Listening
Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
- come up with (something) / kʌm ʌp wɪð / (phrasal v.) – to produce something that’s needed, especially when pressured or challenged
Example:She had to come up with a new idea for her school project before the deadline.
- flurry / ˈflɜr i / (n.) – a short period when there is suddenly a lot of activity and people are very busy
Example:There was a flurry of excitement at the store when they announced a big sale, and people rushed to grab the best deals.
- adrenaline / əˈdrɛn l ɪn / (n.) – a chemical produced in the body when a person feels excited, scared, angry, or stressed, causing increased energy
Example:Riding the roller coaster gave her an adrenaline rush.
- furiously / ˈfyʊər i əs li / (adv.) – in a way that uses as much strength, energy, or speed as possible
Example:It was time to go home, but he needed to finish a report, so he worked furiously.
- drenched / drentʃt / (adj.) – covered in a large amount of liquid
Example:Without her umbrella, she was completely drenched in the rain.
Article
Read the text below.
Large crowds, loud music, and time pressure aren’t typically considered the best environments for artistic expression. But in Sydney, on-stage art battles are turning painting into competitive entertainment.
Artists are taking part in a new type of competition where their painting skills will be tested to their limits. In just 20 minutes, they need to come up with a work of art and convince the live audience to vote for them.
“It shows a lot of talent. You need a lot of skill,” an audience member said.
For more than a year now, the Art Battle events have been taking place in warehouses and creative spaces across Sydney. And the artists who take part in them, like Pamela Woods, often take weeks to get battle-ready.
“It’s fantastic. I have to work to a deadline. My art battle’s coming up, oh my god. And you just start painting in a mad flurry, and that’s really worked for me, it’s been fantastic,” she says.
For Woods, it’s all about challenging herself and her talents.
“It’s like this adrenaline rush that you get and you paint furiously for 20 minutes. You don’t know what all your competitors are doing. And then your heart’s thumping, and then you wait for the results, and then you start painting again. And by the end of it, you’re absolutely exhausted, drenched in sweat, but it’s a lot of fun,” she says.
For Robert Porta, this type of competition is a way to test himself in the art world.
“You’ve got people, all the crowd, walking around you so you can hear the voices saying ‘Oh, this is good, this is not good. Oh, I love this. What’s going to be?’ Because they don’t know what you are going to paint,” says Porta.
The art battles are growing in popularity, but raise the question: can true art be competitive?
“I think it can be competitive. I think competition is very healthy,” says a female audience member. “I think it’s amazing that they could pull something like that off in, was it 20 minutes?” concludes a male audience member.
This article was provided by The Associated Press.
Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
- In Sydney, artists are taking part in painting competitions in which they need to come up with a work of art in front of a live audience. What do you think of this? How do you think the large crowds, loud music, and time pressure can affect the artists and their artwork? Discuss.
- If you were part of a live audience voting for the winner in an art battle, what criteria would you use to choose the winner? Would you focus on creativity, technique, emotional impact, or something else? Discuss.
Discussion B
- According to artist Pamela Woods, she must work to a deadline during her art battles, painting furiously for 20 minutes. Do you think deadlines help people work better, or do they just add stress? Why? Do you think work completed in a short period is not as good as work done over a longer time? Why or why not? Discuss.
- How would you describe work that you complete in a short period? How do you usually complete your tasks when you have short deadlines? Discuss.
