Niki de Saint Phalle, one of the most famous artists of the 20th century, was a French-American born in 1930. She was brought up in a very conservative family, and yet she rejected the conservative values of her family to pursue a career in painting. Her rebelliousness created a series of conflicts with her family, which led to a nervous breakdown at age 23.
Fortunately, painting offered her an effective treatment and a way to develop as an artist. Her famous “Nana” series gained universal praise. It is evidence to the glory of women. The series is mostly composed of life-size dolls(娃娃) of women in various roles such as brides and new mothers. Some of these sculptures are very big so that men would look small next to them. She used vivid colors in these works and her female subjects dance cheerfully and merrily. Through these joyful and powerful images of Nana, the artist sends a positive message to all women.
Saint Phalle’s sculptural park, “The Tarot Garden,” inspired by Tarot cards, is situated in the Italian province of Tuscany. Work on the garden began in 1979, and it was officially opened to the public in May, 1998. The park contains sculptures of the symbols found on Tarot cards. The brightly colored combinations of buildings and sculptures reflect the special qualities represented by the 22 main tarot cards. The sculptures, however, have nothing to do with fortune telling. Instead, the works focus on the elements of life experience, personality, and self-knowledge that the cards refer to.
Saint Phalle passed away on May 21, 2002, in San Diego, California, at the age of 71. Her death meant the loss of a woman of diverse creative talents.
【小题1】What does the underlined “rebelliousness” in paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．An attitude towards life. | B．Determination to succeed. |
| C．Unwillingness to obey rules. | D．A perspective different from others. |
| A．Saint Phalle’s series “Nana”. | B．Saint Phalle’s various roles. |
| C．Skills used in Saint Phalle’s works. | D．The variety of Saint Phalle’s female subjects. |
| A．There are 22 sculptures altogether. |
| B．They are associated with fortune telling. |
| C．They are modeled on the symbols of Tarot cards. |
| D．They display women’s personality and self-knowledge. |
| A．Innovative. | B．Critical. | C．Tolerant. | D．Selfless. |
