Neil: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English, the programme in which we
discuss something that's been in the news and teach you some vocabulary
on the way. I'm Neil and with me today is Jen. Hi Jen.
Jen: Hi Neil.
Neil: Now Jennifer, I want to ask you about your favourite painting. Can you
tell me what it is and what do you like about it?
Jen: Well, my favourite painting is by Pablo Picasso and it is called Guernica.
It's a mural about the Spanish Civil War. It depicts a bombing attack on a
town, but I like it because there's lots going on and it really makes you
think about what happened on that day.
Neil: Yes, it's one of the world's most famous paintings… How would you feel if
someone went up to it with a black marker pen and wrote their name on
it?
Jen: I'd be horrified!
Neil: Well, that's exactly what happened to another painting at the Tate Modern
gallery in London. We'll hear more about this story after our all-important
quiz question. You seem to be very knowledgeable about art, Jen, so
here's your question. The highest price ever paid for a painting was for
Paul Cezanne's 'The Card Players'. How much did it cost? Was it:
a) $120m
b) $250m
c) $500m
Jen: Goodness. I have no idea so I will go bang in the middle. I will say b)
$250m.
Neil: Well, we'll find out at the end of the end of the programme. Now, back to
our story. An extraordinary thing happened at London's Tate Modern
gallery.
Jen: A man walked up to a painting by Mark Rothko, took out a marker pen
and wrote on it.
Neil: Listen to this part of a report from the BBC's arts correspondent, Will
Gompertz. What word does he use to describe the action of damaging the
painting?
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Mark Rothko's 1958 large painting 'Black on Maroon' is a fine example of the late
American artist's sombre, thoughtful, abstract art. It was defaced by a man called
Vladimir Umanets who considers his actions to be neither illegal, or destructive.
Neil: He said that the painting was defaced. It means spoilt, usually by writing
on it. What kind of painting was it, Jen?
Jen: The reporter described it as sombre. That means dark and serious.
Neil: Well, this sounds like a dark and serious act, but, in fact, the person who
did it thinks it improves the painting!
Jen: Yes, strange as it might sound, the man who wrote his name on the
painting, Vladimir Umanets, claims that his act was itself an artistic one.
Neil: Listen to this interview with the man himself. How does he feel about his
actions?
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I'm glad that I did it, obviously. I'm really… from one side I'm really happy, you know. I
really can have a good laugh, you know, from it and.... But from another side I'm sad
because people still can't see what it's all about, you know, and how beautiful it is,
actually, and simple – what we are doing, you know.
Neil: He's glad he did it, isn't he, Jen?
Jen: Yes, he says that he's happy because you can have a laugh, but he's also
sad because people don't understand why he did it and why he thinks it's
beautiful. Actually… why does he think it's beautiful?
Neil: Good question! He is the founder of a movement he calls Yellowism.
According to Umanets, "Art allows us to take what somebody's done and
put a new message on it." The message he wrote on the Rothko painting
was "A potential Piece of Yellowism." He takes inspiration from the
surrealist artist Marcel Duchamp.
Jen: In 1917, Duchamp bought a urinal, which is a kind of toilet for men,
wrote his name on it and declared it a work of art. But is what Umanets
did the same? Listen to the final part of a report from the BBC's Will
Gompertz. What do the experts think?
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That, according to many commentators, is not the same as walking up to a much-loved
painting in an art gallery and scrawling on it with a black marker pen, which they
consider not to be the work of an artist, but an act of vandalism.
Neil: The reporter says that commentators think it is not an artistic statement
but rather an act of vandalism. Now, how about you, Jen? Do you think
you could be a Yellowist? Could you walk up to Guernica and write on it
with a black pen?
Jen: Absolutely not! The idea makes me feel ill, actually!
Neil: Yes, I have to say the story shocked me too. I've seen that painting by
Rothko many times and it's difficult to imagine that someone could do
such a thing. But perhaps we just don't understand him and in 100 years'
time people will be saying what a masterpiece it is!
Now, time for the answer to our quiz. The highest price ever paid for a
painting was for Paul Cezanne's 'The Card Players'. I wanted to know how
much it cost? Was it:
a) $120m
b) $250m
c) $500m
Jen: Well, I guessed b) $250m.
Neil: And… well I knew you were an art expert because you were right!
Jen: Ah, brilliant!
Neil: Time now for a recap of some of the vocabulary we heard today.
Jen: defaced, sombre, movement, inspiration, surrealist, urinal, vandalism.
Neil: Thanks for joining us. Make sure to listen to some more 6 Minute English
at bbclearningenglish.com. And don't forget to check out our Facebook
page. Simply go to Facebook and in the search box type BBC Learning
English. You'll find lots of other learners and conversation and links to our
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