7.
Compare how the writers of Text One and Text Two present ideas and perspectives about the
importance of art.
A Personal Journey in Art Education is adapted from an essay by Dr Peter Gregory whereas Teen opinion: why
art is so important has been adapted from an article by Safah. Bothe the extracts have been written for people
who like art. Both the texts are written to inform and entertain the audience by conveying information about arts.
A Personal Journey in Art Education describes his experiences of studying and teaching art whereas Teen
opinion: why art is so important explains her passion for art.
In the first text, the writer has used descriptive words like ‘shaped’ and ‘affected’ to explain how art has changed
his life overall whereas in text two, the writer used powerful adjectives like ‘massive’ and verbs like ‘baffles’ to
elaborate the importance of art in her life. Though both texts' main concern is art and its impact, the first text is
more focused into the writer’s personal life and how he was affected by art. Nonetheless, the writer in the second
text talks more about how important art has been in her life.
Moreover in the first text, the writer mentions his affection for art by mentioning various examples from his past
life that shows his feelings for art. Here he mentions, ‘I enjoyed drawing, painting and making things from a
very young age’ which clearly explains his affection to art from a very early stage of his life. He also mentions ‘I
can still vividly recall the images that I encountered at a local art exhibition’ showing his affection for art.
This clearly illustrates the writer’s interest and positive mindset for art. Whereas in the second text writers' love
for art was also crystal clear. Here she mentions, ‘art is crucial for young people, as a medium for expression,
passion and emotion, and a means of challenging ourselves and the world around us’. However, the first text
is more personalized feelings of the writer as he uses Personal pronoun ‘I’ whereas the second text is more
generalized for everyone giving a feeling of advice or suggestion. Also the first text has a collection of memories
from the writer's past life and therefore the use of past tense is evident here whereas the latter text focuses on the
universal impact of art on people and therefore written in present tense mostly.
Furthermore, the writer in the first text talks about his ability to create models and objects from papier-mâché
which is a mixture of torn paper and glue which can be moulded into different shapes showing his interest in a
variety of art work. He uses adverbs such as ‘absolutely’ and adjectives like ‘embraced’ to portray his true feeling
for art work. While in the second text the writer gives an example of the creation of famous artist Picasso to prove
the value of good quality creative art work in the society. She even uses statistical data to back her argument where
she mentioned the price of the greatest work by Picasso called ‘Dora Maar with Cat’ which was sold for ninety
five thousand dollars. However, the first text is more about the extraordinary creativity of arts by the artists
whereas the latter text is more into facts and evidence of quality artworks.
The writers from both the texts have used different descriptive words like adjectives and a few adverbs to show
their perspectives about the importance of art. They both have used powerful words relevant to the main focus of
both the extracts which is the importance of art in our life. Both the texts are personal accounts and show the use
of positive language throughout.
Both the text used subtitles to introduce the main purpose of the text which is the importance of art. Both the
writers have used fabulous writing techniques to illustrate their thoughts regarding the importance of art with
their own individuality.
Prepared by Mohammad Mamun Morshed (Amit), Senior English Teacher, Sir John Wilson School
Responses may include the following points:
Text One • states the writer’s attitude in the first paragraph: ‘fully convinced of the importance of art and
design’ • explains how he became interested in art: ‘began to see the value of art’, ‘the very first time’ •
the writer uses positive language to capture this experience: ‘like walking into another dimension’, ‘never
imagined’, ‘major influence’ • makes positive points about his teachers: ‘an enthusiastic student teacher’,
‘the willingness of my teachers’, ‘prized’, ‘he was prepared to allow us’ • he talks about different art
forms: ‘papier-mâché’, ‘painting’, ‘ceramics’ • he writes about his teaching career: ‘applying my interests’,
‘observed the transformation’ • asks questions at the end.
General points candidates may make on the whole of Text One • first-person account/personal story
• fairly formal style • the use of positive language throughout.
Text Two • uses a very direct opening: ‘Anyone who’s been within ten feet of me’ • shows a strong
support for the study of art: ‘popular choice at GCSE’, ‘great introduction to creative industries’ • is
enthusiastic in identifying the positive aspects of art: ‘as close to immortality’ • the use of questions:
‘What is art actually supposed to be?’ • expresses clear opinions: ‘I’m quite firmly against’, ‘I came to truly
love the subject’ • uses a specific artist ‘Picasso’ to demonstrate her attitudes and enthusiasm • shows
that art is accessible to all: ‘read about it’, ‘create it’, ‘or appreciate it’.
General points candidates may make on the whole of Text Two • first-person account•
informal/colloquial style • the use of positive language and examples throughout.
Points of comparison • Text One is from an adult perspective/Text Two is from a teenage perspective •
Text One is looking back at experiences of art education/Text Two is about the writer’s passion for art •
Text One is almost autobiographical and persuasive/Text Two is discursive and persuasive • both texts
stress the importance of art • both texts use positive language and examples • both texts aim to persuade
the reader that art is important • both texts clearly convey the writers’ ideas and perspectives.
Prepared by Mohammad Mamun Morshed (Amit), Senior English Teacher, Sir John Wilson School
