Introduction - Street Art
Now we’re going to read about a street artist. Street art is usually created in public places, and it usually hasn’t been requested. It is similar to graffiti but there are some ideological differences. However, both are usually created in public locations outside of the context of traditional art venues.
This third section contains 6 steps. Work them through step by step.
Step
Activity
1 Reading
Give reasons about viewpoints. Also an exercise. Read a text about Bansky. Answer the questions.
2 Words
Match words with definitions. Complete sentences.
3 Grammar
About possessive adjectives and pronouns. Tick true sentences, fill in missing adjectives and/or pronouns. Check theory in Grammar Desk.
4 Speaking
Think of five questions (in case you will meet Bansky). Answer to questions and give reasons.
5 Reading
Definition of geographic profiling, read about it. An exercise and text about this subject. Choose the best title. Answer questions.
6 Task
Write a discursive essay. Read the steps to work out your plan.
Reading: The story behind Banksy
Read these opinions about street art/graffiti.
Which viewpoint(s) do you agree with? Give two reasons to support your opinion.
Answer the questions about Alex, Belinda, Josh and Alex.
De onderstaande antwoorden moet je zelf nakijken; vergelijk jouw antwoorden met de goede
antwoorden, en geef aan in welke mate jouw antwoorden correct zijn.
Read the 'The Story behind Banksy' quickly. What is Banksy’s real name?
Now read the text again and answer the questions.
Banksy melds street-fighting passion and pacifist ardor in his image of a protester whose Molotov cocktail morphs into a bouquet. (Pixelbully / Alamy)
On his way to becoming an international icon, the subversive and secretive street artist turned the art world upside-down
When Time Magazine selected the British artist Banksy—graffiti master, painter, activist, filmmaker and all-purpose provocateur—for its list of the world’s 100 most influential people in 2010, he found himself in the company of Barack Obama, Steve Jobs and Lady Gaga. He supplied a picture of himself with a paper bag (recyclable, naturally) over his head. Most of his fans don’t really want to know who he is.
Pest Control, the tongue-in-cheek-titled organization set up by the artist to authenticate the real Banksy artwork, also protects him from prying outsiders. Hiding behind a paper bag, or, more commonly, e-mail, Banksy relentlessly controls his own narrative. His last face-to-face interview took place in 2003.
The Barton Hill district of Bristol in the 1980s was a scary part of town. So when Banksy, who came from a much smarter part of town, decided to go make his first expedition there, he was nervous. “My dad was badly beaten up there as a kid,” he told fellow graffiti artist and author Felix Braun. He was trying out names at the time, sometimes signing himself Robin Banx, although this soon evolved into Banksy. The shortened
nickname may have demonstrated less of the gangsters’ “robbing banks” cachet, but it was more
memorable—and easier to write on a wall.
Banksy’s first London exhibition, so to speak, took place in Rivington Street in 2001, when he and fellow
street artists convened in a tunnel near a pub. “We hung up some decorators’ signs nicked from a building
site,” he later wrote, “and painted the walls white wearing overalls. We got the artwork up in 25 minutes and
held an opening party later that week with beers and some hip-hop pumping out of the back of a Transit van.
About 500 people turned up to an opening which had cost almost nothing to set up.”
During the next 17 months, always in disguise, Banksy brought his own brand of prankster performance art to
major museums, including the Louvre. There, he succeeded in installing an image of the Mona Lisa plastered
with a smiley-face sticker. In New York City, he secretly attached a small portrait of a woman (which he had
found and modified to show the subject wearing a gas mask) to a wall in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The
museum took it in its stride: “I think it’s fair to say,” spokeswoman Elyse Topalian told the New York Times, “it
would take more than a piece of Scotch tape to get a work of art into the Met.”
While the value of his pieces soars, there is a certain sadness around some of Banksy’s creative output. A
number of his works exist only in memory, or photographs. When I recently wandered in London, searching for
52 previously documented examples of Banksy’s street art, 40 works had disappeared altogether, whitewashed
over or destroyed.
Source: By Will Ellsworth-Jones, Smithsonian Magazine , February 2013
De onderstaande antwoorden moet je zelf nakijken; vergelijk jouw antwoorden met de goede
antwoorden, en geef aan in welke mate jouw antwoorden correct zijn.
Banksy melds street-fighting passion and pacifist ardor in his image of a protester whose Molotov cocktail morphs into a bouquet. (Pixelbully / Alamy)
On his way to becoming an international icon, the subversive and secretive street artist turned the art world upside-down
When Time Magazine selected the British artist Banksy—graffiti master, painter, activist, filmmaker and all-purpose provocateur—for its list of the world’s 100 most influential people in 2010, he found himself in the company of Barack Obama, Steve Jobs and Lady Gaga. He supplied a picture of himself with a paper bag (recyclable, naturally) over his head. Most of his fans don’t really want to know who he is.
Pest Control, the tongue-in-cheek-titled organization set up by the artist to authenticate the real Banksy artwork, also protects him from prying outsiders. Hiding behind a paper bag, or, more commonly, e-mail, Banksy relentlessly controls his own narrative. His last face-to-face interview took place in 2003.
The Barton Hill district of Bristol in the 1980s was a scary part of town. So when Banksy, who came
from a much smarter part of town, decided to go make his first expedition there, he was nervous.
“My dad was badly beaten up there as a kid,” he told fellow graffiti artist and author Felix Braun. He
was trying out names at the time, sometimes signing himself Robin Banx, although this soon evolved
into Banksy. The shortened nickname may have demonstrated less of the gangsters’ “robbing banks”
cachet, but it was more memorable—and easier to write on a wall.
Banksy’s first London exhibition, so to speak, took place in Rivington Street in 2001, when he and
fellow street artists convened in a tunnel near a pub. “We hung up some decorators’ signs nicked from
a building site,” he later wrote, “and painted the walls white wearing overalls. We got the artwork up in
25 minutes and held an opening party later that week with beers and some hip-hop pumping out of the
back of a Transit van. About 500 people turned up to an opening which had cost almost nothing to set up.”
During the next 17 months, always in disguise, Banksy brought his own brand of prankster performance
art to major museums, including the Louvre. There, he succeeded in installing an image of the Mona Lisa
plastered with a smiley-face sticker. In New York City, he secretly attached a small portrait of a woman
(which he had found and modified to show the subject wearing a gas mask) to a wall in the Metropolitan
Museum of Art. The museum took it in its stride: “I think it’s fair to say,” spokeswoman Elyse Topalian told
the New York Times, “it would take more than a piece of Scotch tape to get a work of art into the Met.”
While the value of his pieces soars, there is a certain sadness around some of Banksy’s creative output.
A number of his works exist only in memory, or photographs. When I recently wandered in London,
searching for 52 previously documented examples of Banksy’s street art, 40 works had disappeared
altogether, whitewashed over or destroyed.
Source: By Will Ellsworth-Jones, Smithsonian Magazine , February 2013
Match the word to the definition, in the context of the article.
1 influential
a not long
2 recycable
b having a significant effect
3 prying
c without other people knowing
4 smarter
d asking lots of questions
5 shortened
e being able to use it again
6 secretly
f looking stylish
Complete the sentences with words from the above match exercise.
De onderstaande antwoorden moet je zelf nakijken; vergelijk jouw antwoorden met de goede
antwoorden, en geef aan in welke mate jouw antwoorden correct zijn.
De onderstaande antwoorden moet je zelf nakijken; vergelijk jouw antwoorden met de goede
antwoorden, en geef aan in welke mate jouw antwoorden correct zijn.
De onderstaande antwoorden moet je zelf nakijken; vergelijk jouw antwoorden met de goede
antwoorden, en geef aan in welke mate jouw antwoorden correct zijn.
Speaking
Imagine you could meet Banksy, what questions would you ask him?
Think of five questions.
Why do you think that Banksy doesn’t want his/her identity revealed?
Give reasons.
Can you think of a situation in which you would want to be anonymous?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of anonymity?
Give your reasons.
Step 5 - Reading
Reading
Some people wanted to discover the mystery behind Banksy’s identity and so they tried to find out who he (or she) is.
Now we’re going to read about how they think they have discovered who he is.
Which definition is correct for the description geographic profiling:
a way of finding out where a person is at any time in the present time.
a tracking system to locate people especially criminals and their families.
a way of finding out the residence by connecting places that a person has visited.
De onderstaande antwoorden moet je zelf nakijken; vergelijk jouw antwoorden met de goede
antwoorden, en geef aan in welke mate jouw antwoorden correct zijn.
Now read the text 'Banksy unmasked?' and answer the questions.
Banksy unmasked? Scientists use maths and criminology to map artist's identity
British academics have used combinations of maths, criminology and geographic profiling to back up a theory over the identity of mysterious street artist Banksy. Scientists at Queen Mary University of London said the pattern of how Banksy’s artworks were distributed suggested he was artist Robin Gunningham.
Gunningham was first named as Banksy by the Daily Mail newspaper in 2008.
Banksy’s politically-themed street art has made him a celebrity in Britain, despite his true identity never having been confirmed. His most high-profile recent project was Dismaland, a “bemusement park”, located in southwest England.
Geographic profiling is a technique used in fields from criminology to the study of patterns of infectious disease. The research, published in the Journal of Spatial Science, analysed a series of locations of Banksy’s artworks in London and Bristol and mapped them against “anchor points” such as the homes of people suspected of being Banksy to draw conclusions about possible identity.
“Our analysis highlights areas associated with one prominent candidate (e.g. his home), supporting his identification as Banksy,” the paper said.
“More broadly, these results support previous suggestions that analysis of minor terrorism-related acts (eg graffiti) could be used to help locate terrorist bases before more serious incidents occur, and provides a fascinating example of the application of the model to a complex, real-world problem.”
One of the research team, Steve Le Comber, told the BBC: “I’d be surprised if it’s not (Gunningham),
even without our analysis, but it’s interesting that the analysis offers additional support
for it.”
The BBC also reported that Banksy’s legal team had contacted staff at the university with concerns about
how the research was to be promoted.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/
Questions
What methods did the British academics use to suggest an identity for Banksy?
What is the irony in the ‘bemusement’ park called ‘Dismaland’?
What was geographic profiling used for, according to the article?
What are ‘anchor points’?
What information did the team already know about Banksy?
How can the methodology be used in the wider world?
Step 6 - Task
Task
You are going to write a discursive essay.
Discursive essays are like a debate, where you give different arguments about the same topic. It presents a balanced and objective examination of a subject.
The topic may be controversial, but the discursive essay attempts to present a much more balanced discussion of the issue.
The topic of this discursive essay is: Graffiti – vandalism or pure art?
Note down reasons that people think graffiti is an act of vandalism.
Note down reasons that people think graffiti is pure art.
What do you think?
Your plan:
Para 1: Introduce the topic and outline what you are going to say.
Your first paragraph should identify the issues that you are going to discuss and be interesting!
Para 2: why people might think it is vandalism.
Word your reasons carefully. Make sure that your points are logical.
Para 3: why people might think it is art.
Open with 'Contrary to this...' 'On the other hand...'
List the opposing side’s reasons but do not change your opinion.
Use phrases like: 'some people claim ...There are those who say...'
Para 4 conclusion and your own opinion.
Make sure that your opinion is clear. Begin with phrases like: 'To sum up / In my opinion / To conclude’.
To write a quality essay, it's good to know on which points it will be assessed by your teacher. See the rubric on the next pages.
Finally hand in your essay to your teacher.
Discursive Essay rubric
Guidelines for scoring a discursive essay. These should be at B1 level as per CEFR.
Fair (2 pts)
Good (3 pts)
Excellent (4 pts)
Planning
Plan
Some points but not all are clearly relevant.
Clearly relevant supporting points.
Good planning supporting points and a logical method of organization: considers pros/cons
Introduction
Gets the readers attention and clearly sets out what is going to say.
Introduction is adequate.
Introduction prepares reader for the essay.
Introduction is creative, gets interest and prepares reader for the essay.
Logical order
Does the order of the supporting details make sense?
The writer attempts to develop the essay in a logical order, but some of the essay may be presented in an order readers may find confusing.
Most of the essay is presented in a logical order, and readers should have little trouble following the supporting details.
The essay is developed in a logical order appropriate to the writer's purpose and reader's needs.
See page 3 for the remaining part of the rubric.
Fair (2 pts)
Good (3 pts)
Excellent (4 pts)
Conclusion
Does the conclusion restate the topic in a new way to tie the details together?
There is an attempt at a conclusion, but it doesn't restate the topic clearly or tie the details together in a fresh way. (simple repetition of the main points)
The conclusion sums up the topic by restating it in a fresh way; it ties the details together in a non-repetitive fashion.
The conclusion sums up the topic by restating the ideas in a fresh way; it ties the details together well.
Grammar and Vocabulary
Does the essay indicate that the writer has control of the spelling, grammar and vocabulary?
The essay contains errors of grammar, vocabulary or spelling to such an extent to impede understanding.
The writer is able to express him/herself well although a few errors are present.
There are very few errors and the writer has good control of the features of grammar and vocabulary at this level.
Answers
Section B3: Street Art
Step 1 Reading
Banksy's name?: We don’t know. He is anonymous.
Step 2 Words
Match the words to the definition:
= b
= e
= d
= f
= a
= c
Sentences complete with the words:
= prying
= influential
= recycable
= shortened
= secretly
= smarter
Step 3 Grammar
Tick the TRUE sentences:
All sentences are correct.
Step 5 Reading
Definition for geographic profiling is: [c]
The best titel:b: Banksy unmasked?
Not a: As they are not 100% sure.
Not c: They do have a good idea.
Answers to the questions:
Maths, criminology and geographic profiling
It’s a play on words: Amusement park – Disney land, and with bemusement and dismaland Banksy is suggesting an irony to this kind of entertainment: that’s it’s dull and boring.
For locating patterns of infectious diseases.
For example, home of people who are thought to be Banksy.
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voor alle doeleinden, inclusief commerciële doeleinden.
Banksy melds street-fighting passion and pacifist ardor in his image of a protester whose Molotov cocktail morphs into a bouquet. (Pixelbully / Alamy)
profiling to back up a theory over the identity of mysterious street artist Banksy. Scientists at Queen Mary University of London said the pattern of how Banksy’s artworks were distributed suggested he was artist Robin Gunningham.
