The Japanese American sculptor Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988) was an artist

Question

The Japanese American sculptor Isamu Noguchi
(1904–1988) was an artist who intuitively asked—and
responded to—deeply original questions. He might
well have become a scientist within a standard
  (5)   scientific discipline, but he instead became an artist
who repeatedly veered off at wide angles from the
well-known courses followed by conventionally
talented artists of both the traditional and modern
schools. The story behind one particular sculpture
  (10)   typifies this aspect of his creativeness.

By his early twenties, Noguchi’s sculptures
showed such exquisite comprehension of human
anatomy and deft conceptual realization that he won a
Guggenheim Fellowship for travel in Europe. After
  (15)   arriving in Paris in 1927, Noguchi asked the
Romanian-born sculptor Constantin Brancusi if he
might become his student. When Brancusi said no,
that he never took students, Noguchi asked if he
needed a stonecutter. Brancusi did. Noguchi cut and
  (20)   polished stone for Brancusi in his studio, frequently
also polishing Brancusi’s brass and bronze sculptures.
Noguchi, with his scientist’s mind, pondered the fact
that sculptors through the ages had relied exclusively
upon negative light—that is, shadows—for their
  (25)   conceptual communication, precisely because no
metals, other than the expensive, nonoxidizing gold,
could be relied upon to give off positive-light reflections.

Noguchi wanted to create a sculpture that was
purely reflective. In 1929, after returning to the
  (30)   United States, he met the architect and philosopher
R. Buckminster Fuller, offering to sculpt a portrait of
him. When Fuller heard of Noguchi’s ideas regarding
positive-light sculpture, he suggested using chrome-
nickel steel, which Henry Ford, through automotive
  (35)   research and development, had just made
commercially available for the first time in history.
Here, finally, was a permanently reflective surface,
economically available in massive quantities.

In sculpting his portrait of Fuller, Noguchi did not
  (40)   think of it as merely a shiny alternate model of
traditional, negative-light sculptures. What he saw
was that completely reflective surfaces provided a
fundamental invisibility of surface like that of utterly
still waters, whose presence can be apprehended only
  (45)   when objects—a ship’s mast, a tree, or sky—are 
reflected in them. Seaplane pilots making offshore landings
in dead calm cannot tell where the water is and must
glide in, waiting for the unpredictable touchdown.
Noguchi conceived a similarly invisible sculpture,
  (50)   hidden in and communicating through the reflections
of images surrounding it. Then only the distortion of
familiar shapes in the surrounding environment could
be seen by the viewer. The viewer’s awareness of the
“invisible” sculpture’s presence and dimensional
  (55)   relationships would be derived only secondarily.

Even after this stunning discovery, Noguchi
remained faithful to his inquisitive nature. At the
moment when his explorations had won critical
recognition of the genius of his original and
  (60)   fundamental conception, Noguchi proceeded to the
next phase of his evolution.    1 
 1. In saying that “no metals, other than the expensive, nonoxidizing gold, could be relied upon to give off positive-light reflections” (lines 25–27), the author draws a distinction between

(A) a metal that can be made moderately reflective in any sculptural application and metals that can be made highly reflective but only in certain applications
(B) a naturally highly reflective metal that was technically suited for sculpture and other highly reflective metals that were not so suited
(C) metals that can be made highly reflective but lose their reflective properties over time and a metal that does not similarly lose its reflective properties
(D) a highly reflective sculptural material that, because it is a metal, is long lasting and nonmetallic materials that are highly reflective but impermanent
(E) a highly reflective metal that was acceptable to both traditional and modern sculptors and highly reflective metals whose use in sculpture was purely experimental

2 
 2. The passage provides information sufficient to answer which one of the following questions?

(A) In what way did Noguchi first begin to acquire experience in the cutting and polishing of stone for use in sculpture?
(B) In the course of his career, did Noguchi ever work in any art form other than sculpture?
(C) What are some materials other than metal that Noguchi used in his sculptures after ending his association with Brancusi?
(D) During Noguchi’s lifetime, was there any favorable critical response to his creation of a positive-light sculpture?
(E) Did Noguchi at any time in his career consider creating a transparent or translucent sculpture lighted from within?

3 
 3. The passage offers the strongest evidence that the author would agree with which one of the following statements?

(A) Noguchi’s work in Paris contributed significantly to the art of sculpture in that it embodied solutions to problems that other sculptors, including Brancusi, had sought unsuccessfully to overcome.
(B) Noguchi’s scientific approach to designing sculptures and to selecting materials for sculptures is especially remarkable in that he had no formal scientific training.
(C) Despite the fact that Brancusi was a sculptor and Fuller was not, Fuller played a more pivotal role than did Brancusi in Noguchi’s realization of the importance of negative light to the work of previous sculptors.
(D) Noguchi was more interested in addressing fundamental aesthetic questions than in maintaining a consistent artistic style.
(E) Noguchi’s work is of special interest for what it reveals not only about the value of scientific thinking in the arts but also about the value of aesthetic approaches to scientific inquiry.

4 
 4. In which one of the following is the relation between the two people most analogous to the relation between Ford and Noguchi as indicated by the passage?

(A) A building-materials dealer decides to market a new type of especially durable simulatedwood flooring material after learning that a famous architect has praised the material.
(B) An expert skier begins experimenting with the use of a new type of material in the soles of ski boots after a shoe manufacturer suggests that that material might be appropriate for that use.
(C) A producer of shipping containers begins using a new type of strapping material, which a rock-climbing expert soon finds useful as an especially strong and reliable component of safety ropes for climbing.
(D) A consultant to a book editor suggests the use of a new type of software for typesetting, and after researching the software the editor decides not to adopt it but finds a better alternative as a result of the research.
(E) A friend of a landscaping expert advises the use of a certain material for the creation of retaining walls and, as a result, the landscaper explores the use of several similar materials.

5 
 5. The passage most strongly supports which one of the following inferences?

(A) Prior to suggesting the sculptural use of chrome-nickel steel to Noguchi, Fuller himself had made architectural designs that called for the use of this material.
(B) Noguchi believed that the use of industrial materials to create sculptures would make the sculptures more commercially viable.
(C) Noguchi’s “invisible” sculpture appears to have no shape or dimensions of its own, but rather those of surrounding objects.
(D) If a positive-light sculpture depicting a person in a realistic manner were coated with a metal subject to oxidation, it would eventually cease to be recognizable as a realistic likeness.
(E) The perception of the shape and dimensions of a negative-light sculpture does not depend on its reflection of objects from the environment around it.

6 
 6. Which one of the following inferences about the portrait of Fuller does the passage most strongly support?

(A) The material that Noguchi used in it had been tentatively investigated by other sculptors but not in direct connection with its reflective properties.
(B) It was similar to at least some of the sculptures that Noguchi produced prior to 1927 in that it represented a human form.
(C) Noguchi did not initially think of it as especially innovative or revolutionary and thus was surprised by Fuller’s reaction to it.
(D) It was produced as a personal favor to Fuller and thus was not initially intended to be noticed and commented on by art critics.
(E) It was unlike the sculptures that Noguchi had helped Brancusi to produce in that the latter’s aesthetic effects did not depend on contrasts of light and shadow.

7 
 7. Which one of the following would, if true, most weaken the author’s position in the passage?

(A) Between 1927 and 1929, Brancusi experimented with the use of highly reflective material for the creation of positive-light sculptures.
(B) After completing the portrait of Fuller, Noguchi produced only a few positive-light sculptures and in fact changed his style of sculpture repeatedly throughout his career.
(C) When Noguchi arrived in Paris, he was already well aware of the international acclaim that Brancusi’s sculptures were receiving at the time.
(D) Many of Noguchi’s sculptures were, unlike the portrait of Fuller, entirely abstract.
(E) Despite his inquisitive and scientific approach to the art of sculpture, Noguchi neither thought of himself as a scientist nor had extensive scientific training.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

1. In saying that “no metals, other than the expensive, nonoxidizing gold, could be relied upon to give off positive-light reflections” (lines 25–27), the author draws a distinction between

Explanation

The author seems to be drawing a distinction between materials that make use of negative light and materials that permanently give off positive-light reflections.

A. No.  The passage states that gold can be relied upon generally, not only in certain applications.

B. No.  All metals appear to be suited for sculpture, but only gold gives off positive-light reflections.

C.  Yes.   Brass and bronze can be made reflective (Noguchi polished them) but only nonoxidizing gold can be relied upon to give off positive-light reflections.

D. No.  Bronze and brass are metals; nonmetals are neve discussed.

E. No.  There is no evidence that gold was acceptable to both types of sculptors; all you know is that it is expensive. The experimental metal, chrome-nickel steel, is mentioned in the next paragraph.

Answer: C

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

2. The passage provides information sufficient to answer which one of the following questions?

Explanation

Go back to the passage as needed to verify or disprove each choice.

A. No.  This is not addressed anywhere in the passage.

B. No.  Art forms other than sculpture are not addressed anywhere in the passage.

C. No.  The passage discusses only his use of metal.

D.  Yes.   This is answered in the second sentence of the last paragraph.

E. No.  This is not addressed anywhere in the passage.

Answer: D

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

3. The passage offers the strongest evidence that the author would agree with which one of the following statements?

Explanation

Go back to the passage as needed to verify or disprove each choice.

A. No.  There’s no evidence that Brancusi or other sculptors sought to overcome the problems of negative light, only Noguchi.

B. No.  Go back to the second sentence of the passage. He might have become a scientist, but there’s no information about his training.

C. No.  Noguchi’s realization about negative light occurred while he was working for Brancusi, not Fuller.

D.  Yes.   According to the last paragraph, Noguchi was an idea-driven conceptual sculptor who evolved constantly.

E. No.  Science is mentioned only in the second sentence of the first paragraph. In this passage, Noguchi is important mostly for his exploration of light.

Answer: D

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

6. Which one of the following inferences about the portrait of Fuller does the passage most strongly support?

Explanation

The sculpture of Fuller is discussed in the third and fourth paragraphs. You know that it was a portrait of Fuller and that it was made with highly reflective material.

A. No.  The third paragraph seems to suggest that Noguchi was the first to use this material for sculpture. Other sculptors are not mentioned in connection with the new material.

B.  Yes.   This choice is supported by the first sentence of the second paragraph.

C. No.  There’s no description of either Fuller’s reaction to the sculpture or Noguchi’s reaction to Fuller’s response.

D. No.  Noguchi offered to sculpt the portrait, but there’s no mention of it being a personal favor.

E. No.  Brancusi’s art did depend on contrasts of light and shadow—see the end of the second paragraph.

Answer: B

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

5. The passage most strongly supports which one of the following inferences?

Explanation

Go back to the passage for each choice.

A. No.  The passage makes no mention of whether Fuller himself had ever used the material.

B. No.  The end of the third paragraph suggests that Noguchi used the material because of its reflective properties and its availability, not its commercial value.

C. No.  This is a misinterpretation of the fourth paragraph; the sculpture doesn’t appear to have the shape and dimensions of surrounding objects.

D. No.  You don’t know this. Perhaps it would reflect negative light and therefore be more like a traditional sculpture (see the end of the second paragraph).

E. Yes.  This is supported by the fourth paragraph, the first sentence of which notes that Noguchi’s sculpture was an alternate model of traditional, negative-light sculptures. If the perception of the shape and dimensions of Noguchi’s sculpture depends on its reflections of the shapes in its surrounding environment, then this wouldn’t be the case for traditional, negative-light
sculpture.

Answer: E

Raman109 · Answer

3. The passage offers the strongest evidence that the author would agree with which one of the following statements?

(A) Noguchi’s work in Paris contributed significantly to the art of sculpture in that it embodied solutions to problems that other sculptors, including Brancusi, had sought unsuccessfully to overcome. - No. There is no mention of problems that other couldn't solve and he could.

(B) Noguchi’s scientific approach to designing sculptures and to selecting materials for sculptures is especially remarkable in that he had no formal scientific training. - No. The passage implies otherwise.

(C) Despite the fact that Brancusi was a sculptor and Fuller was not, Fuller played a more pivotal role than did Brancusi in Noguchi’s realization of the importance of negative light to the work of previous sculptors. - No.

(D) Noguchi was more interested in addressing fundamental aesthetic questions than in maintaining a consistent artistic style. - True. He was not interested in just doing the incremental work. He was questioning "artist
who repeatedly veered off at wide angles from the
well-known courses followed by conventionally
talented artists of both the traditional and modern
schools. "

(E) Noguchi’s work is of special interest for what it reveals not only about the value of scientific thinking in the arts but also about the value of aesthetic approaches to scientific inquiry. - The part "value of aesthetic approaches to scientific inquiry" is off.

Raman109 · Answer

4. In which one of the following is the relation between the two people most analogous to the relation between Ford and Noguchi as indicated by the passage?

The key to understanding here is that the relation is between Ford and N and not between Fuller and N. Ford created material for automotive and N used it for sculptures.

(A) A building-materials dealer decides to market a new type of especially durable simulatedwood flooring material after learning that a famous architect has praised the material. - No. We need an analogy wherein a product was originally created for purpose A but used by someone for purpose B.

(B) An expert skier begins experimenting with the use of a new type of material in the soles of ski boots after a shoe manufacturer suggests that that material might be appropriate for that use. - No. We need an analogy wherein a product was originally created for purpose A but used by someone for purpose

(C) A producer of shipping containers begins using a new type of strapping material, which a rock-climbing expert soon finds useful as an especially strong and reliable component of safety ropes for climbing. - ok. Shipping container companies may have started using it for shipping purposes, but the rock climbing expert found use for rock climbing.

(D) A consultant to a book editor suggests the use of a new type of software for typesetting, and after researching the software the editor decides not to adopt it but finds a better alternative as a result of the research. - No

(E) A friend of a landscaping expert advises the use of a certain material for the creation of retaining walls and, as a result, the landscaper explores the use of several similar materials. - No

The Japanese American sculptor Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988) was an artist

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The Japanese American sculptor Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988) was an artist

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