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CITY WALLS ARE HIS CANVAS ...
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CITY WALLS ARE HIS CANVAS
The works of some of today’s most gifted and exciting artists are not hanging in famous museums. Instead, you can find these works on the walls of an old railroad station or an empty church. The Belgian artist Roa has been painting on walls for more than fifteen years. No one knows the identity of Roa or his real name. Although the art is familiar to urban residents around the world, the artist is very private, so not much is known about him. You might expect an artist like this to be somewhat eccentric or difficult, but in a recent interview published online, Roa was energetic, friendly, and eager to talk.
In the interview, he described his early years and the influences on his art. He listened to a lot of American rock and hip-hop music when he was young. His favorite artists included Jimi Hendrix, Wu Tang Clan, Led Zeppelin, and the Beastie Boys. He says that music helps him paint even today. He was also fascinated by the graffiti and urban street art that were and still are an important part of hip-hop culture.
Roa is a passionate artist who often completes his work under difficult and even dangerous conditions. On the day of one interview, the weather was very cold and windy as he climbed a thirty-foot ladder to begin his painting. He is best known for large outdoor paintings of animals, especially rats, squirrels, rabbits, birds, and other urban animals that live near humans. He picks animals that are familiar to the people who live in the area where he paints. If there are a lot of squirrels in the area, he paints a squirrel; if there are chickens, he paints a rooster. He says he wants to tell the story of the place where he paints and that story includes animals. What’s fascinating is the different reactions to his paintings. Fans around the world are amazed by his paintings. People also associate the animals with the communities, and this sometimes upsets the residents in a community, especially if the animal is a rat!
Roa usually paints on old walls and buildings, places that in Roa’s words “have been left behind.” He paints directly on the walls without sketching anything first. He just paints from an image in his head. He uses mostly black, white, and gray in his paintings, and sometimes a little bit of red to show the inside as well as the outside of animals. Many of the animals in his paintings have their eyes closed. Although people often assume these animals are dead, Roa says he likes to think that they are sleeping peacefully. He says these are the animals that remain when humans leave the area.
Residents of cities all over the world, including London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Mexico City, and Paris, have been enjoying Roa’s art for years. What Roa loves about this kind of urban art is the freedom to paint what and where he wants. So, you won’t find his paintings in rich neighborhoods. Instead, you will find them in places that have been left behind.
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1 Why do people sometimes disagree with Roa’s choice of animals?
a. because the animal he selects doesn’t live in their community
b. because they are worried that the painting will attract too much attention
c. because they don’t want their community to be represented by the animal
2. Why does Roa use a little bit of red in his paintings?
a. to provide a view inside an animal
b. to show a contrast with black and white
c. to make his paintings more interesting