VOA慢速英语20060927b

EXPLORATIONS - Look Around and You Can See This Art for Free on Streets Around the WorldBy Dana Demange

Broadcast: Wednesday, September 27, 2006

VOICE ONE:

I'm Shirley Griffith.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Steve Ember with Explorations in VOA Special English. Today, we travel through city streets all over the world to explore street art, a popular and lively art movement.

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VOICE ONE:


A project in New York by one of two brothers known as Os Gemeos (Portuguese for The Twins) whose work has appeared in galleries around the world

Street art can be found on buildings, sidewalks, street signs and even trash cans from Tokyo to Paris to New York City. This special kind of art can take the form of paintings, sculptures, cloth or even stickers. Its international presence is supported by Web sites, artist communities, books and magazines. Street art has become part of a global visual culture. Now, even art museums and galleries are collecting the work of street artists.

VOICE TWO:

It is not easy to provide an exact history of the street art movement. This kind of art has developed in many kinds of ways in places all over the world. Also, because it is illegal to paint public and private property without permission, street artists usually work secretly. This secretive nature of street art and its countless¹ forms make it hard to define² exactly. And people have different opinions about the movement. Some think street art is a crime and destroys property. But others see this art as a rich form of non-traditional cultural expression.

VOICE ONE:

Many experts say the movement began in New York City in the nineteen sixties. Young adults would use paint in special cans to spray their tag on walls and train cars around the city. This tag was a name they created to identify themselves and their artwork. This colorful style of writing is also called graffiti. It is visually exciting and energetic. Some graffiti paintings were signs marking the territories of city gangs or illegal crime groups.

VOICE TWO:

Graffiti also became a separate movement expressing the street culture of young people living in big cities. Graffiti art represented social and political rebellion³. This was art that rejected the accepted rules of culture and power. These artists could travel around areas of the city making creative paintings for everyone to see. The artists could become famous without being officially recognized. Sometimes this street art created a dispute between artists and city officials. Graffiti artists created their images and city officials quickly painted over them.

During the nineteen eighties two New York painters who began as street artists became very famous. Keith Haring and Jean Michel Basquiat started creating their paintings on the streets. But soon they began showing their work in art galleries and museums. This is when street art started to become part of the more general popular culture.

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VOICE ONE:


Street art by Swoon

Street art today takes many forms. One well known New York City street artist goes by the name of Swoon. Swoon creates detailed⁴ paper cutouts of people that she observes around her. She places these life-size images on walls in different areas of New York.

For example, one of her artworks is of a little boy playing. He is turning his smiling face and seems to be running into the distance. The lines of Swoon's drawing give energy and movement to the picture. She placed the picture of the boy next to other large graffiti images. It looks like he is running around between the different pieces of artwork.

VOICE TWO:

Swoon did not start her career making street art. She studied fine art at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. But she says she lost interest in the official workings of art galleries. She soon started taking her art into the streets.

Swoon likes how her work changes slowly after it is outside for a while. The art slowly disappears because of the effects of time, sun and rain. She also enjoys the freedom of expression which street art permits. And people enjoy Swoon's strong and imaginative⁵ pictures. In fact, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City has bought three of her works.

VOICE ONE:


Knitted⁷ street art in Paris

In Houston, Texas you can see a very different kind of street art by Knitta Please. This group of artists is ten people who like to knit⁶. Knitting⁸ is a way of creating clothing by looping together long thin pieces of material such as cotton or wool. Two members of Knitta Please became tired of starting knitting projects and never finishing them. So they decided⁹ to become street artists. They place their knitted projects on door handles, street signs, and cars around town. Many people in Houston collect the colorful .

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VOICE TWO:

Street art is also popular around the world. For example, many street corners in Paris,
A space invader¹⁰ in Paris

France show the work of an artist known as Space Invader. Space Invader was the name of a video game that was very popular in the nineteen eighties. This French artist uses small colorful squares of glass to make an image of a space creature. He places these creations¹¹ on buildings all around Paris. Space Invader has been making this art for about ten years. He has been arrested several times. But this does not stop him from working. He says that he is leaving a gift to the city with his art.

On Space Invader's Web site, you can see the many other cities where he has placed his art. Space Invader has traveled to places like Dhaka, Bangladesh; Mombasa, Kenya, and Istanbul, Turkey. If you like his work, you can even buy Space Invader clothing, shoes, and pictures.

VOICE ONE:


A painting by Os Gemeos

The streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil are also rich with artwork. For example, you can find the work of two brothers who go by the name Os Gemeos. They paint images of funny flat-faced people with orange-yellow skin. Their imaginative characters have many different forms and expressions.

Sometimes they paint one character alone. Other times they make complex paintings with many characters and actions. Art galleries all over the world have shown the artwork of Os Gemeos.

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VOICE TWO:

Street artists have different reasons for choosing this special kind of creative act. Some artists do not approve of the profit-making business of galleries and museums. They think that these organizations disconnect art from every day life. They also like the fact that street art stays part of the city environment.

Other artists express their political beliefs with their art. Some see street art as protesting the culture of big business and corporations. They do not like city walls covered with advertisements that sell products. These artists see these advertisements as examples of corporate¹² aggression¹³. They think that if an advertisement can be on a wall, so can their art. Still other artists like the excitement of working in the streets and trying not to get caught.

VOICE ONE:

But some people pay a price for making street art. Borf is the street name of an artist in the Washington, D.C. area. He used to place his small images all over the city. Critics say his work expresses hatred¹⁴ towards wealthy people and government oppression. Many young people liked his rebellious¹⁵ art. For these people, Borf's art had a mysterious and strong message.

But other people saw his work as a crime. During the summer of two thousand five police caught Borf painting in the street and arrested him. The judge at his trial said the streets of Washington, D.C. did not exist so Borf could express himself. She said he had hurt the community with his art. And she sentenced him to thirty days in jail.

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VOICE TWO:

Street art has become a popular kind of design for advertising¹⁶ companies. Some advertisements show writing or images influenced by street art. This street style often is meant for young people. For example, the sports clothing company Adidas used street art as part of a two thousand six advertising project. Adidas put up large white signs all over the city of Berlin, Germany. There was nothing on these paper signs except the Adidas name and image.

The signs were an invitation for street artists to paint on the white paper. Once the signs were covered with graffiti images, Adidas used the artwork to advertise a new sports shoe.

VOICE ONE:

The Internet has had a big influence on street art. For example, artists can show their work to people all over the world. Web sites like WoosterCollective.com have thousands of pictures of street art from all over the world. Also, artists and fans can communicate with each other and exchange ideas.

However, people say the Internet is not a replacement¹⁷ for the experience of seeing street art live. To really understand this art you have to see it in its environment. The street art movement depends on the energy and life of the city. And like cities, this imaginative and exciting art will continue to change and grow.

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VOICE TWO:

This program was written and produced by Dana Demange. You can read and download our programs at www.unsv.com. I'm Steve Ember.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Shirley Griffith. Join us again next week for EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English.

1 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

2 define   

vt.解释，下定义，阐述，限定，规定

参考例句：

• Please define the words.请解释这些字的意义。
• It's hard to define exactly what has changed.很难解释清楚到底发生了什么变化。

3 rebellion   

n.造反，叛乱，反抗

参考例句：

• The next year they rose up in rebellion.第二年他们就揭竿起义了。
• The new government quickly suppressed the rebellion.新政府迅速把叛乱镇压下去。

4 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

5 imaginative   

adj.富有想象力的，爱想象的

参考例句：

• The imaginative child made up fairy stories.这个想像力丰富的孩子自己编神话故事。
• Scott was an imaginative writer.司格特是位富于想象力的作家。

6 knit   

vt.编织，密接，结合，皱眉；vi.编织，变得紧凑，愈合；n.编织

参考例句：

• She could knit up a baby's coat in an afternoon.她能在一个下午织好一件婴儿的衣服。
• Our letters enabled us to knit up our old friendship.通信使我们恢复了旧日的友谊。

7 knitted   

v.（使）愈合( knit的过去式和过去分词 )；编结；（使）紧密地结合；织平针

参考例句：

• I knitted this cardigan myself. 我自己织的这件开襟毛衣。
• Our two nations are knitted together by common concerns. 共同关心的问题使我们两国团结一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 knitting   

n.编结物；接合，联合；[外科]骨愈合v.（使）愈合( knit的现在分词)；编结，编织；（使）紧密地结合；织平针

参考例句：

• Weaving and knitting are traditional cottage industries. 编织和针织是传统的家庭手工业。
• manipulative skills such as typing and knitting 诸如打字、编织这样的技能

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

10 invader   

n.侵略者，侵犯者，入侵者

参考例句：

• They suffered a lot under the invader's heel.在侵略者的铁蹄下，他们受尽了奴役。
• A country must have the will to repel any invader.一个国家得有决心击退任何入侵者。

11 creations   

创造( creation的名词复数 )； 创造物； （尤指所述由上帝）创造天地； 宇宙

参考例句：

• This artist's creations are worth collecting. 这个艺术家的作品值得收藏。
• The intellectual creations of individual nations become common property. 各民族的精神产品成了公共的财产。 来自英汉非文学 - 共产党宣言

12 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

13 aggression   

n.进攻，侵略，侵犯，侵害

参考例句：

• So long as we are firmly united, we need fear no aggression.只要我们紧密地团结，就不必惧怕外来侵略。
• Her view is that aggression is part of human nature.她认为攻击性是人类本性的一部份。

14 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

15 rebellious   

adj.造反的，反抗的，难控制的

参考例句：

• They will be in danger if they are rebellious.如果他们造反，他们就要发生危险。
• Her reply was mild enough,but her thoughts were rebellious.她的回答虽然很温和，但她的心里十分反感。

16 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

17 replacement   

n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品

参考例句：

• We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。
• They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。