VOA标准英语2012--Crushed Cars as Art

Crushed Cars as Art

A sculpture at the entrance to the museum is made of old car bumpers¹. Inside are dozens of other automobile² abstractions by sculptor³ John Chamberlain. He passed away in December at the age of 84. 

While the Guggenheim is not a parking garage, dozens of cars have been parked, so to speak, on each level of its spiraling space. Chamberlain reshaped the cars in a way that's consistent with the exhibit's name, Choices. Curator Susan Davidson explains that Chamberlain assembled materials to create three dimensional collages⁴. 

"He is able to choose the positioning of the colors, the fit of the shapes that he brings together, the sound that the metal makes when he assembles it," said Davidson.

She says Chamberlain used common materials in an uncommon⁵ way. He sculpted⁶ these objects, which look like beanbags, from urethane foam⁷. 

This abstraction is made of plastic. Aluminum⁸ foil is the material for the towering sculpture in the Guggenheim foyer. But his primary resource was old cars. 

Museum Director Richard Armstrong says Chamberlain's work is unique. 

"[Chamberlain's work embodies] a free spirit that helps define and redefine mid-20th century art," said Armstrong.

Susan Davidson says Chamberlain had the spirit of an American rebel much like Rock and Roll legend Elvis Presley.

Chamberlain's works are positioned away from the walls so viewers can see them from all sides. Freelance writer Deborah Bearg says the sculptures offer the imagination an infinity⁹ of images. 

"Everytime you're looking, you're going to see something else," Bearg explained. "I'm sure if I walk back through this part of it today, I'll see very different images."

The exhibit is drawing visitors from New York and far away.

Waynette Ballengee from Louisiana says the show initially¹⁰ struck her as junk.

"But as I traveled up the rotunda¹¹, it started to make more sense to me," said Ballengee. "And I thought that it became more interesting, as he changed the way that he worked with the material."

Declan Kennedy, from Ireland, says he was impressed with the building, not the exhibit.

"I think it just looks like a lot of scrunched¹² up metal. So it doesn't appeal to me," said Kennedy.

Susan Davidson says Chamberlain told her that the secret to artistic¹³ success is insanity¹⁴. He added that art and criminality draw inspiration from the individual's own peculiarities¹⁵. He preferred art. 

1 bumpers   

（汽车上的）保险杠，缓冲器( bumper的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our bumpers just grazed (ie touched each other) as we passed. 我们错车时保险互相蹭了一下。
• Car stickers can be attached to the bumpers or windows. 汽车贴纸可以贴在防撞杆上或车窗上。

2 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

3 sculptor   

n.雕刻家，雕刻家

参考例句：

• A sculptor forms her material.雕塑家把材料塑造成雕塑品。
• The sculptor rounded the clay into a sphere.那位雕塑家把黏土做成了一个球状。

4 collages   

n.拼贴画( collage的名词复数 )；杂烩

参考例句：

• My work includes mixed media, paintings and digital collages. 我的工作包括混合媒介，绘画和数码拼贴。 来自互联网
• I love making photo collages. 我喜欢做照片拼贴。 来自互联网

5 uncommon   

adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的

参考例句：

• Such attitudes were not at all uncommon thirty years ago.这些看法在30年前很常见。
• Phil has uncommon intelligence.菲尔智力超群。

6 sculpted   

adj.经雕塑的

参考例句：

• a display of animals sculpted in ice 冰雕动物展
• The ladies had their hair sculpted by the leading coiffeur of the day. 女士们的发型都是当代有名的理发师做的。

7 foam   

v./n.泡沫，起泡沫

参考例句：

• The glass of beer was mostly foam.这杯啤酒大部分是泡沫。
• The surface of the water is full of foam.水面都是泡沫。

8 aluminum   

n.(aluminium)铝

参考例句：

• The aluminum sheets cannot be too much thicker than 0.04 inches.铝板厚度不能超过0.04英寸。
• During the launch phase,it would ride in a protective aluminum shell.在发射阶段，它盛在一只保护的铝壳里。

9 infinity   

n.无限，无穷，大量

参考例句：

• It is impossible to count up to infinity.不可能数到无穷大。
• Theoretically,a line can extend into infinity.从理论上来说直线可以无限地延伸。

10 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

11 rotunda   

n.圆形建筑物；圆厅

参考例句：

• The Capitol at Washington has a large rotunda.华盛顿的国会大厦有一圆形大厅。
• The rotunda was almost deserted today,dotted with just a few tourists.圆形大厅今天几乎没有多少人，只零星散布着几个游客。

12 scrunched   

v.发出喀嚓声( scrunch的过去式和过去分词 )；蜷缩；压；挤压

参考例句：

• The snow scrunched underfoot. 雪在脚下发出嘎吱嘎吱的声音。
• He scrunched up the piece of paper and threw it at me. 他把那张纸揉成一个小团，朝我扔过来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

14 insanity   

n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐

参考例句：

• In his defense he alleged temporary insanity.他伪称一时精神错乱，为自己辩解。
• He remained in his cell,and this visit only increased the belief in his insanity.他依旧还是住在他的地牢里，这次视察只是更加使人相信他是个疯子了。

15 peculiarities   

n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪

参考例句：

• the cultural peculiarities of the English 英国人的文化特点
• He used to mimic speech peculiarities of another. 他过去总是模仿别人讲话的特点。