Passage II: Abstract vs Representational Art
CAT 1999 Slot 1 · VARC · Medium · Reading Comprehension
Passage / data set
Have you ever come across a painting, by Picasso, Mondrian, Miro, or any other modern abstract painter of this century, and found yourself engulfed in a brightly-coloured canvas which your senses cannot interpret? Many people would tend to denounce abstractionism as senseless trash. People feel more comfortable with something they can relate to and understand immediately without too much thought. This is the case with the work of Charlie Russell. Being able to recognize the elements in his paintings gives people a safety line to their world of 'reality'.
People who look down on abstract art have several major arguments to support their beliefs. They feel that artists turn abstract because they are not capable of technical drafting skills. Secondly, they feel that the purpose of art is to create something of beauty in an orderly, logical composition. Finally, many people feel that art should portray the ideal and real.
I agree in part with many of these arguments, but now I believe differently. Many abstract artists, such as Picasso, are excellent draftsmen. Picasso became more abstract to increase the expressive quality of his work. Guernica was meant as a protest against the German bombing of that city. To express terror and suffering, he distorted figures in black and white. Secondly, a piece need not be logical to be art; the message it conveys is more important. Finally, abstract and representational artists maintain different ideas about 'reality'. To the abstract artist, reality is what he feels about what his eyes see.
Question 1 of 5
The author argues that many people look down upon abstract art because they feel that
- A.
modern abstract art does not portray what is ideal and real.
- B.
abstract artists are unskilled in matters of technical drafting.
- C.
abstractionists compose irrationally.
- D.
All of the above
D
Explanation
Paragraph 2 lists all three reasons as popular arguments against abstract art.
Question 2 of 5
The author believes that people feel comfortable with representational art because
- A.
they are not engulfed in brightly-coloured canvases.
- B.
they do not have to click their tongues and shake their heads in sympathy.
- C.
they understand the art without putting too much strain on their minds.
- D.
paintings like Guernica do not have a point.
C
Explanation
Para 1 states people feel comfortable with representational art because they can relate to it immediately without too much thought.
Question 3 of 5
In the author's opinion, Picasso's Guernica created a strong demand for justice since
- A.
it was a protest against the German bombing of Guernica.
- B.
Picasso managed to express the emotional content well with his abstract depiction.
- C.
it depicts the terror and suffering of the victims in a distorted manner.
- D.
it was a mature work of Picasso, painted when the artist's drafting skills were excellent.
B
Explanation
Para 3 states that if Picasso had used representational images, much of the emotional content would have been lost and it would not have caused the demand for justice that it did.
Question 4 of 5
The author acknowledges that Mondrian's pieces may have ended up looking like a scrabble board because
- A.
many people declared the poor guy played too many scrabble games.
- B.
Mondrian believed in the 'grid-works' approach to abstractionist painting.
- C.
Mondrian was trying to convey the message of simplicity and rational order.
- D.
Mondrian learned from his Tree series to evolve a grid system.
C
Explanation
Para 3 notes Mondrian tried to present a system of simplicity, logic, and rational order, resulting in grid-like paintings.
Question 5 of 5
The main difference between the abstract artist and the representational artist in matter of the 'ideal' and the 'real', according to the author, is
- A.
how each chooses to deal with 'reality' on his or her canvas.
- B.
the superiority of interpretation of reality over production of reality.
- C.
the different values attached by each to being a historian.
- D.
the varying levels of drafting skills and logical thinking abilities.
A
Explanation
Para 4 explains that representational artists reproduce what they see, whereas abstract artists interpret what they feel about what they see.
Practise this under exam conditions
Sign in to solve it with a live timer, the on-screen CAT calculator, and streak and accuracy tracking across every question you attempt.
Solve in the workspace