Augusto Esquivel is a sculptor who, in his own words, is “crazy with comparisons of reality and potential and the balance between them.” Perhaps the best example of what he’s talking about are his most famous creations: the suspended(悬挂的) button sculptures.
Made entirely from buttons hanging on various lengths of string, Esquivel’s sculptures are made to look like common objects: a piano, a gumball machine, and even a toilet. If it wasn’t for the clear string hanging above, these objects, these sculptures, would look solid, yet you can put your hands right through them. The process starts with him deciding on a subject and setting the acrylic （丙烯酸树脂）from where the buttons are being suspended. He buys buttons of different shapes and sizes, paints them with spray paint, and carefully hangs them. After that, it’s a manner of hanging each individual button, which takes a lot of time. For his piano, for example, he individually hung over 60 pounds worth of tiny buttons.
Esquivel’s sculptures, while mostly housed inside art galleries, perfectly capture one of the main principles of street art: something that is eye-catching and something that invites interaction. Often the best sculptures outside the art galleries aren’t the ones behind guards and fencing, but the ones people can go right up to and touch. In Vancouver, a series of laughing old men are attracting people for pictures and to just generally hang around, but the people who simply walk by and see the sculptures almost always leave with a smile on their face. That’s good street art: it draws the viewer in rather than relying on a gallery to draw in an audience and point them to certain pieces.
Esquivel’s art is not only a presentation of talent, something that mentions larger philosophical questions, like the ones he stated above, but also just the right combination of interesting idea and painstaking work. One can look at his work in a critical way, or simply appreciate his idea and execution(艺术品的制作).
13. What are Esquivel’s sculptures mainly made of?
A. Clay.
B. Iron.
C. Gum.
D. Buttons.
14. Which statement is WRONG according to Paragraph 3?
A. Some of Esquivel’s sculptures are displayed outside art galleries.
B. Esquivel’s art is good street art.
C. People can’t touch Esquivel’s sculptures involve interaction.
D. Esquivel’s sculptures can catch people’s eye and involve interaction.
15. Which of the following in NOT what Esquivel’s art wants to present?
A. Talent.
B. Idealism.
C. Philosophical questions.
D. Painstaking work.