Tapescripts
◆Lead-in◆
Henry Moor
The seventh son of a Yorkshire miner,Henry Moore drew his childhood inspiration from a Sunday School account of Michelangelo.But he was a modernist and it took time for Moore's majestic though curiously haunting stone figures to win approval.As one who claimed it took a lifetime to learn how to set his sculptures into a landscape,Moore evoked form as much from space as he did from solids,though speaking in simpler terms.
“All my sculpture is really based on the human body.”
The human body in its simplest poses—standing,seated,reclining—yet fully reflecting the fragilities and uncertainties in the century in which they were created.Britain's Henry Moore,born on this point of time,July 30th,1898.
◆Module 1 Learn to Talk◆
Speaking
Joanna: What do you know about Chinese sculpture and carving?
Martin:I think Chinese carving and sculpture is an art that records a wonderful civilization of China.The artworks of carving and sculpture reflect facts about the life of Chinese people all along the history.
Joanna:How do you like them?
Martin:Well,I am impressed with the variety and fantastic visual effect of Chinese sculpture and carving.Chinese sculptors have sculpted delicate objects,such as figures,animals,plants and landscapes,with a number of new kinds of raw materials,such as stone,wood root,bamboo,clay,ice,ivory,bone,sand and coal,apart from the traditional bronze and jade.
Joanna:I do,too.By the way,what do you think of the Qin Dynasty Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an?
Martin:Oh,they are the most famous Chinese sculptures undoubtedly.Between 6,000 and 8,000 life⁃size statues of warriors and horses stood at the ready,with weapons,armor and harnesses all made from clay！They are vivid and expressive.
Joanna:That's true.And the gestures and facial expressions are different between two terracotta warriors,with distinct personality and strong characteristics of that age,showing peak clay sculpture art at that time.
Martin:Exactly.The Terracotta Warriors are really the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century.
Listening
Eric:Shall we go to the sculpture garden today?
Ann:Sculpture garden?What is a sculpture garden?
Eric:Oh.A sculpture garden is a garden or part of a park dedicated to the presentation of sculptures.
Ann:I see.Do many cities have sculpture gardens?
Eric:Yes,I think so.A sculpture garden is an important part of a modern city.It is a source of pleasure for the citizens and a tourist attraction of the city.
Ann:Is there a sculpture garden in our city?
Eric:Yes,there's a sculpture garden in the Central Park.
Ann:Really?I've never been there.It must be very interesting.Let's go there now.
Eric:Here we are at the sculpture garden now.
Ann:Wow.There are so many sculptures！
Eric:Yes,this garden has a large collection of modern sculptures.
Ann:I can see the sculptures are of different materials.Some of them are wooden,and some are marble.
Eric:And they are of different schools too.This group of sculptures of nature in the four seasons are obviously modernistic in style and the other group of sculptures of historical figures are of Neoclassical style.
Ann:How do you know the sculptures so well?
Eric:Well,I have been here many times with friends and I have learned a lot from my visits here.
Ann:Ah,the sculpture garden certainly is a good place to learn about art.
◆Module 2 Learn to Read◆
Before You Read
What Is a Sand Sculpture?
A sand sculpture is obviously made from sand,but it is generally done on the beach or at festivals where they have competitions and they bring in truck loads of sand.And for a professional artist,I don't imagine that many of them are involved in it because it is probably difficult to make a living doing it and they are temporary sculptures.After they have a competition they are generally destroyed and taken down.So it is just like kids on the beach,it is wetting the sand and carving it up and dribbling on it and creating large castles and dragons and all kinds of things.