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 Administrator
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#34742
Complete Question Explanation
(See the complete passage discussion here: lsat/viewtopic.php?t=12785)

The correct answer choice is (E)

It is inefficient to develop a prephrase for the correct answer to this question, because the correct answer choice will describe something that the author would not agree with, which could be any one of a number of statements. Instead, focus on eliminating answer choices that are consistent with the author’s view.

Answer choice (A): In the second paragraph, the author told us that we can suspend our disbelief when we look at a narrative painting, but not when we look at a narrative photograph. A painting is a less realistic medium than a photograph, so we can infer that the author would agree with this statement.

Answer choice (B): We know that the author agrees with this statement, because the author thinks that it is the amateurish quality of Cameron’s work, as distinguished from the seamless nature of Rejlander’s work, that gives it unique vitality and charm.

Answer choice (C): In this case, the author considers Cameron’s use of everyday items as props (e.g., broomsticks used to represent oars) to be an incongruity, but it is that very incongruity that gives her photographs their peculiar charm.

Answer choice (D): In the second paragraph, the author told us that theater can—“at least some of the time”—help us to suspend our belief, so the author would agree with this statement.

Answer choice (E): This is the correct answer choice because the author implied that Cameron did not intend her photographs to be humorous or amateurish. Yet, these qualities combined with the pictures’ artistry are what make Cameron’s work charming and vital. So, the author would say, at least in Cameron’s case, that her work succeeded because it failed to realize her intentions.
 graceli17
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#60311
Hi,

Where in the passage does the author imply Cameron did not intend for her photographs to be this way? Thanks!
 Rachael Wilkenfeld
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#60436
Hi graceli17,

If we look at the passage, around line 15, we see that the author doesn't believe that the artist was successful. "If Cameron had succeeded in her project of making seamless works of illustrative art, her work would be among the curiosities....rather than among its most vital images." From this we can see that the author doesn't think that Cameron's art was successful only to the extent that it was realizing her intentions, because it describes the success as being due to Cameron's art failing to realize her intentions.

Hope that helps!
Rachael
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 Albertlyu
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#79068
Rachael Wilkenfeld wrote:Hi graceli17,

If we look at the passage, around line 15, we see that the author doesn't believe that the artist was successful. "If Cameron had succeeded in her project of making seamless works of illustrative art, her work would be among the curiosities....rather than among its most vital images." From this we can see that the author doesn't think that Cameron's art was successful only to the extent that it was realizing her intentions, because it describes the success as being due to Cameron's art failing to realize her intentions.

Hope that helps!
Rachael
thanks, Rachael, could you please elaborate further? as I could not find the place where the author discussed C's intention, rather just gave a comparison to indicate C's works are among its most vital images.
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 KelseyWoods
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#79811
Hi Albert!

Cameron's intentions are right at the beginning of that sentence: "If Cameron had succeeded in her project of making seamless works of illustrative art, her work would be among the curiosities of Victorian photography—like Oscar Gustave Rejlander’s extravagantly awful The Two Ways of Life—rather than among its most vital images.".

Cameron's "project" = her "intent." Cameron intended to make seamless works of illustrative art. The author says she did not succeed at this and that, if she had, her work would have been a mere curiosity rather than some of the most vital images of Victorian photography. So the author is basically saying that Cameron's art is successful as art because she did not succeed in realizing her intentions. If she had succeeded in realizing her intentions (making seamless works of illustrative art), her art would not have been successful (among the most vital images of Victorian photography).

Hope this helps!

Best,
Kelsey

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