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Distinguished Baltimore artist John D．Ferguson died September 16. The Catonsville resident was 81.
“His artist eye was in everything he did. His life was art and his family，” said Jennifer C. Jackson, who was Mr Ferguson's friend for nearly three decades.“He was a lovable man who was always willing to talk about any topic he was interested in. At shows, people would go crazy for his work，” Ms Jackson said. “He was also an enthusiastic sailor who loved nothing more than being on the water.” “His sculptures were just memorable，” said Mr Lund, a Washingtonian. “I used to say, ‘Ferguson, I don't think you know how to do anything that is less than monumental.’”
Mr Ferguson earned a bachelor's degree in 1961 at Holy Cross University, where he developed an interest in painting. He served in the army for two years until being discharged in 1963, and after studying briefly at the Boston Museum School, registered at the Chicago Art Institute, where he studied until 1966, when he entered the University of Illinois Chicago, where he obtained a bachelor's degree in 1966 in fine arts. Mr Ferguson developed his interest and skills as a sculptor after moving to Baltimore to do further studies at the Maryland Institute College of Art's Rinehart School of Sculpture, from which he graduated in 1971 with a master's degree in fine arts.
“Over the years my work has moved gradually in the direction of elegance and simplicity，” Mr Ferguson wrote in his artist statement. “Heavy, bulbous forms have been replaced by dancing, winglike forms.” The welding process and respect for the qualities of the materials are interrelated and affect the final piece. “Most of the sculptures that are pictured in my works are made from steel, silicon bronze, and to Cor-Ten steel; shaped to create these beautiful and unique pieces of art. As you can see, my sculptures range in size anywhere from 12 inches to 30 feet or larger.”
Through the years, his work found its way into such major public and private collections. “They encourage optimism, for they show strength and affirmation; there's nothing negative, depressing or anxiety-ridden about them，” wrote the late art critic John Dorsey in a 1997 exhibition review.
语篇解读：本文是一篇记叙文。文章主要介绍了著名雕塑家John D. Ferguson的个人经历和作品特点等情况。
1．What did Mr Lund think of Ferguson?
A．Likeable. B．Ordinary.
C．Unwelcome. D．Interesting.
解析：选A 推理判断题。根据第二段最后两句可推知，Lund先生认为Ferguson令人喜爱。
2．What did Mr Ferguson do first after serving in the army?
A．He studied at the Boston Museum School.
B．He got a bachelor's degree in fine arts.
C．He entered the University of Illinois Chicago.
D．He continued his studies at the Maryland Institute College.
解析：选A 细节理解题。根据第三段第二句可知，Ferguson在军队服役后做的第一件事是在波士顿博物馆学校学习。
3．What influences the final sculptures?
A．An even larger scale than before.
B．The material comprised of metals.
C．The shape of elegance and simplicity.
D．Welding process as well as material quality.
解析：选D 细节理解题。根据倒数第二段第三句可知，焊接工艺及材料质量影响了最后的雕塑。
4．Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?
A．A stylish, stubborn old man
B．Sculptures towering into the clouds
C．John D．Ferguson — a famous sculpturer
D．The evolution of the sculptural style
解析：选C 标题归纳题。根据第一段并结合全文可知，本文主要介绍了著名雕塑家John D. Ferguson的个人经历和作品特点等情况。
