國發會與ICRT共同製播的時事英語廣播“The World in Brief”固定於每周三在雙語資料庫學習資源網更新，與大家一起聽時事學英文。

本周主題：世界藝術日

2023年4月8日為畢卡索逝世50周年紀念，記者Max這次來到馬拉加畢卡索博物館(Museo Picasso Málaga)除了慶祝世界藝術日(World Art Day)外也帶我們認識擁有「現代藝術之父」(Father of Modern Art)之稱且為立體主義(Cubism)始祖的偉大藝術家巴勃羅．畢卡索(Pablo Picasso)。想知道更多嗎？讓我們用３分鐘的時間一起來聽聽記者Max McGrath怎麼說吧！

 

【Transcript】

Nora: The biggest news …the best guests …the boldest events …This is ‘The World in Brief’ with Max McGrath.

Nora: This week begins with World Art Day! A day for filling in the blanks and drawing the lines between art and the every day. Roving reporter Max McGrath joins us from Málaga, Spain, where he’s learning how to paint like a pro! Max?

Max: Thanks Nora. I’m at the Museo Picasso Málaga, here to learn all about Pablo Picasso, one of the most celebrated artists of the 20th Century. I’m joined by Gabriella Candella, a local art teacher. Gabi, hi!

Gabi: Hi Max! Today we’re studying cubism. You know what that is?

Max: Let’s pretend I don’t …

Gabi: OK … To understand cubism, you must first understand Picasso himself. What do you know already?

Max: Let’s see ... I know he was born here in Málaga in 1881. I know 2023 is a very important anniversary for him, that’s why we’re here …

Gabi: Yes! And it’s significant for Picasso because …?

Max: Because … it’s his … birthday?

Gabi: No, it’s actually his death day! Picasso died 50 years ago, in 1973.

Max: That’s half a century!

Gabi: Yes it is! Sounds like a long time doesn’t it? But actually humans have been making art for about 500,000 years, since prehistoric times!

Max: If art’s been around so long, why was Picasso so important?

Gabi: He was alive at a time when art was shifting, morphing into something new. Picasso led that shift. Some people now call him the ‘Father of Modern Art’.

Max: That’s all thanks to that style he invented, right?

Gabi: Cubism. It’s mostly because of that, yes. It’s also because Picasso was so famous, even when he was alive! He was maybe the world’s first ever celebrity artist.

Max: How did he get so popular?

Gabi: He made so much art, in a massive range of styles and forms. His work had universal appeal. There was something for everyone! Which is how a style as strange as cubism was able to be explored and developed. Without Picasso’s celebrity profile it may never have happened.

Max: OK, I think it’s time we learned what cubism actually is!

Gabi: It’s a style of painting that uses lines and shapes. That’s where the name comes from. A ‘cube’ is what we call a 3D square.

Max: But, artists must have used lines and shapes in paintings before?

Gabi: They did, but not all the time. Cubism only uses lines and shapes! It doesn’t copy the subject perfectly, it breaks it down. There’s a painting of Picasso’s called ‘Girl Before a Mirror’. Have you seen it?

Max: No, I don’t think so.

Gabi: Look at it when you can. It’s not perfect, it doesn’t look exactly like a girl. But it’s so exciting, and modern, and emotional. It feels real! That’s cubism.

Max: And that inspired modern art as we know it today?

Gabi: That’s right. Before cubism paintings were only considered ‘good’ when they were as true to life as possible. Picasso changed all that. That’s what art is really great for, shifting opinions. Encouraging people to see the world differently.

Max: What a guy that Picasso must have been! Thank you Gabi. This is Max McGrath reporting live from Málaga, Spain. Nora?

Nora: Thanks Max! And thank you Picasso, for adding so much color to all our lives! Happy World Art Day everyone! I’m Nora Yu.

 

【Vocabulary】

Cubism 立體主義(n.)

With oils and watercolours he painted natural and urban space, portraits, still-life, and scenes of daily living, combining selective elements of cubism and impressionism.

 

Significant 重要的(adj.)

This year represents a significant anniversary for Picasso: it is now fifty years since he passed away.

 

Morph 改變；變形(v.)

People’s concept of what good art was started to morph when Picasso, already famous, started to explore and develop a new style of painting called Cubism.

 

Prehistoric 史前時代的(adj.)

Cave paintings that are half a million years old revealed that art existed even in prehistoric times.

 

Massive 巨大的(adj.)

Picasso produced work in a massive range of forms, including painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, poetry, and plays.

 

Universal 普遍的(adj.)

Picasso’s prodigious work in many styles and forms of art gave him universal appeal as well as the freedom to create what he wanted in the way he wanted, resulting in a radical new style.