原文及练习题
The contemporary Mexican artistic movement known as muralism, a movement of public art that began with images painted on walls in an effort to represent Mexican national culture, is closely linked ideologically with its main sponsor, the new Mexican government elected in 1920 following the Mexican Revolution. This government promoted an ambitious cultural program, and the young revolutionary state called on artists to display Mexico’s richness and possibility. But the theoretical foundation of the movement was formulated by the artists themselves. The major figures in the muralist movement, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Diego Rivera, and Jose Clemente Orozco, all based their work on a common premise: that art should incorporate images and familiar ideas as it commented upon the historic period in which it was created. In the process, they assimilated into their work the customs, myths, geography, and history of the local communities that constitute the basis of Mexican national culture.
But while many muralist works express populist or nationalist ideas, it is a mistake to attempt to reduce Mexican mural painting to formulaic, official government art. It is more than merely the result of the changes in political and social awareness that the Mexican Revolution represented; it also reflected important innovations in the art world. In creating a wide panorama of Mexico’s history on the walls of public buildings throughout the country, muralists often used a realist style. But awareness of these innovations enabled them to be freer in expression than were more traditional practitioners of this style.
Moreover, while they shared a common interest in rediscovering their Mexican national identity, they developed their own distinct styles. Rivera, for example, incorporated dements from pre-Columbian, sculpture and the Italian Renaissance fresco into his murals and used a strange combination of mechanical shapes to depict the faces and bodies of people. Orozco, on the other hand, showed a more expressionist approach, with loose brushwork and an openly emotional treatment of form. He relied on a strong diagonal line to give a sense of heightened movement and drama to his work. Siqueiros developed in a somewhat similar direction as Orozco, but incorporated asymmetric compositions, a high degree of action, and brilliant color.
This stylistic experimentation can be seen as resulting from the demands of a new medium. In stretching their concepts from small easelpaintings with a centralized subject to vast compositions with mural dimensions, muralists learned to think big and to respect the sweeping gesture of the arm-the brush stroke required to achieve the desired bold effect of mural art. Furthermore, because they were painting murals, they thought in terms of a continuum; their works were designed to be viewable from many different vantage points, to have an equally strong impact in all parts, and to continue to be viewable as people moved across in front of them.
1．Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main point of the passage?
A. Muralism developed its political goals in Mexico in service to the revolutionary government, while its aesthetic aspects were borrowed from other countries.
B. Inspired by political developments in Mexico and trends in modern art, muralist painters devised an innovative style of large-scale painting to reflect Mexican culture.
C. The stylistic features of muralism represent a consistent working out of the implications of its revolutionary ideology.
D. Though the Mexican government supported muralism as a means of promoting nationalist ideology, muralists such as Siqueiros, Rivera, and Orozco developed the movement in contradictory, more controversial directions.
E. Because of its large scale and stylistic innovations, the type of contemporary Mexican art known as muralism is capable of expressing a much wider and more complex view of Mexico’s culture and history than previous artistic movements could express.
2．The author mentions Rivera’s use of “pre-Columbian sculpture and the Italian Renaissance fresco” (para.3, lines 3) primarily in order to provide an example of Rivera’s
A. assimilation of elements of Mexican customs and myth
B. movement beyond single, centralized subjects
C. experimentation with expressionist techniques
D. distinctive manner of artistic expression
E. underlying resistance to change
3．Which one of the following aspects of muralist painting does the author appear to value most highly?
A. its revolutionary ideology
B. its use of brilliant color
C. its tailoring of style to its medium
D. its use of dements from everyday life
E. its expression of populist ideas
4．Based on the passage, with which one of the following statements about art would the muralists be most likely to agree?
A. Art should be evaluated on the basis of its style and form rather than on its content.
B. Government sponsorship is essential to the flourishing of art.
C. Realism is unsuited to large-scale public art.
D. The use of techniques borrowed from other cultures can contribute to the rediscovery of one’s national identity.
E. Traditional easel painting is an elitist art form.
5．According to the passage, the Mexican government elected in 1920 took which one of the following approaches to art following the Mexican Revolution?
A. It encouraged the adoption of modern innovations from abroad.
B. It encouraged artists to pursue the realist tradition in art.
C. It called on artists to portray Mexico’s heritage and future promise.
D. It developed the theoretical base of the muralist movement.
E. It favored artists who introduced stylistic innovations over those who worked in the realist tradition.
6．Which one of the following, if true, most supports the author’s claim about the relationship between muralism and the Mexican Revolution (lines 24-27)?
A. The major figures in muralism also created important works in that style that were deliberately not political in content.
B. Not all muralist painters were familiar with the innovations being made at that time in the art world.
C. The changes taking place at that time in the art world were revivals of earlier movements.
D. Officials in the Mexican government were not familiar with the innovations being made at that time in the art world.
E. Only those muralist works that reflected nationalist sentiments were permitted to be viewed by the public.
7．Which one of the following does the author explicitly identify as a characteristic of Mexican mural art?
A. Its subject matter consisted primarily of current events.
B. It could be viewed outdoors only.
C. It used the same techniques as are used in easel painting.
D. It exhibited remarkable stylistic uniformity.
E. It was intended to be viewed from more than one angle.
8．The primary purpose of the second paragraph is to
A. describe the unifying features of muralism
B. provide support for the argument that the muralists often did not support government causes
C. support the claim that muralists always used their work to comment on their own historical period
D. illustrate how the muralists appropriated dements of Mexican tradition
E. argue that muralism cannot be understood by focusing solely on its political dimension
词汇
1. muralism n. 壁画主义
2. muralist n. 壁画家
3. mural adj. 墙壁的；挂在墙壁上的 n. 壁画
4. fresco n. 壁画
5. formulaic adj. 公式的；俗套的；刻板的
6. dement n. 疯子 vt. 使发狂
7. diagonal adj. 对角线的；斜的；斜纹的
8. easel n. 画架
9. continuum n. 连续；连续统；闭连集
10. appropriate adj. 适当的；相称的 vt. 占用；拨出(款项)
固定搭配及句型
1. A is closely/loosely linked/associated with/to B A与B联系紧密/松散
2. call on sb. to do sth. 号召某人做某事
3. A, B, C base their work on a common premise. A, B, C 三人的工作基于一个共同的前提
4. It is a mistake to attempt to reduce A to B. 试图将A贬低成B是错误的。
5. a wide panorama of ... ...的广阔图景
6. the awareness of ... enables sb. to do sth. 对...的了解使人有能力做某事
7. share s common interest in ... 对...有共同兴趣
8. A can be seen as resulting from ... A可以被视为是...的结果
9. stretch one's concepts/ideas from A to B 将某人的想法从A 扩展到B
佳句欣赏
1. Art should incorporate images and familiar ideas as it commented upon the historic period in which it was created.
艺术在评论其创作的历史时期时，应融合图像和相关思想。
2. Their works were designed to be viewable from many different vantage points, to have an equally strong impact in all parts, and to continue to be viewable as people moved across in front of them.
他们的作品被设计为可以从许多不同的角度观看，在各个部分都具有同等强烈的影响力，并且当人们在他们面前走动时仍可以继续观看。
文章解析
文章主题：墨西哥壁画运动。
第一段：时代背景，代表壁画家们及其艺术创作宗旨。
（备注：墨西哥壁画运动是1920年代开始推广的壁画艺术。为了促使墨西哥人民从墨西哥革命的烽火中重建秩序，这类作品多数皆具有社会教育意义与政治色彩。统领这项艺术的是“壁画三杰”- 迭戈·里韦拉，何塞·克莱门特·奥罗斯科与大卫·阿尔法罗·西凯罗斯。其运动的时间约为半个世纪、横跨1920年代至大约1970年代间。在期间内艺术家在墨西哥的公共建筑上绘制充满民族主义、社会与政治色彩的壁画作品, 不只在当地、在部分的美国地区也地掀起了这项持续至今的潮流。墨西哥壁画艺术亦是美国Chicano文化的灵感来源。------维基百科）
第二段：壁画家们的总体风格：含有政治及社会意义，现实主义风格，同时也有很多艺术创新。
第三段：三位代表壁画家们各自的风格特征。
第四段：对艺术风格实验的分析和评价（作者态度：客观偏向肯定）。