From assemblages of found objects to bizarre video installations and digital interactive experiments, much of contemporary art has been criticized as cold, unapproachable, impersonal, and emotionless. One link between the immediately appealing, expressive paintings that are often the most popular museum attractions and the “brainy” constructivist school of art 5 pioneered in the early twentieth century is the notion of gesture as an expressive tool.

Mark di Suvero’s Iroquois (1983–1999) is composed of several industrial-sized I-beams. The materials are so heavy and large the artist used cranes and other construction tools to manipulate and connect the beams, all of which have been painted a bright red-orange. The result is an intruding work of almost architectural dimensions that one can immediately sense is 10 terribly heavy and somewhat precarious, yet stable and balanced. As one contemplates Iroquois, walking in and around its structure, backing away to see it from a distance, the linear forms become considerably more complex than one might presume. The tangled steel was obviously constructed with great care, yet each piece seems to threaten the viewer with its weight and size, jutting out away from the central nexus, daring the entire form to topple over. At the same time, 15 the piece seems to exude stability, balance, even serenity. Iroquois resonates with an energy born not of the physical quality of the sculpture, which is quite passive and stable, but rather of the gestural quality of the forms.

Consider each of the answer choices separately and indicate all that apply.

Which of the following can be inferred from the passage? ​

A. Some of the most popular museum attractions are contemporary art installations.
B. ​Expressive paintings have been considered “brainy.” ​
C. Seemingly cold and cerebral art can nevertheless make use of certain expressive tools.



Consider each of the answer choices separately and indicate all that apply.

Which of the following does the author assert about Iroquois? ​

A. Paradoxically, it appears to be both stable and unstable.
B. ​It uses gesture to evoke a sense of energy. ​
C. Some interpret it as simpler than it really is.