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Public Art

Learn Phrasal Verbs

Date: Aug 26 2011

Themes: Travel

Grammar: Phrasal Verbs

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Intro

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When the Eiffel Tower was first built, many Parisians hated it and called it an eyesore. Today, it is a famous symbol of Paris and one of the most beloved monuments in the world.

Public art such as monuments, statues, and murals are meant to make a city more beautiful. But it can be controversial if the public considers it ugly or strange. Sometimes public art is used as propaganda, to glorify unpopular leaders. Yet, like the Eiffel Tower, a piece of public art that is hated at first may become a cherished symbol over time. Hear Amy and Jason talk about the public art in their city.

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Amy

Jason

Amy: Oh my gosh, have you seen the new mural that they’re putting up like right outside the office?

Jason: No, there’s a new mural?

Amy: Of course there’s a new mural! I mean, it seems like in this city they just love to put up some more public art, you know? Almost every day I feel like I see a new statue or mural or something.

Jason: Would you prefer blank walls throughout the city?

Amy: Not necessarily, but I just think a lot of public art is kind of bad. It’s just not that good, and it seems like they put it up to try to make the city look better, but it’s like, sometimes a house that is covered in lots of statues or something, lots of furniture that’s, like, ugly furniture or decoration, it would just look better without any decoration at all. And I feel that sometimes it’s the same for a city. Like less is more.

Jason: I guess I can see that. I guess I just like colors, like I like for there to be interesting colors on walls that aren’t advertisements.

Amy: Well, that’s true. I mean, I like public art if it’s good art, but I just think…

Jason: And statues! Like historical figures. It’s always fun to have an old statue of the town founder and things like that, you know?

Amy: Well, that’s true, but sometimes they erect statues of figures who later become really unpopular or do really horrible things, like…

Jason: Well, then you can put funny hats on them!

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Discussion

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Amy has just seen a new mural, and she doesn’t like it. She feels annoyed by how much public art there is in her city. Although she appreciates the idea of art for everyone to enjoy, she thinks a lot of public art is bad. She thinks it is better to have no art than bad art.

Jason disagrees. He likes public art because it adds color to a city. He says that public art is nicer to look at than advertisements. He also likes statues of historical figures.

Amy points out that sometimes, statues are built of unpopular leaders. But Jason thinks it is interesting to learn about the history of a place through its public art.

Is there a lot of public art where you live? Do you like public art, or do you think that it can sometimes make a city uglier instead of more beautiful?

Comments

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Melina M

Argentina

I disagree with amy, I really like public art, it definitly makes the cities more beautiful. I like artistic graffiti, but not vandal graffiti, of course

anas.alrez

Syrian Arab Republic

i agree with Amy that statues are built of unpopular leaders
and it’s make the city have bad looking

i love life

Palestinian Territory, Occupied

good evening to all ahead when we want to talk about public art we need to a fact observatiom over the world there are a lot from a wonderful mural for example of the freedom mural in united state of amarica and Eiffel tower in france i like to visit any country around the wrold untill i get up to new ideas we have in palestine the alaqsa mural in my capital al qauds i wish to invite all people over the wrold to visit my country untill seen isreal apartheid wall now the wall consider the most mural length in west bank

Kotisha

Russian Federation

There is a lot of public art in my native town. I find monuments, statues of historical figures rather attractive. To my mind it makes a town more beautiful. I think that it`s good that there is public art in my town rather than advertisments. Also it`s always very interesting to know about the history of the place.

gormac54

Australia

there is not much public art around here.I like it most of the time.but I can not stand graffiti.

Madline

Jordan

yeah, there is but not that much …......I DO like public art and I totally agree with amy in less is more because less mural and less statues are better and more beautiful than the city that filled of these things …

Kiti Basnet

Nepal

There are lots of public art in my country too. I love public art as they give us information about many things. Sometime we are unaware of our history and the devotion of our ancestors in such case these public art help us to know the sacrifies of our ancestors. Public art is giving us the inspiration to take the right and positive path directly or indirectly. They carry positive massage on them. So i love them.

MUHAMMAD92

Saudi Arabia

i agree with amy.

anitamile

Colombia

This short story remenber me, that in my country the last week someone kill a young men that was doing a graffiti ( the graffiti in Colombia is the more popular public art), this is a prove that the intolerance can be dangerous, So is important to respect this class of art, becouse the art is the best way to represent the feelings

linguis

El Salvador

Statues that represent some politics icones could be annoying. They may spilt politic opinion, because they do not satisfy everybody, and less atention is given to art.

vivian_yu2008

China

In my country China, there are a lots of monuments, The Great Wall, The Summer Palace and The Imperial Palace… I think many people looking forward to sightseeing. these are the symbol of our counry.

selim318

Turkey

The most beautiful sculpture standing upright ..:)

lovely-butterfly

Azerbaijan

i like public art. cause art gives us enjoy. there’r a lot of historical art patterns in the world.in my country also has a lot . and when we see some of them we try to get much information about it. so, it is good for our intellect. :)

happy Julia

China

Therefore,everything is changable. We can’t be rush to make a judge. We are sure to convert negatives into positives someday!

said mlk

Morocco

absolutely right , tnx

BIERCA

Dominican Republic

In my country, Domincan Republic we have a colonial city a small city since spanish colonization in our island, that is very visited for the tourist, also we have many monument and statues for all the country.

adion

France

The Avenue des Champs-Élysées is a prestigious avenue in Paris, France, not a monument (as you state, in the vocabulary).

In your vocabulary:
“Definition of ‘monument’...
Example: My favorite monument is the Champs Elysee in Paris.” Incredible!

MONY----

Egypt

well it depends on the quality of that art as well as its hermony with the place where it is

It’ll be delightful watching colourful murals and funny statues at the parks however

historcal statues should be located around the town center only which they should

carry clear explantion about this historical figure to make sence for people to enjoy it

ziad10

Egypt

Salam there are many monuments in Morocco like Hassan tower in Rabat and Walili in Mekness City Kotobia in Murakkeesh , monuments are important in the city for the beauty

Talk Now

Jordan

there are new public art in my home town it’s five statues of dolphins around a fountain of course it makes the city more beautiful ,, but i don’t know if it another kind of art , i dislike murals and historical figures in the streets and bublic places .