You don't have to be Squillionaire to buy Art Reading Answers

Amrit Raj

Sep 16, 2024

You don't have to be squillionaire to buy art Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. You don't have to be squillionaire to buy art Reading Answers has a total of 13 IELTS questions in total. In the questions set there are questions where you have to fill in the blanks with correct answers. The next set of questions require you to choose the correct paragraph as a answer.

Candidates should read the IELTS Reading passage thoroughly to recognize synonyms, identify keywords, and answer the questions below. IELTS Reading practice papers feature topics such as You don't have to be squillionaire to buy art Reading Answers. Candidates can use IELTS reading practice questions and answers to enhance their performance in the reading section.

Section 1

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A SQUILLIONAIRE TO BUY ART

You don't have to spend millions of pounds to buy an original piece of art.

It's no longer just famous names who are selling their works. A growing number of art fairs and online marketplaces mean new artists starting out are also able to reach buyers well beyond their home markets. 'It's just a crazy time at the moment, says Alex Rotter, chairman of post-war and contemporary art at auction house Christie's, apologising for his late call. We manage to speak just days before he kicks off the auction house's New York sale of 26 contemporary art works from husband-and-wife property development duo Jerry and Emily Spiegel.

This kind of single-owner collection 'gathered with one breath', as Mr Rotter describes it, is rare. The sale includes famous works by Christopher Wool and Sigmar Polke. With these 2 pieces valued at $20m (£155m) each, the 26 works are expected to raise $100m in total. While the collection is being sold in New York, the top pieces have already been on a mini-world tour - travelling to Hong Kong, London and Los Angeles in a bid to drum up international interest. 'If you commit to buying a painting worth thousands of dollars then you want to see it first, says Mr Rotter. Global art and antique sales totalled $57b last year, down 11 per cent on 2015, with the US dominating the marketplace, closely followed by the UK and China. On a practical level, this means that delicate and often precious paintings have to travel thousands of miles without being damaged. The value of Leonardo da Vinci's Lady with Ermine painting was considered so great that when it was sent from its Polish home to the US, it was reportedly given its own first-class plane seat, as well as an armed guard to make sure it reached its destination intact. While this kind of treatment is exceptional, valuable paintings are typically transported in expensive protective crates complete with detectors to monitor humidity and temperature levels.

British artist Paul West says that when he secured his first sale through an online marketplace Artfinder to a buyer in Australia, his initial reaction was a joyous 'yes', followed by a sinking realization that he now had to get the piece there safely. In the 3 years since he joined the website, Mr West has sold around 47 paintings, with almost a third of these to buyers in the US and Australia. He recommends lots of bubble wrap and masking tape, and to tape sponge onto the corners. So far his worst mishap has been a hold-up at customs, which meant a painting took a month rather than a week to reach its destination. For the 52-year-old, selling outside the UK has broadened his opportunities. 'Access to the global market is a massive plus. I was producing work I was pleased with, but apart from art fairs, it was quite hard to be seen, he says.

Artfinder founder and chief executive Jonas Almgren set up the service in 2013 He wanted to provide independent artists such as Mr West, who weren't already represented by a gallery, with a place to sell their work. The online marketplace now features artists from 108 countries, with customers similarly global. Originally a Silicon Valley software engineer, Mr Almgren subsequently spent a decade working in high-end galleries in New York, where a painting under $10,000 was considered affordable. He says his experience taught him that most artists 'just didn't have a chance' to succeed, and he wanted to change this. The company has given him an insight into how global tastes differ. While landscape and abstract paintings are popular everywhere, the UK particularly likes paintings of cats and dogs, he says. In contrast, US buyers prefer portraits and typically buy bigger paintings, probably because they tend to have bigger homes. The pound's current weakness against the dollar also means that US buyers can afford to spend more on UK art. But the most important thing, says Mr Almgren, is that his firm tries to cater for all tastes. 'A gallery always has a very strong taste. We've taken that model and turned it upside down, he says. Rise Art has similar ambitions to shake up the existing market. Set up in 2011, the start-up focuses on online sales, with prices from £200 to £30,000. While online sales remain a small part of the overall global art market - less than 10 per cent - reports suggest it's a growing area.

But founder and chief executive Scott Phillips admits that no matter how good the virtual images are, an artwork 'always looks better in the flesh. To help buyers' confidence, the site enables them to rent artworks and live with a piece before committing. The firm is much more selective than Artfinder, accepting only 1 per cent to 5 per cent of the artists who apply to sell via the site. Rise Art also charges a higher commission of 40 per cent. Mr Phillips says websites like his are part of a new, more sensitive wave of disruptive firms. Mr Phillips says firms. Unlike eBay and Amazon, which, he says, have commoditized products and been 'a destructive power in some ways', Rise Art 'celebrates creativity, giving artists a new vehicle for selling and showcasing -Stair work. While he's cagey on precise numbers, the firm now ships to 40 countries and revenue for the first 3 months of this year was 1.10 per cent higher than a vear ago.

Questions 14-18

Fill in the blanks using FIVE of the options given.

  1. The author believes that a growing number of art fairs and online market places mean ............ artists are able to reach buyers well beyond their home markets.

Answer: NEW 

Supporting statement: “........A growing number of art fairs and online marketplaces mean new artists starting out are also able to reach buyers well beyond their home markets.......”

Keywords: number, buyers 

Keyword Location: para 1, Line 2

Explanation: The passage clearly mentions that "new artists starting out" are now able to reach buyers beyond their local areas, thanks to online platforms and art fairs. Hence, the correct answer is NEW.

  1. This kind of single-owner collection

Answer: RARE

Supporting statement: “........This kind of single-owner collection 'gathered with one breath,' as Mr Rotter describes it, is rare.......”

Keywords: single, rare

Keyword Location: para 2, Line 4

Explanation: The passage discusses the Spiegel couple's single-owner art collection and mentions that such collections, amassed by one person or family, are considered rare. The term "rare" here highlights the uniqueness of a collection built by a single owner. Thus, RARE is the correct answer.

  1. High-end galleries in New York, where a painting under $10,000 was

considered .....

Answer: AFFORDABLE

Supporting statement: “.......In high-end galleries in New York, where a painting under $10,000 was considered affordable........”

Keywords: high, affordable

Keyword Location: para 5, Line 4

Explanation: The passage talks about high-end galleries in New York, stating that paintings priced under $10,000 were regarded as affordable in such establishments. This reflects the expensive nature of these galleries, where even relatively high prices are considered reasonable.

  1. Unlike Artfinder, Rise Art is more selective accepting only ....... of the artists.

Answer: 1 PERCENT TO 5 PERCENT

Supporting statement: “........Rise Art also charges a higher commission of 40 per cent. The firm is much more selective than Artfinder, accepting only 1 per cent to 5 per cent of the artists who apply........”

Keywords: selective, Artfinder

Keyword Location: para 8, Line 3

Explanation: The passage compares Rise Art with Artfinder, emphasizing that Rise Art is more selective and only accepts 1 percent to 5 percent of artists who apply to showcase their work. The passage highlights the stricter selection criteria of Rise Art. 

  1. In the 3 years since he joined the .......... Mr West has sold around 47 paintings, with almost a third of these to buyers in the US and AustraliA. 

Answer: WEBSITE

Supporting statement: “.......In the 3 years since he joined the website, Mr West has sold around 47 paintings, with almost a third of these to buyers in the US and Australia........”

Keywords: years, buyers 

Keyword Location: para 4, Line 6

Explanation: The passage explains that Paul West joined an online marketplace (referred to as a website) to sell his artwork. Over three years, he managed to sell 47 paintings, with many going to international buyers.

1 per cent to 5 per cent $10,000 new common
website firm more identical
rare equal affordable Similar

Questions 19-20

Do the following statements match the author's claims in Reading Passage 2?

Yes - if the statement matches the claim(s) of the author

No - if the statement contradicts what the author claims

Not Given - if it is impossible to say what the author thinks about this.

  1. Only the famous artists can sell their work in art fairs and online

Answer: NO

Supporting statement: “.......A growing number of art fairs and online marketplaces mean new artists starting out are also able to reach buyers well beyond their home markets........”

Keywords: artists, buyers 

Keyword Location: para 1, Line 2

Explanation: The passage clearly states that new artists are also able to sell their work through these platforms, not just famous ones. Hence, the statement contradicts the author’s claim, making the correct answer NO.

  1. In order to reach home markets beyond home markets, precious paintings have to

travel thousands of miles without damaged.

Answer: YES

Supporting statement: “........Delicate and often precious paintings have to travel thousands of miles without being damaged.......”

Keywords: thousands, damaged

Keyword Location: para 3, Line 5

Explanation: The passage mentions that valuable artworks often need to travel great distances without suffering damage when sold internationally. The importance of protecting the artwork during transport is stressed.

Questions 21-23

Do the following statements match the author's claims in Reading Passage 2?

Yes - if the statement matches the claims) of the author

No - if the statement contradicts what the author claims

Not Given - if it is impossible to say what the author thinks about this.

  1. British artist Paul West secured his first sale through an art exhibition to a buyer

who lived in Australia.

Answer: NO

Supporting statement: “........British artist Paul West says that when he secured his first sale through an online marketplace Artfinder to a buyer in Australia.......”

Keywords: 

Keyword Location: para 4, Line 1

Explanation: The passage explicitly states that Paul West's first sale was through an online marketplace, not an exhibition. Therefore, the statement is incorrect, and the correct answer is NO.

  1. Rise Art's website enables the buyers to rent artworks and live with a piece before actually buying it.

Answer: YES

Supporting statement: “.......To help buyers' confidence, the site enables them to rent artworks and live with a piece before committing........”

Keywords: artworks, piece 

Keyword Location: para 8, Line 2

Explanation: The passage confirms that Rise Art allows buyers to rent artwork before making a purchase, giving them the chance to live with the art and decide if they want to buy it. Hence, the correct answer is YES.

  1. While prices can be as high as £5,000 for a single painting, the AAF's average selling price in the UK is £600.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Explanation: The text does not provide any information about the average selling price of art at the AAF in the UK, so the correct answer is NOT GIVEN.

Questions 24-26

Choose THREE letters.

Which THREE of the following points have been covered in the passage?

Answer: B

Supporting statement: “.......It's no longer just famous names who are selling their works........”

Keywords: longer, famous 

Keyword Location: para 1, Line 2

Explanation: The passage states that new artists are able to sell their works beyond their local markets, not just wealthy or famous artists. Therefore, B is a correct point.

Answer: D

Supporting statement: “.......Artfinder founder and chief executive Jonas Almgren set up the service in 2013... with a place to sell their work........”

Keywords: founder, sell 

Keyword Location: para 5, Line 1

Explanation: The passage highlights how platforms like Artfinder provide an opportunity for new artists to both showcase and sell their artwork, supporting the idea that these platforms are a critical part of the modern art market. Thus, D is a correct answer.

Answer: F

Supporting statement: “.......In contrast, US buyers prefer portraits and typically buy bigger paintings........”

Keywords: contrast, paintings

Keyword Location: para 6, Line 5

Explanation: The passage points out that buyers from the US tend to favor larger paintings and portraits, reflecting their purchasing habits. Therefore, F is covered in the passage.

  1. How to be an artist.
  2. Art is no longer exclusively for the extremely rich people.
  3. How artists are being exploited by the start-ups.
  4. New online marketplaces are a platform for the new artists to showcase as well as sell their work.
  5. The relationship between artist and art.
  6. US buyers prefer portraits and typical buy bigger paintings.

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