English for EAP Practice activities Lesson 3 Reading more efficiently Topic sentences, Field and Stance English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Prediction Lesson 3 Topic sentences, Field and Stance 1

Topic sentences In the 1930 “Futurist Photography: Manifesto,” Marinetti and Tato declared photography to be a powerful tool in the Futurist effort to eliminate barriers between art and life. With the camera, they could explore both “pure” art and art’s social function. Futurist photography focused on dance, sport, flying, psychological portraits, the still life, the city and machines. English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Prediction Lesson 3 Topic sentences, Field and Stance 2

Topic sentences You are now going to read a review of an exhibition and see how each paragraph of the review uses a topic sentence to summarise the main point. English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Prediction Lesson 3 Topic sentences, Field and Stance 3

Topic sentences The exhibition ‘Futurism and Photography’ was held in London in Here are some sentences taken from a review. (A-C) Before focussing on their role as topic sentences, decide if the review was favourable or unfavourable. English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Prediction Lesson 3 Topic sentences, Field and Stance 4

Topic sentences A In the 1920s other avant-garde movements put photography at the centre of their understanding of the modern world. B This show claims futurism came to terms with photography after the first world war, but it fails to demonstrate that. C Here's yet another celebration of Italian futurism, the modern art movement that began with the publication of Filippo Tommaso Marinetti's Foundation and Manifesto of Futurism in Le Figaro in 1909 and was a kind of aggressive pastiche of the cubist art then emerging in Paris. English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Prediction Lesson 3 Topic sentences, Field and Stance 5

Topic sentences ANSWERS A In the 1920s other avant-garde movements put photography at the centre of their understanding of the modern world. This sentence is neutral. This sentence is neutral. B This show claims futurism came to terms with photography after the first world war, but it fails to demonstrate that. The word ‘fails’ is a negative evaluation. The word ‘fails’ is a negative evaluation. C Here's yet another celebration of Italian futurism, the modern art movement that began with the publication of Filippo Tommaso Marinetti's Foundation and Manifesto of Futurism in Le Figaro in 1909 and was a kind of aggressive pastiche of the cubist art then emerging in Paris. This sentence too is negative; the words ‘yet another’ imply that there are too many of such celebrations. The words ‘aggressive pastiche’ are not positive. This sentence too is negative; the words ‘yet another’ imply that there are too many of such celebrations. The words ‘aggressive pastiche’ are not positive. English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Prediction Lesson 3 Topic sentences, Field and Stance 6

Topic sentences Sentences A – C are topic sentences. They contain the main information of the paragraph, which supplies other details on the same topic. English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Prediction Lesson 3 Topic sentences, Field and Stance 7

Topic sentences Now read the review and insert each sentence into the correct paragraph. The title of the review is ‘Fascist art with a contentious focus’ A Review of the exhibition ‘Futurism and Photography’, Estorick Collection, London Jonathan Jones, Guardian, Friday February 2, 2001 English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Prediction Lesson 3 Topic sentences, Field and Stance 8

Topic sentences Choose A, B or C to complete the space. A In the 1920s other avant-garde movements put photography at the centre of their understanding of the modern world. B This show claims futurism came to terms with photography after the first world war, but it fails to demonstrate that. C Here's yet another celebration of Italian futurism, the modern art movement that began with the publication of Filippo Tommaso Marinetti's Foundation and Manifesto of Futurism in Le Figaro in 1909 and was a kind of aggressive pastiche of the cubist art then emerging in Paris. Paragraph 1) If you want to silence the movement's critics - those who see Marinetti's enthusiasm for Mussolini as a downside - the way is to emphasise futurism before the first world war: Boccioni's paintings and sculptures exposing the "dynamism" of bodies in space; the paintings of Balla and Severini. This exhibition takes another route, following the relationship between futurism and photography through the 1920s and 1930s, and in the process achieves the opposite of its celebratory intention, as one half-baked "futurist" photograph follows another. English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Prediction Lesson 3 Topic sentences, Field and Stance 9

Topic sentences Choose A, B or C to complete the space. A In the 1920s other avant-garde movements put photography at the centre of their understanding of the modern world. B This show claims futurism came to terms with photography after the first world war, but it fails to demonstrate that. C Here's yet another celebration of Italian futurism, the modern art movement that began with the publication of Filippo Tommaso Marinetti's Foundation and Manifesto of Futurism in Le Figaro in 1909 and was a kind of aggressive pastiche of the cubist art then emerging in Paris. Paragraph 2) The photographs are patchy (irregular) in quality and have no distinctive aesthetic. They mix second-hand montage and double-exposure techniques with soft porn or military subject matter to produce a futurist "look". English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Prediction Lesson 3 Topic sentences, Field and Stance 10

Topic sentences Choose A, B or C to complete the space. A In the 1920s other avant-garde movements put photography at the centre of their understanding of the modern world. B This show claims futurism came to terms with photography after the first world war, but it fails to demonstrate that. C Here's yet another celebration of Italian futurism, the modern art movement that began with the publication of Filippo Tommaso Marinetti's Foundation and Manifesto of Futurism in Le Figaro in 1909 and was a kind of aggressive pastiche of the cubist art then emerging in Paris. Paragraph 3) In Russia, Rodchenko more or less gave up painting for photography, while Man Ray and Brassaï were among the creators of surrealism. There is no futurist innovation in photography to compare to this. The only two post-1920 futurist photographers who hold your eye are Enrico Pedrotti and Wanda Wulz; but Wulz's self-portrait fusing her face with a cat's owes more to Man Ray than Marinetti. With myopic self-confidence, this odd exhibition behaves as if fascism had been a minor aspect of Italian life. Marinetti was a dedicated follower of fascism, and it's hard not to see futurism's attitude to photography as a clue to its true nature. That was what the German radical critic Walter Benjamin thought when he contrasted the democratic, factual art of photography with the romantic aestheticism of Marinetti: to him, futurism and fascism were the same. Looking at its continuation in the 1930s, you see futurism doing its bit for the destruction of humanity. No wonder younger Italian artists rejected the fantasies of futurism and turned to neorealism, with its insistence on truth caught by the film camera. English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Prediction Lesson 3 Topic sentences, Field and Stance 11

Topic sentences ANSWERS Paragraph 1) C Here's yet another celebration of Italian futurism, the modern art movement that began with the publication of Filippo Tommaso Marinetti's Foundation and Manifesto of Futurism in Le Figaro in 1909 and was a kind of aggressive pastiche of the cubist art then emerging in Paris. If you want to silence the movement's critics - those who see Marinetti's enthusiasm for Mussolini as a downside - the way is to emphasise futurism before the first world war: Boccioni's paintings and sculptures exposing the "dynamism" of bodies in space; the paintings of Balla and Severini. Paragraph 2) B This show claims futurism came to terms with photography after the first world war, but it fails to demonstrate that. The photographs are patchy in quality and have no distinctive aesthetic. They mix second-hand montage and double-exposure techniques with soft porn or military subject matter to produce a futurist "look". 3) A In the 1920s other avant-garde movements put photography at the centre of their understanding of the modern world. In Russia, Rodchenko more or less gave up painting for photography, while Man Ray and Brassaï were among the creators of surrealism. There is no futurist innovation in photography to compare to this. The only two post-1920 futurist photographers who hold your eye are Enrico Pedrotti and Wanda Wulz; but Wulz's self-portrait fusing her face with a cat's owes more to Man Ray than Marinetti. English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Prediction Lesson 3 Topic sentences, Field and Stance 12

Perspective Your book discusses perspective, the topic area or field of a text. English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Prediction Lesson 3 Topic sentences, Field and Stance 13

Perspective Can you identify the perspective of ‘Fascist Art with a Contentious Focus’? English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Prediction Lesson 3 Topic sentences, Field and Stance 14

Perspective This text is about a movement in photography. A lot of the vocabulary is specific to this field. Identify these words and expressions. English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Prediction Lesson 3 Topic sentences, Field and Stance 15

Perspective ANSWERS Paragraph 1)Here's yet another celebration of Italian futurism, the modern art movement that began with the publication of Filippo Tommaso Marinetti's Foundation and Manifesto of Futurism in Le Figaro in 1909 and was a kind of aggressive pastiche of the cubist art then emerging in Paris. If you want to silence the movement's critics - those who see Marinetti's enthusiasm for Mussolini as a downside - the way is to emphasise futurism before the first world war: Boccioni's paintings and sculptures exposing the "dynamism" of bodies in space; the paintings of Balla and Severini. Paragraph 2)This show claims futurism came to terms with photography after the first world war, but it fails to demonstrate that. The photographs are patchy in quality and have no distinctive aesthetic. They mix second-hand montage and double-exposure techniques with soft porn or military subject matter to produce a futurist "look". Paragraph 3) In the 1920s other avant-garde movements put photography at the centre of their understanding of the modern world. In Russia, Rodchenko more or less gave up painting for photography, while Man Ray and Brassaï were among the creators of surrealism. There is no futurist innovation in photography to compare to this. The only two post-1920 futurist photographers who hold your eye are Enrico Pedrotti and Wanda Wulz; but Wulz's self-portrait fusing her face with a cat's owes more to Man Ray than Marinetti. Paragraph 4) With myopic self-confidence, this odd exhibition behaves as if fascism had been a minor aspect of Italian life. Marinetti was a dedicated follower of fascism, and it's hard not to see futurism's attitude to photography as a clue to its true nature. That was what the German radical critic Walter Benjamin thought when he contrasted the democratic, factual art of photography with the romantic aestheticism of Marinetti: to him, futurism and fascism were the same. Looking at its continuation in the 1930s, you see futurism doing its bit for the destruction of humanity. No wonder younger Italian artists rejected the fantasies of futurism and turned to neorealism, with its insistence on truth caught by the film camera. English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Prediction Lesson 3 Topic sentences, Field and Stance 16

Stance Your book discusses stance, or the writer’s personal attitude or opinion of what s/he is writing about. English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Prediction Lesson 3 Topic sentences, Field and Stance 17

Stance A review typically contains evaluative language. We have seen the examples of the words ‘yet another’, ‘aggressive pastiche’ and ‘fails’ in the topic sentences. Look at Paragraphs 2 and 4 again and identify more words which show the writer’s stance. English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Prediction Lesson 3 Topic sentences, Field and Stance 18

Stance ANSWERS Paragraph 2) This show claims futurism came to terms with photography after the first world war, but it fails to demonstrate that. The photographs are patchy in quality and have no distinctive aesthetic. They mix second-hand montage and double-exposure techniques with soft porn or military subject matter to produce a futurist "look". Paragraph 4 With myopic self-confidence, this odd exhibition behaves as if fascism had been a minor aspect of Italian life. Marinetti was a dedicated follower of fascism, and it's hard not to see futurism's attitude to photography as a clue to its true nature. That was what the German radical critic Walter Benjamin thought when he contrasted the democratic, factual art of photography with the romantic aestheticism of Marinetti: to him, futurism and fascism were the same. Looking at its continuation in the 1930s, you see futurism doing its bit for the destruction of humanity. No wonder younger Italian artists rejected the fantasies of futurism and turned to neorealism, with its insistence on truth caught by the film camera. English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Prediction Lesson 3 Topic sentences, Field and Stance 19