Question

lee quiñones
icon of the new york subway art movement
lee quiñones is a puerto rican artist who first gained recognition for his graffiti pieces
painted on new york subway cars. born in 1960 in ponce, puerto rico, quiñones later
moved to the lower east side of new york, new york, where he was raised. as a teenager
in the late 1970s and 1980s, he started \tagging\ subway cars. at the time, graffiti was often
denounced as mere vandalism. during that period, new york city was struggling through a

time of economic and political instability and was on the verge of bankruptcy.
new yorks turnoil led to an era of \white flight\ - a term expressing a mass exodus of
caucasians. many who remained were of black, latino, and asian communities. the work of
quiñones, like that of many street artists of his generation - most of whom came from black
and latino, especially puerto rican, dominican, and cuban communities - was rooted in
revolutionary sentiments. it tended to touch on matters of race, class, and gender. the
street art community was linked to subcultures in hip - hop, punk, and other new wave
movements, which used the streets as a forum for their own expression and discontent with
the status quo. quiñones work, like the work of many great street artists, emphasized a
social and political message of protest - through imagery, symbols, composition, phrases,
and also through embracing materials and venues that were not considered appropriate in
the mainstream political or art scene. most of quiñones early works survive only through
sketches and instamatic photographs from that time.
3 in his early years, quiñones often painted by moonlight he used paint markers, spray paint,

read the subtitle of lee quiñones.
icon of the new york subway art movement
which two excerpts from the text help to explain the meaning of the word icon?
a. as a teenager in the late 1970s and 1980s, he started tagging subway cars. at the time,
graffiti was often denounced as mere vandalism.
b. he used paint markers, spray paint, and alcohol to create wild, fantastical, often jarring
compositions which directly questioned and criticized the vietnam war.
c. additionally, he painted stationary murals to voice local concerns and boost morale in
some of the citys most neglected neighborhoods.
d. by the mid - 1980s, he was holding gallery exhibitions. he went on to collaborate on graphic
design for legendary street - style brands such as supreme and adidas.
e. quiñones and street artists like him created a forum and a medium for urban communities
to reflect on culture, society, politics, religion, even art itself when few public avenues were
open to them.

Explanation:

• Option A: The text states "in the late 1970s and 1980s, he started 'tagging' subway cars. At the time, graffiti was often denounced as mere vandalism." This shows how graffiti (tagging) was seen as vandalism (negative connotation) which helps explain the meaning of "icon" (as something that represents a movement, here the subway art movement which had a start - graffiti being seen as vandalism initially).
• Option E: "Quinones and street artists like him created a forum and a medium for urban communities... social and political message of protest—through imagery, symbols, composition, phrases, and also through embracing materials and venues that were not considered appropriate in the mainstream political or art scene." This indicates that the work of artists like Quinones (part of the subway art movement) became representative (like an icon) of urban communities' expression, thus helping to explain the meaning of "icon".

Answer:

A. As a teenager in the late 1970s and 1980s, he started "tagging" subway cars. At the time, graffiti was often denounced as mere vandalism.
E. Quinones and street artists like him created a forum and a medium for urban communities to reflect on culture, society, politics, religion, even art itself when few public avenues were open to them.