6 mins 24 secs... got 5 out of 6. As always, LSAT passages are a delight to read.
A passage with a clear tone: Positive towards tech impact on art:
The passage begins with stating the most people believe that technology has a huge impact on art and the way the artist works. Gives an example of how steadycam has affected film making by "captures the dance in ways impossible with traditional mounts. " and leads to ways to capture movements which were hitherto unrecordable. Author proceeds to give the view from across the aisle which claims that technology hinders art forms to only quickly discredit it. Here we get the opinion of the author about the issue. The author ends with a detailed example of how snapshot and still photography positively impacted the artists of the nineteenth century which in turn gave birth to the modern art form.
It is essential to realize the opinion of the author to be able to answer this.Q1. Which one of the following statements best expresses the main idea of the passage?(A) The progress of art relies primarily on technology.
Too strong and not at all what is depicted in the passage(B) Technological innovation can be beneficial to art.
Bingo - the author uses two examples to convey this idea.(C) There are risks associated with using technology to create art.
TRAP - real-world trap - this could be true but this is too detailed to be the main idea of the entire passage.(D) Technology will transform the way the public responds to art.
TRAP - partially the main idea... public as well as the art itself is transformed and mainly in a beneficial way.(E) The relationship between art and technology has a lengthy history.
TRUE, but not the main point as the passage is talking about the influence of technology on art.Inference type and one must be careful to read "with the opponents of the view that author supports"Q2. It can be inferred from the passage that the author shares which one of the following opinions with the opponents of the use of new technology in art?(A) The live performance is an important aspect of the artistic enterprise.
Perfect - both the author and the opponents of the view he supports agree that live performances are an important aspect of musical art, just the take on how technology affects live performances differ (B) The public’s commitment to the artistic enterprise is questionable.
Blatantly wrong!(C) Recent technological innovations present an entirely new sort of challenge to art.
Author does not agree with this(D) Technological innovations of the past have been very useful to artists.
Opponents do not agree with this view.(E) The performing arts are especially vulnerable to technological innovation.
Author does not agree.Detail question - found in second paragraphQ3. Which one of the following, if true, would most undermine the position held by opponents of the use of new technology in art concerning the effect of technology on live performance?(A) Surveys show that when recordings of performances are made available for home viewing, the public becomes far more knowledgeable about different performing artists.
Irrelevant - we want something that affects the art itself(B) Surveys show that some people feel comfortable responding spontaneously to artistic performances when they are viewing recordings of those performances at home.
OPPOSITE to what we are looking for. this strengthens the view of the opponents(C) After a live performance, sales of recordings for home viewing of the particular performing artist generally increase.
TRAP - live performances are an important part according to both so we need to tie tech with live performance. Hence this option is irrelevant to strengthening or weakening.(D) The distribution of recordings of artists’ performances has begun to attract many new audience members to their live performances.
BINGO - this ties technology ( distribution of electronic records) to live performance and in a positive way. Hence undermining the critics(E) Musicians are less apt to make creative changes in musical pieces during recorded performances than during live performances.
TRAP! This shows that musicians prefer live performance over recorded performance but it does not show how recorded performance affects live performance and hence this is wrong! I feel for this 
Detail from the first paragraphQ4. The author uses the example of the SteadicamTM primarily in order to suggest that(A) the filming of performances should not be limited by inadequate equipment
Could be true, but this is not why the author mentions it.(B) new technologies do not need to be very complex in order to benefit art
Again off a different tangent all together(C) the interaction of a traditional art form with a new technology will change attitudes toward technology in general
TRAP - the first few words are what we are looking for but the ending is not quite there. We are concerned how thetech affects the art and not the attitudes towards art(D) the replacement of a traditional technology with a new technology will transform definitions of a traditional art form
TRAP - this shows how tech will transform art but does not encapsulate the whole reason.Tech goes with art transforming it and helping it in its current form as well(E) new technology does not so much preempt as enhance a traditional art form
Verbatim from the passage - tech does not preempt the art but guides it this is the people on the side of the author, or it could also be rephrased at what the author believes is trueQ5. According to the passage, proponents of the use of new electronic technology in the arts claim that which one of the following is true?(A) Most people who reject the use of electronic technology in art forget that machines require a person to operate them.
could be true but not mentioned by the author(B) Electronic technology allows for the expansion of archives because longer performances can be recorded.
first few words are desirable but the last are irrelevant(C) Electronic technology assists artists in finding new ways to present their material.
[color=#00a651]Perfect - this is the crux of what the author believes[/color]
(D) Electronic technology makes the practice of any art form more efficient by speeding up the creative process.
TRAP - more efficient and speeding up creative process is too extreme as tech only assists the artist and does not transform art to something unrecognizable(E) Modern dance is the art form that will probably benefit most from the use of electronic technology.
LAughblyfalse, such hyperbole is never mentioned and can't be attributed to anyone in the passageMANY TRAPS IN THIS ONE! Detail from the last paragraph of the passage - the author gives an example of paintings to show how art can be influenced positively by techQ6. It can be inferred from the passage that the author would agree with which one of the following statements regarding changes in painting since the nineteenth century?(A) The artistic experiments of the nineteenth century led painters to use a variety of methods in creating portraits, which they then applied to other subject matter.
Too broad and not related to the what the author has mentioned.(B) The nineteenth-century knowledge of light and movement provided by photography inspired the abstract works characteristic of modern art.
TRAP - "inspired" is too strong here... it just gave them free time to focus and hence develop a new art form(C) Once painters no longer felt that they had to paint conventional portraits, they turned exclusively to abstract portraiture.
TRAP - "exclusively" is too strong here.(D) Once painters were less limited to the impressionist style, they were able to experiment with a variety of styles of abstract art.
TRAP - the impressionist was the resultant and hence this option is wrong else this is the perfect wording we are expecting from the passage(E) Once painters painted fewer conventional portraits, they had greater opportunity to move beyond the literal depiction of objects.
Finally - this is exactly the gist of what the author mentions.Hope the explanations are helpful.
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Regards,
Gladi
“Do. Or do not. There is no try.” - Yoda (The Empire Strikes Back)
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