Art is Long, Life is Fleeting

1. What art genres do you know? What do you prefer more classic or modern art?

2. What art genre is your favourite? What great artists do you know?

3. If you interview an artist what questions would you ask?

4. Recommend a place or a cultural event to visit in Minsk.

5. Are you involved in any art? Would you like if not? What can art give you? Does it make your life different?

1. Fill in the gaps with some suitable words.

There are a lot of kinds and forms of ___________. It’s not only ______________ and __________________, but __________________, _____________________ and ____________________ as well. Nevertheless, in any form art is something ______________________ and it has great cultural value. To my mind the main difference between classical and modern art is (historical/ the way the artist shows the world/ the balance of the shape and the idea). When we talk about classical art we mean ________________________________________________.

Modern art is usually _________________________ or ___________________________________. Classical art (is based on/ focuses/ tends to preserve) _________________________________________________________.

I (agree/ disagree) that modern art_______________________________________________________________.

Personally I prefer something more (modern/ traditional/ realistic/ abstract).

Classical Art	Modern Art
the Renaissance the Baroque the Victorian era the Romanticism the human figure landscape realism traditional ideas of beauty traditional patterns and shapes	abstract art street art graffiti is difficult to understand has no message makes something out of nothing and sells it tends to be shocking designs shapes from the artist’s imagination makes views think and admire

2. Read the sayings about art. Find the equivalents. Think which ones you agree/ disagree with, which you can use in your essay.

1. Art has many (цели) and it really only depends on the artist.

2. Art can inspire and give (озарение).

3. Every child is an artist.  The problem is how to remain an (художник) once we grow up.

4. Art is the desire of a man to (выразить) himself, to record the reactions of his (личность) to the world he lives in.

5. Artists don't paint things.  They only paint the (различия) between things.

6. Every portrait that is painted with (чувство) is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter.

7. (Великое) art picks up where nature ends.

8. What art offers is space - a certain breathing room for the (душа).

9. An artist is someone who (создают) things that people don't need to have but that he - for some reason - thinks it would be a good idea to give them.

10. For me, painting is a way to (забыть) life.

a)purposes b)feeling c)insights d)express f)difference

e)spirit g)artist h) personality i)produces j)great k)forget

3. Watch the video Speakout Upper-Intermediate Unit 10 Culture. Mind the questions for your interview and the ways to talk about arts.

4. Places to see and things to do in Minsk

a passionate theatre-goer  Minsk Theatres
The National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre	classical music special atmosphere operas and ballets staged by famous Elizaryev
The National Academic Drama Theater named after Gorky (Gorky Drama Theatre)	rich repertoire special atmosphere classical masterpieces plays by Russian and foreign playwrights
The National Academic Yanka Kupala Theater	special atmosphere special attention to national writers modern vision of classic plays contribute to national identity
a museum lover  Minsk museums
The National Arts Museum of the Republic of Belarus	the largest exhibition complex the best collection of Belarusian, Russian, West-European paintings in the country art collection includes 30 thousand works
Belarus National Museum of History and Culture	the biggest collection of the monuments of Belarusian culture from the ancient times to our days collection of materials on the history of Belarus excellent overview of fine arts
Palats Mastatsva	several exhibition spaces modern art hand books and antiques stalls exhibitions of local artists

If you are ________________________ you should visit one of­__________________________ There are a lot of outstanding ________________________ in Minsk. It’s all depends on your interests. I’d recommend____________________________________________. It (creates/ has got/ exhibits) _________________

________________. Here you can enjoy _____________________________________________________________.

5. Are you involved in any art? Would you like if not? What can art give you? Does it make your life different?

concept ideas	ways to express
importance	Art plays an important role in my life. I wish art played more important role in my life. I can’t see the place for art in my life.
talent	Everyone has got a special talented. I think I’m talented. I can … I don’t think I’ve got a special talent. I can’t… Sometimes I’ve got some crazy ideas I wish to fix and express but I don’t know how.
technique	It’s always been my dream to learn … I (don’t) think it’s rather difficult. You (don’t) need to be… personality All you need is… material/motivation
value	I think art helps… express my ideas that I can’t explain in any other way have fun relax get reflection and feedback to the outside world amaze/suprise other people