuries
following the life of the historical Gautama Buddha in the 6th to 5th
century B.C. before evolving through its contact with other cultures and its
diffusion through the rest of Asia and the world. Buddhist art traveled with
believers, adapted, and evolved in each new host country. It developed to
Lesson Twenty one 259
the north through Central Asia and into Eastern Asia to form the Northern
branch of Buddhist art, and to the east as far as Southeast Asia to form its
Southern branch. In India, Buddhist art flourished and even influenced the
development of Hindu art, until Buddhism nearly disappeared in India
around the 10th century A.D. Mandala (Sanskrit equivalent for circle) is
undoubtedly the most noticeable symbol of Buddhist art. It is a spiritual
and ritual symbol in Indian religions, representing the universe. The basic
form of most mandalas is a square with four gates containing a circle with
a center point employed for focusing the attention of prayers in sacred
places and a meditation tool.
A mandala
[3] Its symbolic nature can help one to access progressively deeper levels
of the unconscious, ultimately assisting the meditator to experience a
mystical sense of unity from which the cosmos in all its manifold forms
arises. The psychoanalyst Carl Jung saw the mandala as “a representation
of the center of the unconscious self,” and believed his paintings of
mandalas enabled him to identify emotional disorders and to work on
wholeness in personality.
260 English for the students of art
Chinese art
[4] Chinese art has varied throughout its ancient history, divided into periods
by the ruling dynasties of China and changing technology. Different forms
of art have been influenced by great philosophers, teachers, religious
figures and even political leaders. Chinese art encompasses fine arts, folk
arts and performance arts. In the Song Dynasty, poetry was marked by a
lyric poetry known as Ci which expressed feelings of desire, often as a
third person viewer. Also in the Song dynasty, paintings of more subtle
expression of landscapes appeared, with blurred outlines and mountain
contours which conveyed distance through an impressionistic treatment of
natural phenomena. It was during this period that in painting, emphasis
was placed on spiritual rather than emotional elements, as in the previous
period. Kungu, the oldest form of Chinese opera developed during the
Song Dynasty. In the Yuan dynasty, painting by the Chinese painter Zhao
Mengfu greatly influenced later Chinese landscape painting. Yuan dynasty
opera became the national Chinese opera which continues today as
Cantonese opera.
Indian art
[5] Indian art can be classified into specific periods, each reflecting certain
religious, political and cultural developments. The earliest examples are
the petro-glyphs found in Bhimbetka dating back to 5500 B.C. Later
examples include the carved pillars of Ellora, Maharashtra state. Indian art
can be classified into five periods of: Hinduism and Buddhism ancient
period (3500 B.C.), Islamic dominance (712–1757), The colonial period
(1757–1947), Independence and the postcolonial period (after1947) and
Modern and Post-modern art.
Lesson Twenty one 261
[6] One of the most popular art forms in India is called Rangoli. It is a
form of sand-painting decoration that uses finely ground white powder and
colors, and is used commonly outside homes in India.
A Rangoli in Chennai
[7] The visual arts (sculpture, painting and architecture) are tightly
interrelated with the non-visual arts. According to Vatsyayan, "Classical
Indian architecture, sculpture, painting, literature, music and dancing
evolved their own rules conditioned by their respective media, but they
shared with one another the underlying spiritual beliefs of the Indian
religio-philosophic mind”. Insight into the unique qualities of Indian art is
best achieved through an understanding of the philosophical thought, the
broad cultural history, social, religious and political background of the
artworks.
Japanese art
[8] Japanese art and architecture is works of art produced in Japan from the
beginnings of human habitation there, sometime in the 10th millennium
B.C. to the present. Japanese art covers a wide range of art styles and
media, including ancient pottery, sculpture in wood and bronze, ink
262 English for the students of art
painting on silk and paper, and a myriad of other types of works of art;
from ancient times until the contemporary 21st century. Ukiyo, meaning
"floating world", refers to the impetuous young culture that bloomed in the
urban centers. It is an ironic allusion to the term "Sorrowful World" the
earthly death and rebirth from which Buddhists sought release. The art
form rose to great popularity in the metropolitan culture during the second
half of the 17th century, originating with the single-color works of
Hishikawa Moronobu in the 1670s.
[9] The origins of painting in Japan date well back into Japan's prehistoric
period. Simple figures and geometric designs can be found on Jomon
period pottery and Yayoi period (300 B.C-300 A.D). Ancient Japanese
sculpture was mostly derived from the idol worship in Buddhism or
animistic rites of Shinto deity. In particular, sculpture among all the arts
came to be most firmly centered around Buddhism. Gilded bronze and
wood were used as the most common materials for sculpture on those
Lesson Twenty one 263
Korean art
[10] Korean art is noted for its traditions in pottery, music, calligraphy,
painting, sculpture, and other genres, often marked by the use of bold
color, natural forms, precise shape and scale, and surface decoration.
While there are clear and distinguishing differences between three
independent cultures, there are significant and historical similarities and
interactions between the arts of Korea, China and Japan. Because of
Korea’s position between China and Japan, Korea was seen as a mere
conduit of Chinese culture to Japan. However, recent scholars have begun
to acknowledge Korea’s own unique art, culture and important role in not
only transmitting Chinese culture but assimilating it and creating a unique
culture of its own. Throughout the history of Korean painting, there has
been a constant separation of monochromatic works of black brushwork
on paper or silk and the colorful folk art or ritual arts, tomb paintings, and
festival arts which had extensive use of color.
B. Comprehension check
Read each statement and decide whether it is true or false. Write “T”
before true statements and “F” before false ones.
D. Word formation
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the following table.
Make necessary changes.
E. Synonym finding
Find a single word in the passage which means:
1 use (para.2) ……………………..
2 completeness (para.3) …………………….
3 scenery (para.4) …………………….
4 adornment (para.6) …………………….
5 firmly (para.7) ……………………..
6 big city (para.8) ……………………..
7 flourish (para.8) ……………………..
8 unthoughtful (para.8) ……………………..
268 English for the students of art
F. Matching
Match the words in column Ι with their appropriate equivalents in
column ΙΙ. Insert the letters in the parentheses provided. There are more
choices in column ΙΙ than required.
column Ι column ΙΙ
1 evolve (……) a. counterpart
2 equivalent (……) b. holy place
3 manifold (……) c. home
4 temple (……) d. certainly
5 festival (……) e. develop
6 habitation (……) f. honor
7 undoubtedly (……) g. many
(……) h. party
G. Cloze test
There are some missing words in the following text. Find the best
choice for each blank and mark it in your book.
Cambodian art and the culture of Cambodia has had a rich and varied
history dating back many centuries and has been ……(1)…… influenced
by India. In turn, Cambodia greatly influenced Thailand, Laos and vice
versa. Throughout Cambodia's long history, a major source of …..(2)……
was from religion. Throughout nearly two millenniums the Cambodians
developed a unique Khmer belief from Indian religions of Buddhism and
Lesson Twenty one 269
Hinduism. Indian culture and civilization, including its language and arts
reached mainland Southeast Asia around the 1st century B.C. It is
generally …..(3)….. that merchants brought Indian customs and culture to
ports along the gulf of Thailand and the Pacific while ……(4)…… with
China. Beginning in the mid-20th century, a tradition of modern art began
in Cambodia, though in the later 20th century both traditional and modern
arts ……(5)……. for several reasons, including the killing of artists by the
Khmer Rouge. The country has experienced a recent artistic revival due to
increased support from governments, NGOs, and foreign tourists.
Reference
Covarrubias, Mi. (1937). Island of Bali: Cassel. Oxford University Press.
Eiseman, F. and Fisher, M. (1988). Woodcarving of Bali. Periplus publications.
Islamic Art
Write the names of some important people and places given in the
reading passage.
……………… ………………… ………………… ………………
Read the first sentences of each paragraph. What do you think the
reading is probably about?
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Lesson Twenty two 271
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Group work
Discuss the following terms in groups and compare your answers with
your partners.
Arabesque Human portrayal
Islamic art Pottery
Idolatry tiling
Part Ι. Reading
Islamic Art
[1] ‘Islamic art’ encompasses the visual arts produced from the 7th century
onwards by people who lived within the territory that was inhabited by or
ruled by culturally Islamic populations. It is thus a very difficult art to
define because it covers many lands and various peoples over some 1400
years; it is not art specifically of a religion, or of a time, or of a place, or of
a single medium like painting. ‘Islamic art’ is not at all restricted to
religious art, but includes all the art forms of the rich and varied cultures
of Islamic societies as well. It frequently includes secular elements and
elements that are frowned upon, if not forbidden, by some Islamic
theologians.
[2] Figurative painting may cover religious scenes, but normally in secular
contexts such as the walls of palaces or illuminated books of poetry. The
272 English for the students of art
[4] Typically not entirely, ‘Islamic art’ has focused on the depiction of
patterns and calligraphy, rather than on figures, because it is feared by many
Muslims that the depiction of the human form is idolatry and thereby a sin
against God which is forbidden in the Qur'an. Human portrayals can be
found in all eras of ‘Islamic art’, above all in the more private form of
miniatures, where their absence is rare. Small decorative figures of animals
and humans, especially if they are hunting the animals, are found in many
media from many periods, but portraits were slow to develop.
274 English for the students of art
[5] From the 15th century, remained Islamic courts began to fall, as the
Ottoman Empire, and later the Safavids; this had an effect on ‘Islamic art’
which was usually strongly led by the patronage of the court. From at least
the 18th century onwards, elite ‘Islamic art’ was increasingly influenced
by European styles, and in the applied arts largely adopted western styles
in the late 18th or early 19th centuries. Many industries with very long
histories, such as pottery in Iran largely closed, while others like brass-
works became generally frozen in style, with much of their production
going to tourists or exported as oriental exotics.
[6] The carpet industry has remained large, but mostly uses designs that
originated before 1700, and competes with machine-made imitations both
locally and around the world. Arts and crafts with a broader social base,
like tiling, have often survived better. Islamic countries have developed
modern and contemporary art works, but the degree to which these should
be grouped in a special category as ‘Islamic art’ is questionable, although
Lesson Twenty two 275
many artists deal with Islam-related themes, and use traditional elements
such as calligraphy. Especially in the oil-rich parts of the Islamic world,
modern architecture and interior decoration made use of motifs and
elements drawn from the heritage of ‘Islamic art’.
B. Comprehension check
Read each statement and decide whether it is true or false. Write “T”
before true statements and “F” before false ones.
D. Word formation
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the following table.
Make necessary changes.
Lesson Twenty two 279
E. Synonym finding
Find a single word in the passage which means:
1 specially (para.1) ……………………..
2 not allowed (para.1) …………………….
3 represent (para.3) …………………….
4 purposely (para.3) …………………….
5 endless (para.3) ……………………..
6 unusual (para.4) ……………………..
7 inheritance (para.6) ……………………..
8 up to date (para.6) ……………………..
9 stay alive (para.6) …………………….
10 internal (para.6) ……………………..
280 English for the students of art
F. Matching
Match the words in column Ι with their appropriate equivalents in
column ΙΙ. Insert the letters in the parentheses provided. There are more
choices in column ΙΙ than required.
column Ι column ΙΙ
1 restrict (……) a. noticeable
2 thereby (……) b. thus
3 worldly (……) c. limit
4 paramount (……) d. quarrel
5 dispute (……) e. group
6 category (……) f. doubtful
7 questionable (……) g. many
(……) h. secular
G. Cloze test
There are some missing words in the following text. Find the best
choice for each blank and mark it in your book.
The Abbasid dynasty (750 - 1258 A.D.) witnessed the movement of the
capital from Damascus to Baghdad, and then from Baghdad to Samarra.
The …..(1)…..to Baghdad influenced politics, culture, and art. Art
historian Robert Hillenbrand (1999) likens the movement to the
foundation of an "Islamic Rome", because the meeting of Eastern
influences from Iranian, Chinese, and Indian sources created a new
…..(2)….. for ‘Islamic art’. Though the common perception of Abbasid
artistic production focuses largely on pottery, the greatest development of
the Abbasid period was in textiles. Government-run workshops known as
Lesson Twenty two 281
tiraz produced silks …..(3)….. the name of the monarch, allowing for
aristocrats to demonstrate their ……(4)….. to the ruler. Calligraphy also
began to be used in surface decoration on pottery during this period.
……(5)……. Qur'ans gained attention, letter-forms now more complex
and stylized to the point of slowing down the recognition of the words
themselves.
References
Blair, S., Bloom, J. M. (2003). The Mirage of Islamic Art: Reflections on the
Study of an Unwieldy Field. The Art Bulletin 85 (1), 152–184.
Write the names of some important people and places given in the
reading passage.
……………… ……………… ………………… ………………
Read the first sentences of each paragraph. What do you think the
reading is probably about?
………………………………………………………………………………
Lesson Twenty three 283
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Group work
Discuss the following terms in groups and compare your answers with
your partners.
Rug-weaving Arthur Pope
Iranian art Pre-Islamic art
Coffee house painting Iranian calligraphy
Part Ι. Reading
[1] ‘Iranian art’ has one of the richest art heritages in the world history and
encompasses many disciplines including architecture, painting, weaving
pottery, calligraphy, metal-working and masonry. In the following the
well-known Iranian visual arts are described briefly.
Rug-weaving
[2] The art of rug weaving in has its roots in the culture and customs of its
people and their instinctive feelings. Weavers mix elegant patterns with a
myriad of colors. The Iranian carpet is similar to the Iranian garden, full of
flowers, birds, and beasts. The colors are usually made from wild flowers.
The fabric is often washed to soften the texture, giving it a unique quality.
284 English for the students of art
Depending on where the rug is made, patterns and designs vary. And some
rugs, such as Gabbeh, and Gelim have a variations in their textures and
number of knots as well. Out of about 2 million Iranians who work in the
trade, 1.2 million are weavers producing the largest amount of hand-
woven artistic carpets in the world, exported more than 517 million dollars
each year.
Painting
[3] Caves in Iran's Lorestan province exhibit painted imagery of animals and
hunting scenes. Some such as those in Fars Province and Sialk are at least
5,000 years old. Painting in Iran is thought to have reached a climax
during the Tamerlane era when outstanding masters such as Kamaleddin
Behzad gave birth to a new style of painting. Paintings of the Qajar period
are a combination of European influences and Safavid miniature schools
of painting such as those introduced by Reza Abbasi. Masters such as
Kamal-ol-molk, further pushed forward the European influence in Iran. It
was during the Qajar era when "Coffee House painting" emerged.
Subjects of this style were often religious in nature depicting scenes from
Shia epics and the like.
Lesson Twenty three 285
Calligraphy
[4] Will Durant said, “Ancient Iranians with an alphabet of 36 letters, used
skins and pen to write, instead of ear then memorize”. Such was the
creativity spent on the art of writing. The significance of the art of
calligraphy in works of pottery, metallic vessels, and historic buildings is
such that they are deemed lacking without the adorning decorative
calligraphy. Illuminations, and especially the Quran and works such as the
“Shahnameh”, “Divan-e-Hafez”, “Golestan” and “Boostan” are recognized
as highly invaluable because of their delicate calligraphy. Vast quantities
of these are scattered and preserved in museums and private collections
worldwide, such as the Hermitage Museum of St. Petersburg and
Washington's Freer Gallery of Art among many others.
286 English for the students of art
Architecture
[5] Iranian architecture or Persian architecture dates back to at least 5,000
B.C. with characteristic examples distributed over a vast area from Turkey
and Iraq to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Persian buildings vary from peasant
huts to tea houses and garden, pavilions to "some of the most majestic
structures the world has ever seen". In addition to historic gates, palaces,
and mosques, the rapid growth of cities such as the capital, Tehran has
brought about a new construction styles. Iranian architecture displays great
variety, both structural and aesthetic, from a variety of traditions and
experience. Without sudden innovations, and despite the repeated
invasions and cultural shocks, it has achieved “an individuality distinct
from that of other Muslim countries”. Its paramount virtues are "a marked
feeling for form and scale; structural inventiveness, especially in vault and
dome construction; a genius for decoration with a freedom and success not
rivaled in any other architecture”.
Lesson Twenty three 287
[6] Traditionally, the motif of Iranian architecture has been its cosmic
symbolism “by which man is brought into communication and
participation with the powers of heaven”. This theme has not only given
unity and continuity to the architecture of Persia, but has been a primary
source of its emotional character as well. According to Persian historian
and archaeologist Arthur Pope, the supreme ‘Iranian art’, in the proper
meaning of the word, has always been its architecture. The supremacy of
architecture applies to both pre-and post-Islamic periods.
Khatam-kari
[7] In the 18th and 19th centuries, katahm declined, before being stimulated
under the reign of Reza Shah, with the creation of craft schools in Tehran,
Isfahan, and Shiraz. "Khatam" means "incrustation", and hence, "Khatam-
kari" means “incrustation work”. This craft consists in the production of
incrustation patterns (generally star shaped), with thin sticks of wood,
brass (for golden parts) and camel bones (white parts). Ivory, gold or
silver can also be used for collection objects. Sticks are assembled in
288 English for the students of art
1- Which one has been more effective on the Iranian art’s development?
Safavid or Qajar dynasties.
2- Is khatam-kari a unique ‘Iranian art’? Do we have such a thing
elsewhere?
Lesson Twenty three 291
B. Comprehension check
Read each statement and decide whether it is true or false. Write “T”
before true statements and “F” before false ones.
…..... 1. ‘Iranian art’ has one of the richest art heritages in the world
history.
……. 2. The art of rug weaving in has its roots in the Islamic culture.
……. 3. Iran is producing the largest amount of hand-woven artistic
carpets in the world.
……. 4. Iranian architecture displays a great unity, both structural and
aesthetic.
……. 5. According to Arthur Pope, the supreme ‘Iranian art’has
always been its painting.
……. 6. Ivory, gold or silver can be used for khatam-kari.
D. Word formation
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the following table.
Make necessary changes.
E. Synonym finding
Find a single word in the passage which means:
F. Matching
Match the words in column Ι with their appropriate equivalents in
column ΙΙ. Insert the letters in the parentheses provided. There are more
choices in column ΙΙ than required.
294 English for the students of art
column Ι column ΙΙ
1 include (……) a. construction
2 onward (……) b. glue
3 deem (……) c. stonework
4 building (……) d. achieve
5 get (……) e. group
6 stick (……) f. contain
7 masonry (……) g. forward
(……) h. believe
G. Cloze test
There are some missing words in the following text. Find the best
choice for each blank and mark it in your book.
The Shah Mosque was built between 1612 and 1630 under the …..(1)….
of the architects Muhibb al-Din Ali Kula and Ustad Ali Akbar Isfahani. Its
dimensions are 140 meters by 130, equaling a surface area of 18,000
square meters, about the size of three football …..(2)…... The plan is
however much more orthodox than that of the mosque of Sheikh Luffallah:
the mosque is rigorously …..(3)….., with four iwans and the minarets
rising in front of the prayer room. The plan of the building, like its décor,
demonstrates a grand coherence. The veneer of ceramic covers all the
surface of the walls, but the back of the iwans is often neglected in
……(4)….. of the façade. The dominant color is blue, almost giving a
sense of ……(5)…… to the ensemble.
Lesson Twenty three 295
References
Assari, A. Mahesh, T. M. (2011). Demographic comparative in heritage texture
of Isfahan city. Journal of Geography and Regional Planning. 4 (8), 463–470.
Bogle, E. C. (1989). Islam: Origin and Belief. University of Texas Press.
Canby, S. (2002). The Golden age of Persian art, British Museum Press.
Chapin Metz, H. (1989). Iran, a Country study. University of Michigan
Lesson 24
Write the names of some important people and places given in the
reading passage.
……………… ………………… ………………… ………………
Read the first sentences of each paragraph. What do you think the
reading is probably about?
………………………………………………………………………………
Lesson Twenty four 297
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
Group work
Discuss the following terms in groups and compare your answers with
your partners.
Naqqali Siah bazi
Kheime-shab bazi Iranian cinema
The taste of Cherry Iranian symphony
Part Ι. Reading
[1] In the previous lesson Iranian visual arts, their history and evolution
process have been tapped on. As a complement this lesson provided an
elaboration on Iranian performing arts such as music, cinema and theater.
Iranian Music
[2] Iranian music, as evidenced by the archaeological records of Elam, the
most ancient culture in southwestern Iran, dates back thousands of years.
There is a distinction between the science of music, or musicology, which,
as a branch of mathematics has always been held in high regards in Iran;
as opposed to music performance which has had an uneasy and often
acrimonious relationship with the religious authorities and, in times of
298 English for the students of art
Iranian Cinema
[5] Cinema was only five years old when it came to Persia at the beginning of
the 20th century. The first Persian filmmaker was Mirza Ebrahim Khan
Akkas Bashi, the official photographer of Muzaffar al-Din Shah. After a
visit to Paris in July 1900, Akkas Bashi obtained a camera and filmed the
Shah's visit to Europe upon the Shah's orders. He is said to have filmed the
Shah's private and religious ceremonies, but no copies of such films exist
today. A few years after Akkas Bashi started photography, Khan Baba
Motazedi, another pioneer in Iranian motion picture photography emerged.
He shot a considerable amount of footage during the reign of Qajar to the
Pahlavi dynasty. In 1925, Ovanes Ohanian, decided to establish the first
film school in Iran. Within five years he managed to run the first session
of the school under the name "Parvareshgahe Artistiye cinema" (The
Cinema Artist Educational Centre).
[6] In 1930 the first Iranian silent film was made by Ovanes Ohanian
called “Haji Agha”. Later that year, Abdolhossein Sepanta made the first
Iranian sound film, entitled “Lor Girl”. Sepanta would go on to direct
movies such as “Ferdowsi”, “Shirin and Farhad” and “Black Eyes”. In
1937, he directed “Laili and Majnoon”, an Eastern love story similar to the
English story of Romeo and Juliet. The 1960s was a significant decade for
Iranian cinema, with 25 commercial films produced annually on average
throughout the early 60’s, increasing to 65 by the end of the decade. The
majority of production focused on melodrama and thrillers.
[7] Post-revolutionary Iranian cinema has been celebrated in many
international forums and festivals for its distinct style, themes, authors,
idea of nationhood, and cultural references. Starting With “Viva...!” by
Khosrow Sinai and followed by many excellent Iranian directors who
emerged in the last few decades, such as Abbas Kiarostami, Asghar
300 English for the students of art
Iranian theater
[8] Persian theatre goes back to antiquity. The first initiation of theater and
phenomena of acting can be traced in ceremonial theaters to glorify
national heroes and legends and to humiliate the enemy, as in the classics
"Soug Sivash" and "Mogh Koshi". In this section, naqqali, tazieh,
Kheimeh-shab bazi and Siah-bazi are described.
[9] Naqqali_ is one of the oldest forms of the traditional Persian theatre.
Naqqali is the performance in prose often accompanied by music, dance
and decorative and painted scrolls. Both men and women can be Naqqali
performers who should wear simple costumes and a single piece of a
historical but related costume. This art was formerly performed in
coffeehouses, private houses and historical caravanserais. A decline in the
popularity of coffeehouses in Iran, and with new forms of entertainment,
has resulted in diminishing interest in Naqqali performance.
Lesson Twenty four 301
A Naqqali performer
B. Comprehension check
Read each statement and decide whether it is true or false. Write “T”
before true statements and “F” before false ones.
1- Opera …………...
A) is a modern art in Iran.
B) have not been existed in Iran.
C) originated from Iran much before its emergence in Europe.
D) is similar to folk music in Iranian culture.
D. Word formation
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the following table.
Make necessary changes.
Lesson Twenty four 307
E. Synonym finding
Find a single word in the passage which means:
F. Matching
Match the words in column Ι with their appropriate equivalents in
column ΙΙ. Insert the letters in the parentheses provided. There are more
choices in column ΙΙ than required.
column Ι column ΙΙ
1 revival (……) a. musical
2 similarity (……) b. initiation
3 rhythmic (……) c. joker
4 boast (……) d. achieve
5 beginning (……) e. resemblance
6 clown (……) f. clear
7 transparent (……) g. show proudly
(……) h. renewal
G. Cloze test
There are some missing words in the following text. Find the best
choice for each blank and mark it in your book.
References
Hegel G. W. F. and Knox T. M. (1998). Aesthetics: Lectures on Fine Art.
Oxford University Press.
Thomas, M. (2005). How to Understand Sculpture. Kessinger Publishing.
Carboni, S. & Masuya, T. (1993). Persian tiles. New York: The Metropolitan
Museum of Art.
Terms Pages
Abstract expressionism 56- 61- 219- 220- 221- 224- 225- 226- 232- 239
Action painting 220- 222- 224- 245
African art 183-187
Age of Enlightenment 19- 24- 106- 113
Aniconism 80- 81- 83- 85
Anthropology 52- 57
Anti-art 80- 82- 85- 86- 195- 201
Applied art 4- 5- 27- 30- 32- 274
Architecture 4- 5- 10- 11- 18- 24- 30- 65- 105- 207- 210- 253-
261- 275-283- 286- 287- 291- 292
Avant-garde 132- 191- 194
Bourgeois 80- 82- 85- 86- 195- 200- 204
Buddhist art 256- 258- 259- 265- 266
Calligraphy 16- 18- 20- 24- 30- 31- 36- 36- 263- 272- 273- 275-
278- 281- 283- 285
Capitalism 80- 82- 85- 123- 239
Chinese art 23- 256- 258- 260- 265- 266- 277
Cinema 39- 92- 93- 98- 296- 297- 299- 300- 305- 306
Cinematography 181
Collage 194- 197
Constructivism 56- 61- 184
Controversy 80- 81- 86- 88- 89- 98
Criticism 19- 24- 67- 71- 73
Cubism 19- 24- 61- 133- 180- 181- 182- 184- 187- 188- 191-
202- 208- 209- 210- 214- 239
Dada(ism) 43- 82- 193- 194- 195- 196- 197- 200- 201- 204-
232- 241
Index 311
Terms Pages
Divisionism 133- 207- 208- 209
Drama 18- 26- 301- 304
Emotionalism 118- 119- 124- 125- 137- 149
Etymology 5- 8
Expressionism 19- 56- 133- 144- 154- 155- 158- 162- 163- 166-
184- 201- 202
Fantasy 110- 114- 177
Fauvism 133- 168- 169- 172- 175- 176
Feminism 98
Fiction 18- 101
Fine arts 5- 27- 30- 35- 36- 37- 39- 260- 266
Folk (lore) 4- 7- 10- 94- 109- 113- 260- 263- 266- 298- 302-
305- 306
Futurism 184- 206- 207- 210- 213- 214- 217
Genre 2- 41- 42- 43- 44- 47- 48- 49- 51- 179- 188- 253-
263- 302
Gothic 109- 110- 290
Iconography 16- 18- 24
Idealism 119
Impressionism 19- 24- 44- 121- 129- 130- 131- 132- 133- 136- 137-
138- 144- 145- 148- 149- 150- 152- 154- 162- 163-
166- 202- 239
Indian art 256- 258- 260- 261- 265- 266
Islamic art 18- 24- 81- 85- 270- 271- 272- 273- 274- 275- 277-
278- 280- 282- 291
Iranian art 256- 282- 283- 287- 290- 291- 292- 296- 297
Literature 5- 9- 42- 43- 51- 105- 116- 118- 121- 128- 155- 195-
196- 201- 207- 261- 276
Manifesto 65- 172- 176- 195- 198- 201- 204- 207- 209- 213-
214- 217
Marxist 93
312 English for students of art
Terms Pages
Media (Medium) 5- 41- 42- 43- 48- 49- 89- 95- 197- 231- 232- 261-
273- 277
Minimalism 104- 243- 244- 246- 248- 249- 250- 252- 253
Modernism 16- 19- 196- 220- 225
Music 4- 5- 11- 14- 18- 30- 43- 55- 65- 92- 93- 97- 98-
155- 157- 158- 207- 231- 237- 244- 246- 249- 261-
263- 296- 297- 298- 300- 301- 302- 304- 305- 306
Nationalism 109- 112- 113- 207
Naturalism 81- 118- 120- 124- 125- 166
Objective(ity) 16- 25- 75- 121- 124- 125- 127- 137- 162- 198- 244-
246- 249
Optimism 194- 196- 199- 203- 231- 138- 239
Painting 4- 5- 16- 17- 18- 19- 30- 42- 43- 44- 67- 69- 89-
105- 107- 108- 119- 120- 121- 124- 129- 130- 131-
132- 135- 136- 137- 140- 143- 146- 148- 149- 155-
156- 157- 158- 162- 169- 170- 171- 182- 183- 193-
207- 208- 209- 212- 221- 231- 238- 245- 246- 248-
259- 260- 261- 262- 263- 271- 272- 283- 284- 291
Petro- glyph 16- 36- 260
Philosophy 6- 33- 37- 88- 98- 109- 163- 195- 200- 201
Photography 5- 30- 119- 124- 125- 181- 182- 299
Poetry 4- 11- 13- 14- 18- 30- 43- 51- 55- 65- 107- 113-
116- 166- 195- 240- 260- 265- 271
Pointillism 42- 44- 144- 145- 148- 149
Pop art 44- 230- 231- 232- 233- 234- 238- 239- 241- 242
Post-impressionism 142- 143- 148- 150- 152- 239
Post-modernism 19
Pottery 18- 261- 262- 263- 271- 272- 274- 280- 281- 283-
285
Printmaking 5
Propaganda 21- 54- 56- 58- 62- 93
Realism 17- 109- 117- 118- 119- 120- 121- 124- 125- 126-
128- 163- 180- 220- 225
Index 313
Terms Pages
Regionalism 220- 225
Relativism 16- 19- 22- 24
Renaissance 16- 18- 23- 24- 37- 120- 126- 181- 203
Romanticism 81- 87- 104- 105- 106- 107- 109- 112- 113- 117-
118
Satire 94- 97- 99- 240
Secular(ism) 121- 123- 125- 126- 239- 271- 277- 278- 280
Style 2- 17- 18- 19- 23- 41- 42- 43- 44- 45- 48- 49- 89-
108- 110- 119- 121- 130- 133- 143- 155- 166- 169-
178- 181- 182- 183- 184- 208- 209- 214- 221- 231-
235- 246- 248- 261- 274- 284- 284- 299- 303
Subjective(ity) 67- 68- 73- 75- 89- 125- 156- 166- 249
Suprematism 184
Surrealism 19- 56- 61- 194- 196
Symbolism 19- 183- 187- 287- 292
Tragedy 14- 43- 301
Value judgment 2- 32- 66- 67- 73- 74- 75- 77
Visual arts 5- 10- 44- 47- 107- 195- 201- 244- 246- 261- 271-
283- 297
Vorticism 184
Bibliography
Bahn, P. G. and Vertut, J. (1997). Journey Through the Ice Age, University of
California Press.
Collins, B. (2003). Van Gogh and Gauguin: Electric Arguments and Utopian
Dreams. Westview Press.
Frisch, Walter (2005). German Modernism: Music and the Arts. Berkeley, Los
Angeles, and London: University of California Press.
Hegel, G. W. F. (1998). Aesthetics: lectures on fine art. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Herbert, R. (1968). Neo-Impressionism. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Hill, J., and Gibson, P. (1998). The Oxford Guide to Film Studies. Oxford; New
York: Oxford University Press.
Martin, M. W. (1987). Futurist Art and Theory. New York: Hacker Art Books.
Preziosi, D. (1998). The Art of Art History: A Critical Anthology, Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
Restany, P. (1974). Plastics in arts. Paris, New York: N.p.
West, S. (1996). The Bullfinch Guide to Art. UK: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
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