Answering other questions about twentieth- and twenty-first-century sculpture
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AP Art History › Answering other questions about twentieth- and twenty-first-century sculpture
How long had Christo and Jeanne-Claude been working to get The Gates approved to be installed, and how long was it installed for?
26 years, and 2 weeks
35 years, and 10 days
5 weeks, and 3 months
1 day, and 50 weeks
20 years, and 1 month
Explanation
Christo and Jeanne-Claude had proposed the idea for The Gates and submitted proposals as early as 1976. The idea was eventually approved by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who was a collector of their artwork, and the installation was put up in Central Park for 2 weeks.
Image accessed through Wikipedia Media Commons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The\_Gates#/media/File:Gates\_a.jpg
What sculptor's work, one of his "Bird in Space" series, was taxed by custom officials when the artist arrived in New York due to its unconventional appearance, provoking an uproar in the modern art community?
Constantin Brancusi
Marcel Duchamp
Alberto Giacometti
Auguste Rodin
Kurt Schwitters
Explanation
Though all of the artists are known for unconventional 20th century sculptures that pushed the boundaries of what sculpture should look like, it was Brancusi's that so confounded customs officials. One of the officials reportedly said "If that's art...I'm a bricklayer."
Which of the following is NOT true of The Gates?
The installation was entirely funded by the City of New York
The installation art piece was meant to interact with nature rather than interfere with it
The Gates was constructed from vinyl frames and rectilinear pieces of fabric
There was no specific start or end point to the installation, meaning to be designed for the person in motion
The gates were saffron colored to allude to a "golden ceiling creating warm shadows"
Explanation
The Gates was entirely funded by Christo and Jeanne-Claude. While the City of New York supported it, the project was privately funded rather than publicly.
Image accessed through Wikipedia Media Commons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The\_Gates#/media/File:Gates\_a.jpg
What post-modern artist is famous for kitschy sculptures such as Michael Jackson and Bubbles?
Jeff Koons
Marcel Duchamp
Jasper Johns
David Hockney
Roy Lichtenstein
Explanation
Jeff Koons is most closely associated with kitsch objects that collapse the distance between high art and "low" pop culture. Duchamp was an early influence on Koons' generation, while the rest are peers who work in other areas of pop art and post-modernism.
Michelangelo’s sculpture, David, was constructed under the patronage of __________.
the Duomo of Florence
the Papacy
the King of Sicily
the King of France
Explanation
The Italian Renaissance began in the city-states of Northern Italy, which were ruled over by no king, as a larger project of enhancing their authority. The David was made by Michelangelo to fulfill a contract with the Overseers of the Office of Works of the Duomo, which was the cathedral of Florence. The David's subtle turn, wary glare, and perfect form helped the stature to become a symbol for Florence.
Which of the following elements was NOT a key feature of Marcel Duchamp's sculptural works?
Classical themes
Everyday subjects
Found objects
Easy replicability
Explanation
Beginning in 1914 and continuing until his death in 1968, the French artist Marcel Duchamp created sculptures he termed "readymades." Duchamp took essentially everyday objects and mounted them as sculptural pieces in galleries. The pieces grew to be less found objects and more objects built to look like common items, often presented with absurd or humorous titles.