There's a book called
Painting Outside The Lines: Patterns of creativity in modern art (David W.
Galenson. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2001. $29.95. ISBN 0 674
00612 7)
that goes into the ages at which painters in the impressionist and abstract
expressionist schools did their most valued work (the question of evaluation
being part of the argument). What Douglas says is, in broad & general terms,
supported by Galenson, but it is the exceptions who tend to be the most
highly valued; also, an important issue is the age at which the artist began
focusing on art -- people with later starts showed a similar trajectory,
only displaced in time, which suggests that the voyage is as important as
the destination.
P
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Poetryetc provides a venue for a dialogue relating to
> poetry and poetics [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
> Behalf Of Joanna Boulter
> Sent: 03 July 2005 20:37
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: poem
>
> > Another thing to tell you about poetry is that it is
> reckoned that if
> > you havent written something notable by the age of
> twentyfive you are
> > unlikely to do it later.
>
> Sorry, Douglas, I can't let that go. I feel compelled to say
> that in my view this is a very dangerous generalisation. In
> fact, I roundly disagree with it. For a start, it's not
> true.Furthermore, I reckon that as a concept it's done a
> great deal of harm to people who believe it and therefore
> think it's not worth their while trying to or continuing to write.
>
> > And signing off I would say that if you have the
> inspiration you dont
> > think much about who will read what you write.
>
> I'll go along with this. Though I hope you're not saying that
> anyone who loses their nerve due to that first statement
> never had the inspiration in the first place!
>
> best joanna
>
|