 |
 |
I used to think that I could separate the young poets who really had something from the utterly talentless. A lot of years later I've seen too many of the unformed but interesting fail to develop or develop into mediocre and the utterly talentless blossom into wonders. I try to be helpful, but one can't predict the necessary stubbornness, nor luck, nor brain chemistry. Which is in no way to denigrate the energy to run off in five directions simultaneously, to leapfrog over one's own conclusions, to discover constantly. It was an ecstatic experience, with all the terrors associated with exstasy, and it's a great spectator sport. But it's nice to have a pretty good sense that when I enter a liminal state I'm likely to emerge intact, however changed. Mark At 11:07 AM 8/26/2009, you wrote: >Certainly I disagree with the "probably more likely" part, and I >have my doubts about the "as likely" part as well. But it's not easy >to measure, since subjectivity is inevitable, even one's own >wandering taste. Do I prefer late Beethoven to the works of his 30s? >Usually, but not always.Likewise late Shakespeare, Milton, Williams, >Rembrandt, Rothko. > >Sometimes it's easier. My own work in my twenties was crap, the >quality pretty sporadic in my thirties. > >Mark > >At 02:35 AM 8/26/2009, you wrote: >>Which statement is that, Mark: "You are as likely, and probably >>more likely, to do your best work in your 20s and 30s than at any >>other age." Do you disagree? >>Mairead >> >>On Wed, Aug 26, 2009 at 2:22 AM, Mark Weiss >><<mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]> wrote: >>A few years ago, there was a big exhibition of 20th century art at >>the very substantial museum in my school. It was spread out over >>many rooms, and I added up the ages of the artists showing in each >>room to get an average age of the successful 20th century artists >>at the time they made the work shown: it was 34. Okay, that's not >>22. But you are as likely, and probably more likely, to do your >>best work in your 20s and 30s than at any other age. >> >> >> >>That's quite a statement to make on the basis of a very small >>sample, all of it one curator's choices made under the usual >>constraints. The life-rhythms of artists (in any genre) are >>extraordinarily varied, but there are an awful lot of them who have >>produced great art throughout their lives and transcendent work in >>old age (those lucky enough to live that long). >> >>Mark