©Cornelia Parker via BBC News
Pre-reading questions
- Can everyone be an artist? Why or why not?
- What kinds of art are popular in your country?
Vocabulary
- railroad /REYL-rohd/
- piece /pees/
- twisted /TWIS-tid/
- suspend /suh-SPEND/
- greenhouse /GREEN-hous/
[noun] – the metal tracks on which trains run
New railroads are under construction in our city.
[noun] – something that has been created by an artist, musician, or writer
His instrumental piece is unique! I’m sure people will love it.
[adjective] – bent so that the original shape is changed or destroyed
You can use that twisted rope to secure the boxes.
[verb] – to hang
Different works of art are suspended on the wall.
[noun] – a building with a roof and sides made of glass, used for growing plants that need warmth and protection
Eggplants and other vegetables are grown in the greenhouse.
Article reading
Thirty Pieces of Silver
©Cornelia Parker via BBC News
Parker made this piece in her early 30s by destroying more than a thousand pieces of silver-plated metal. They are then left hanging in 30 separate pools, or “discs” from long cables a few inches above the ground. “The title […] alludes to money, to betrayal, to death and resurrection; more simply, it is a literal description of the piece.”
Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View
©Cornelia Parker via BBC News
A blaring lightbulb placed in the center of the installation powerfully illuminates the twisted fragments of bicycles, gardening tools, painted pots, and toys. The force of the continually suspended explosion catches the attention of the audience.
Perpetual Canon
©Cornelia Parker via BBC News
By destroying 60 brass-band instruments, Parker extended “Thirty Pieces of Silver” into “Perpetual Canon.” “The idea of a Perpetual Canon [is] that [it] just keeps going on forever. It’s like these wind instruments have inhaled and never exhaled. Like they’ve just taken a breath and are in an arrested space.”
“Island” (2022) is the working title of Parker’s latest project. The abandoned greenhouse and its white-washed windows have a literary impact, raising issues of cultural isolation and climate change. Use the breathing light in any way you see fit.
Comprehension questions
- How did Cornelia Parker become interested in art?
- What does “Thirty Pieces of Silver” allude to?
- In “Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View,” what is illuminated by a blaring lightbulb placed in the center of the installation?
- How did Parker extend “Thirty Pieces of Silver”?
- What is Parker’s latest ongoing project?
Discussion questions
- Painting is a common way that we think of art. What additional items would you classify as “art”?
- Can you appreciate art without liking it? Do you have any instances in mind?
- Which among the three artworks would you like to see in person and why?
- Does art always have to be physically beautiful?
- What are your expectations of Parker’s new piece, “Island”?