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5 Extra Exam Practice: Bad Art Displayed

1. The Museum of Bad Art (MOBA) displays art that is intentionally bad or of low quality, starting as a joke collection in friends' homes in 1994 that grew more serious and moved to cinemas as it attracted more visitors. 2. MOBA is selective about the art it accepts, requiring works to be truly terrible rather than boring, as artists often struggle to depict body parts accurately or maintain perspective within a single work. Decoration is sometimes used to draw attention from flaws. 3. While initially meant as a joke, MOBA has inspired similar museums and grown to celebrate a love of art over raw talent, though submissions face rejection if not among the very

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964 views1 page

5 Extra Exam Practice: Bad Art Displayed

1. The Museum of Bad Art (MOBA) displays art that is intentionally bad or of low quality, starting as a joke collection in friends' homes in 1994 that grew more serious and moved to cinemas as it attracted more visitors. 2. MOBA is selective about the art it accepts, requiring works to be truly terrible rather than boring, as artists often struggle to depict body parts accurately or maintain perspective within a single work. Decoration is sometimes used to draw attention from flaws. 3. While initially meant as a joke, MOBA has inspired similar museums and grown to celebrate a love of art over raw talent, though submissions face rejection if not among the very

Uploaded by

gliere
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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5 EXTRA EXAM PRACTICE NAME:

Read the text and answer the questions that follow.

Bad Art Displayed


I It may not be your taste, but any work of art displayed in a museum must have some artistic value,
right? Well, although this is true for the art in most museums, it is definitely not the case for works
displayed in the Museum of Bad Art (MOBA).
II The idea for this kind of museum started in 1994 after antique dealer Scott Wilson recovered an old
painting from the rubbish because he wanted the frame. When he showed the painting to friends, they
suggested starting a collection of bad art. What may have been intended as a joke eventually became a
real collection that was exhibited in Wilson’s friends’ homes. As the number of visitors grew, it was
moved in 1995 to a cinema and located next to the men’s toilet. In its early years, the museum
sponsored travelling exhibitions, which also featured bad music and bad refreshments. As interest grew,
another gallery was opened in 2008, also in a cinema and also next to a toilet.
III What kind of art is displayed? MOBA will not show works by children nor factory-created pieces.
And although MOBA claims to show “art too bad to be ignored”, it is very selective about what it
accepts: works must not be boring, but they must be truly terrible. One critic has described the qualities
that characterise these works: first, artists have trouble depicting body parts, especially noses, hands and
feet. Second, artists generally have difficulty with perspective, changing their viewpoint within a single
work. Nature is generally a problem, so skies may appear in strange colours, while animals and plants
are often unrecognisable. And finally, there is a tendency to attach feathers or glitter to detract from a
work’s actual flaws.
IV Although MOBA started off as a joke and has been criticised for promoting bad art, its supporters
argue that it is a celebration of a love of art, if not a talent for art. MOBA has inspired the opening of
similar museums in other locations around the world. So if you paint really badly, you might consider
submitting your work to one of these institutions. But don’t be let down if it is rejected – only the worst
of the worst is displayed.

1 Choose the correct answer.


1. The first collection of bad art opened in ...... .
a. a cinema
b. an antiques shop
c. someone’s home
2. Works of art at MOBA must be ...... .
a. inadequate
b. uninteresting
c. childish
2 Decide whether the following sentences are true (T) or false (F). Find evidence in the text to justify your answers.
...... 1. People were interested in seeing the collection of bad art.
...... 2. Any work of art that’s terrible will be accepted by MOBA.
...... 3. Feathers and glitter have a tendency to cause flaws in works of art.
3 Answer the questions.
1. What attracted Wilson to the painting in the rubbish?
2. MOBA started off as a joke, but became something more serious. How did that happen?

4 Discussion / Composition What’s more important to be as an artist – talented or hard working?


Explain your answer.

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