The work of Kiowa painter T.C. Cannon derives its power in part from the tension among his _______ influences: classic...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The work of Kiowa painter T.C. Cannon derives its power in part from the tension among his _______ influences: classic European portraiture, with its realistic treatment of faces; the American pop art movement, with its vivid colors; and flatstyle, the intertribal painting style that rejects the effect of depth typically achieved through shading and perspective.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
complementary
unknown
disparate
interchangeable
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'The work of Kiowa painter T.C. Cannon derives its power in part from the tension among his' |
|
| '______' |
|
| 'influences: classic European portraiture, with its realistic treatment of faces;' |
|
| 'the American pop art movement, with its vivid colors;' |
|
| 'and flatstyle, the intertribal painting style that rejects the effect of depth typically achieved through shading and perspective.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: T.C. Cannon's artistic power stems from the creative tension between three different artistic influences.
Argument Flow: The passage introduces T.C. Cannon and explains his power comes from tension among his influences, then lists three specific artistic styles that clearly have different approaches and characteristics.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- Looking at our analysis, we have three influences that are quite different from each other: European portraiture focuses on realistic treatment, Pop art emphasizes vivid colors, and Flatstyle specifically rejects traditional depth techniques
- The word we need should capture how these three styles are different from each other, especially since the passage mentions they create tension
- When artistic styles create tension, it's usually because they have conflicting approaches or characteristics
- So the right answer should describe influences that are different, contrasting, or varied in nature
complementary
- Suggests the influences work together harmoniously, which contradicts the passage's emphasis on tension between them
unknown
- Nothing in the passage suggests these influences are unknown
- The passage specifically names and describes each influence
disparate
- Means different in kind; not able to be compared; unrelated
- This perfectly captures how European portraiture, pop art, and flatstyle represent very different artistic approaches and explains why these influences would create tension
interchangeable
- Suggests the influences could be substituted for one another, which contradicts the specific, distinct characteristics given for each style