From assemblages of found objects to bizarre video installations and d

Question

From assemblages of found objects to bizarre video installations and digital interactive experiments, much of contemporary art has been criticized as cold, unapproachable, impersonal, and emotionless. One link between the immediately appealing, expressive paintings that are often the most popular museum attractions and the “brainy” constructivist school of art pioneered in the early twentieth century is the notion of gesture as an expressive tool.

Mark di Suvero’s Iroquois (1983–1999) is composed of several industrial-sized I-beams. The materials are so heavy and large the artist used cranes and other construction tools to manipulate and connect the beams, all of which have been painted a bright red-orange. The result is an intruding work of almost architectural dimensions that one can immediately sense is terribly heavy and somewhat precarious, yet stable and balanced. As one contemplates Iroquois, walking in and around its structure, backing away to see it from a distance, the linear forms became considerably more complex than one might presume. The tangled steel was obviously constructed with great care, yet each piece seems to threaten the viewer with its weight and size, jutting out away from the central nexus, daring the entire form to topple over. At the same time, the piece seems to exude stability, balance, even serenity. Iroquois resonates with an energy born not of the physical quality of the sculpture, which is quite passive and stable, but rather of the gestural quality of the forms.    1 
 1. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

I. Some of the most popular museum attractions are contemporary art installations.
II. Expressive paintings have been considered “brainy.”
III. Seemingly cold and cerebral art can nevertheless make use of certain expressive tools.

A. I Only
B. II Only
C. III Only
D. I and II Only
E. II and III Only

2 
 2. Which of the following does the author assert about Iroquois?

I. Paradoxically, it appears to be both stable and unstable.
II. It uses gesture to evoke a sense of energy.
III. Some interpret it as simpler than it really is.

A. I only
B. I and II Only
C. I and III Only
D. II and III Only
E. I, II, and III

RC Butler 2023  -  Practice Two RC Passages Everyday.   
Passage # 118 Date: 24-Apr-2023
 This question is a part of RC Butler 2023 .  Click here for Details

Manhattan GRE 5 Ib.

RahulJain293 · Answer

Can we explain in Q2 how second statement is asserted?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

2. Which of the following does the author assert about Iroquois?

Explanation

The author calls  Iroquois: precarious, yet stable and balanced , which is a good match for the first statement (precarious and unstable are reasonable synonyms).

The second statement  is a good match for the final sentence, Iroquois  resonates with an energy born not of the physical quality of the sculpture … but rather of the gestural quality of the forms.

The third statement  is a good match for the sentence,  As one contemplates Iroquois … the linear forms became considerably more complex than one might presume.  If the forms are more complex than one might think, it follows that some find the forms simpler than they really are.

Answer: E

Hoozan · Answer

P1:   Most of the contemporary art is not appealing. What makes art appealing is something that is more expressive

P2:  Mark di Suvero’s Iroquois used as an example of a piece of art that was expressive and appealing to the viewers

Main Point:  To illustrate that the notion of gesture as an expressive tool is what makes art appealing

1. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

I. Some of the most popular museum attractions are contemporary art installations. -  Incorrect . Contemporary art is cold and unappealing

II. Expressive paintings have been considered “brainy.” -  Incorrect . There is a comparison made between expressive paintings and brainy works. This doesn't equate one with the other

III. Seemingly cold and cerebral art can nevertheless make use of certain expressive tools. -  Correct .  bizarre video installations and digital interactive experiments  P1 highlights that contemporary art can use expressive tools

Answer:  (C)

2. Which of the following does the author assert about Iroquois?

I. Paradoxically, it appears to be both stable and unstable. -  Correct  -  that one can immediately sense is terribly heavy and somewhat precarious, yet stable and balanced.

II. It uses gesture to evoke a sense of energy. -  Correct  -  Iroquois resonates with an energy born not of the physical quality of the sculpture, which is quite passive and stable, but rather of the gestural quality of the forms

III. Some interpret it as simpler than it really is. -  Correct  -  became considerably more complex than one might presume.   Than one might presume  indicates that one might assume this work to be less complex  (simpler)  than what it actually is

Answer:  (E)

AbhishekP220108 · Answer

Thanks for explaining in detail. This explanation really helped

WiziusCareers1 · Answer

1. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
We need to check each statement against the text to see if it is directly supported or logically implied.

I. Some of the most popular museum attractions are contemporary art installations.

Text Analysis:  The passage states that "immediately appealing, expressive paintings" are "often the most popular museum attractions." It then contrasts these paintings with "assemblages of found objects to bizarre video installations and digital interactive experiments," which are described as "much of contemporary art."

Conclusion:  The text explicitly identifies  expressive paintings as the popular attractions   and contrasts them with the contemporary installations. Therefore, we cannot infer that the contemporary installations are among the most popular; in fact, the  passage implies the opposite  by noting that contemporary art is often criticized as "unapproachable" and "emotionless."

Statement I is NOT inferred.

II. Expressive paintings have been considered “brainy.”

Text Analysis:  The first paragraph states that the notion of gesture is a "link between the immediately appealing, expressive paintings" and the “brainy” constructivist school of art. The word "link" and the phrasing "between X and the 'brainy' Y" clearly separate the expressive paintings from the "brainy" school.

Conclusion:  The passage contrasts the expressive paintings (appealing) with the constructivist school (brainy). The  paintings themselves are not called brainy .

Statement II is NOT inferred.

III. Seemingly cold and cerebral art can nevertheless make use of certain expressive tools.

Text Analysis:  The first paragraph notes that much of contemporary art is "criticized as cold, unapproachable, impersonal, and emotionless." It then introduces "the notion of gesture as an expressive tool" as a link between this kind of art and the popular paintings. The author proceeds to describe di Suvero's work, which is made of "industrial-sized I-beams" (a cold material) but "resonates with an energy born... of the gestural quality of the forms."

Conclusion:  The author uses the idea of "gesture" as an "expressive tool" that connects the "brainy" constructivist art (a type of cold/cerebral art) with expressive paintings. The detailed analysis of Iroquois confirms that  a sculpture made of cold, industrial materials can still use "gestural quality" to exude energy, balance, and serenity (expressive qualities).

Statement III IS inferred.

Therefore, only Statement III is inferred, making C the correct answer.

2. Which of the following does the author assert about Iroquois?
We need to find direct evidence in the second paragraph for each statement regarding Mark di Suvero’s Iroquois.

I. Paradoxically, it appears to be both stable and unstable.

Text Analysis:  The author explicitly states: "...one can immediately sense is terribly heavy and somewhat precarious, yet stable and balanced." Later, the author notes: "...each piece seems to threaten the viewer with its weight and size... daring the entire form to topple over. At the same time, the piece seems to exude stability, balance, even serenity."

Conclusion:  The author repeatedly asserts the work's paradoxical nature of being simultaneously threatening/precarious (unstable) and balanced/serene (stable).

Statement I IS asserted.

II. It uses gesture to evoke a sense of energy.

Text Analysis:  The final sentence of the passage states: "Iroquois resonates with an energy born not of the physical quality of the sculpture... but rather of the gestural quality of the forms."

Conclusion:  The author  directly asserts  that the sculpture's energy is a result of its gestural quality.

Statement II IS asserted.

III. Some interpret it as simpler than it really is.

Text Analysis:  The paragraph notes: "...the linear forms became considerably more complex than one might presume."

Conclusion:  The author is asserting that the sculpture is more complex than viewers (or "one") initially presume, meaning it is  often interpreted as simpler than its reality.

Statement III IS asserted.

Since I, II, and III are all directly asserted by the author, E is the correct answer.

From assemblages of found objects to bizarre video installations and d

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From assemblages of found objects to bizarre video installations and d

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