Free speech activity

I. Make a secret note of the title of the picture that is reasonably well known. Tell the others in the group about the picture. See if they can guess the title.

II. Get your fellow-student to give you information about his/her favourite museum/picture gallery. Try to get as many details as you can.

III. Give a brief talk on a favourite painter of yours.

IV. One of you has recently returned from England. The other is questioning him/her on the impressions of the National Gallery/the Tate Gallery.

V. You are an expert in Peredvizhniki. Your partner is a foreigner who is completely ignorant of this period in Russian art.

VI. You are doing the Tretyakov Gallery.

VII. You are both young teachers, just beginners. Ponder over and argue about what and how you would tell your junior schoolchildren to introduce them to the vast and complicated world of Fine Arts. Outline those basic things you find indispensable to their general conception of Arts.

VIII. You are both learning to be guides in art. Evaluate what you have been taught and what you are studying presently. Exchange your opinions about what other knowledge of the subject you’d like to obtain.

IX. While preparing for an interview with a famous artist discuss the general trend of the interview and its particular items.

Role playing

Suggested characters and situations.

1. A guide explains pictures to a group of tourists. The scene is set in a picture gallery.

2. A young woman finds herself in an artist's studio for the first time in her life. She does not know much about painting but does her best to conceal it and expresses her opinion about the pictures she is shown using words she picked from art books. Her praise of the pictures is over-enthusiastic and exaggerated.

Use the following:

It's the best picture I've ever seen.

It surpasses all work of old masters.

It's thought-provoking.

It was clever of you to...

The drawing is too divine!

I do like this effect!

The colour scheme is strikingly original.

The colours are extremely effective.

The composition is wonderfully balanced.

3. A young man shares his impressions about a recent art exhibition. He thinks he knows a lot about painting and criticizes severely everything he saw at the exhibition.

Use the following:

The drawing is all faulty.

The colour scheme is muddy.

The perspective lacks depth.

The greens (reds, yellows) are shrill.

The red (yellow, blue) patch kills whatever effect there might be.

Light is not rendered at all.

a feeble imitation of Post-Impressionists (of Rerich, of old masters, etc.)

The exhibition is a flop (one big flop).

Note. Students will be well advised to use reproductions for their role-playing; the latter should be carefully selected to meet each situation.

4. Sharing Impressions at an Exhibition of Young Artists.

a) An ancient art critic who keeps complaining that it is all "outrageously modern stuff" and "a dangerous outbreak from tradition".

Use the following:

in my young days

we should be taught by old masters

originality for originality's sake

it offends the eye

The drawing is...

The composition lacks...

If you remember the treatment of the same subject by Courbet...

b) A young artist whose pictures are exhibited, and who is anxious to draw attention to them.

Use the following:

I'd like your opinion about...

If you just take a look at...

This composition device is...

The treatment of light is...

What I meant to convey was...

c) The young artist's friend and fan, a girl, who enthusiastically supports all he says trying, at the same time, to fend off the attacks of the old critic (Character 1) and of the venomous critic (Character 5).

Use the following:

Yes, isn't it superb!

Oh, but do look at this landscape (portrait, etc.)!

It's quite a find, isn't it?

...is tremendously effective

Oh, but it is unfair! How can you say such things? We're in the twentieth century now.

Well, what I say is...

You simply lack proper discrimination.

d) A sceptically-minded visitor who is sure that no young artist can create anything of value.

Use the following:

Well, I don't know but...

Somehow it doesn't strike me as...

I'm not sure what he aimed at but...

...decidedly lacks something

I wouldn't go so far as to...

...not much of an achievement

e) A venomous critic who never praises anything believing that it is a proof of high discrimination.

Use the cliches of disapproval and censure:

It’s rotten (nasty, beastly, ridiculous, outrageous, disgusting).

It’s below all criticism.

Too bad for words.

It couldn’t possibly be worse.

Absolutely inapt.

Completely meaningless.

Unbelievable trash.

I was repelled.

It made me sick (inf.).

It’s incredible, but...

I was shocked by...

What’s the use (good) of...?

What next, I wondered.

It was the last straw.

No good at all!

It’s a shame...

f) A middle-aged lady who is in raptures over everything she sees at the exhibition considering it a proof of high cultivation.

Use the cliches of praise and approbation:

It’s magnificent (lovely, superb, amazing, fantastic, incredible, great).

I’m absolutely thrilled (I’m thrilled no end).

I’m crazy about... (inf.).

a marvellous achievement

an impressive piece of art

It’s too divine for words (inf.).

Art Problems

I. All great art is believed to be thought-provoking. How do you understand this statement? Give examples of pictures that, in your opinion, stir thinking and imagination.

II. Children and Art. Is it necessary to teach art? How shall we teach children to look at pictures? (See G. B. Antrushina. Talks about Art for English Speech Practice, p.p. 16-20, 22.)

III. General Discussion