READING THREE MOVEMENTS OF ART

DADA was an art movement that started with a group of artists in

Zurich, Switzerland, during the First World War. The objective of the
1 movement was to protest against war and against conservative
ideas. Traditional art for them was boring. The works of the French
artist Marcel Duchamp for example portray funny, provocative and
original items. His goal was to create art for the mind, and not for
the eyes. With his bicycle wheel, he was saying: ‘’this is art because
the artist says it’s art’’. For him, everyday objects could be art.
Thanks to Dada movement, everything can be art. now!

Abstract Expressionism is an art movement which became famous

2 in the USA after World War II. The artists of this movement were
known as ‘’The New York School” .The characteristics of the paint
and the act of painting were important to the artists. Typically,
broad brushes were used, and artists often drip or throw paint
directly onto a large canvas. The aim of the artists is to enjoy the
freedom of expression and depict emotions in the paintings, and
not actual objects.

3
Pop art, or popular art, originated in Britain in the mid 1950s. It
started as a reaction to Abstract Expressionism. Pop artists
consider it too profound. Pop artists think that art should be
simple and represent real life. They want art to be more
accessible to ordinary people, and to portray post-war
materialism and consumerism. Pop art images often depict
everyday objects, comic strips, celebrities or brand names and
packaging, such as tubes of toothpaste, or boxes of cereals.
Bright , bold colours are used. Pieces of pop art may contain the
same image, repeated in different colours.

1- What do you think of the pieces of art in this page? Use the words below to describe them:

so ordinary and conventional so unconventional full of imagination

taken from real life
 2- READ AND CHOOSE THE CORRECT ANSWER:
1- Dada movement was………………………… 2-Abstract expressionists…………………..……….
conservative ideas. characteristics of paint and to the act of painting.
a- In favor of a- don’t care about
b- Indifferent to b- give importance to
c- Opposed to c- downplay
3- Pop artists think abstract expressionism is …………………………………..
a- Too ordinary
b- Too realistic
c- Too profound

4- READ AGAIN AND WRITE TRUE OR FALSE. CORRECT THE FALSE STATEMENTS:
a- Dada artists rejected traditional art
b- Marcel Duchamp’s works portray serious and repetitive works.
c- Abstract expressionists put paint directly on canvas.
d- Pop artists think art should be complicated.
5- ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS FROM THE TEXT:
a- Who created the bicycle wheel
b- What’s Duchamp’s objective ?
c- When did abstract expressionism become famous?
d- Why do abstract expressionists drip paint directly on canvas?
e- What does pop art portray?

6- MATCH THE WORDS IN BOLD IN THE TEXT WITH THE FOLLOWING SYNONYMS
a- Reachable for …………………………………
b- The goal /the aim/ the purpose: ………………………………….
c- Conventional and traditional: ……………………………………
d- Challenging/ stimulating/shocking: ………………………………………
e- Deep(adj) : …………………………………………………….
f- Response: …………………………………
g- Large: ……………………………………………….
h- Portray (v): ………………………………
7- YOUR OPINION:
a- Why do you think Duchamp’s work is shocking?
b- How do writers, musicians and artists shock people these days?
c- What would you paint if you were an artist?
d- What are your favourite paintings: portraits , abstract, sketches or landscapes?why?

WRITE : Which form of art do you like most? Music , cinema or painting? why

I prefer ……………………….., and this for different reasons .First, ………………………………….………………………………

……………………………………………………………………. In addition, ………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………………………. Besides this, …………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………..Last but not least, ……………………………………………………….

…………………………………………………………….In a nutshell, I think that ………………………… is …………………….,

………………………………… and …………………………..