Item — sat-dog

? Reading and Writing · None · None · MCQ Q9

9 Text 1 Good art often challenges and disrupts social and aesthetic norms, but the creation of public art—paintings, sculptures, and performance pieces displayed in nonmuseum or nontheatrical public settings—typically requires broad agreement among artists, civic officials, and community members about the works’ message and artistic goals. Public art that fails to appease everyone by being sufficiently aesthetically and conceptually bland almost inevitably provokes backlash. Text 2 Public art is commonly displayed in spaces intended for purposes other than meaningful aesthetic engagement. Some critics of public art therefore note that norm-defying pieces that aren’t effectively integrated within their surroundings in a manner that primes passersby to appreciate the pieces’ merits (as is often the case) tend to be regarded more unfavorably than similarly provocative art encountered in museums is. Based on the texts, how would the critics mentioned in Text 2 most likely respond to the underlined claim in Text 1?

A
By arguing that the reason members of the general public might disagree about a public artwork’s merits is unrelated to the unconventionality of its appearance and ideas
B
By agreeing with the idea that only works of art that are universally appealing are suitable for displaying in public spaces
C
By disputing the notion that civic leaders and community members are easily placated by art that is intended mainly to reinforce social norms
D
By contending that the kinds of reactions controversial public artworks often receive aren’t exclusively the result of attributes inherent in the works themselves

Correct answer: D (parsed from the explanation — this source omits an answer key for this item)

Explanation

Choice D is the best answer because the critics mentioned in Text 2 would argue that negative reactions to controversial public art are not solely the result of the nature of the art itself. The claim in Text 1 suggests that public artworks tend to provoke backlash when they are not “aesthetically and conceptually bland.” This implies that the content of public art alone can cause backlash. However, the critics in Text 2 offer a more nuanced explanation. They argue that norm-defying pieces of public art that are not “effectively integrated within their surroundings” are more likely to be judged harshly by the public. They also imply that a museum provides a context that prepares viewers to expect challenging art, while public environments that serve other purposes often do not. This indicates that the critics in Text 2 would contend that factors beyond the attributes of the art, like environment and presentation, play a significant role in how public art is received. Choice A is incorrect because the critics in Text 2 do not argue that unconventionality is unrelated to public disagreement about a public artwork’s merits. Rather, they acknowledge that norm-defying pieces do face unfavorable reactions, but they attribute such reactions to contextual factors like poor integration with the environment rather than dismissing the role of unconventionality entirely. Choice B is incorrect because the critics in Text 2 do not advocate for restricting public art to universally appealing works. Instead, they argue that better integration with the surroundings and situating the work in appropriate contexts could help norm-defying art be better received by passersby. Choice C is incorrect because the critics in Text 2 do not address whether civic leaders and community members are easily satisfied by norm- reinforcing art. The critics in Text 2 instead argue that installation and integration with the surrounding environment factor into how norm-defying art is received by the general public, rather than disputing how people respond to conventional art.

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