Janet Kaiser on sun 12 aug 01
> I read once, somewhere long ago, in another life,
that of all the
> "professions", Artists are the only group to
regularly make the greatest
> contribution to their field in their older years.
Whoever said that, was being rather patronising and
extremely ageist. The accumulation of skills,
knowledge, experience and other life-skills makes older
professionals from doctors and judges to car mechanics
and PC engineers far more likely to make contributions
to their fields than young whipper snappers. I was
certainly glad my appendix was removed by the 60 year
old and not the young student doctor who was pushed
aside as soon as the surgeon saw I had two... (one in a
million gal that I am! :-)
I suspect the statement has been turned around and
should read: "Artists are the only group who regularly
make the greatest contribution in their YOUNGER years".
That would be far more likely.
Don't get me wrong: age is not a barrier to learning a
new skill and some life-long artists do produce new,
exciting work in their sunset years. For example Alan
Caiger-Smith "retired" and closed Aldermaston Pottery
some time ago, but has new work currently showing in
the Firtzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. And isn't Otto
Heino producing exciting new work these days...?
However, Alan C-S certainly made his biggest
contribution many years ago, by reviving tin-glazed and
lustre ware almost single handedly!
There are a great many artists/makers who peaked at
some point in their lives and have not developed since
then. They feel safe producing work their admirers
respect and which they can produce blindfolded. It
often takes a great deal of courage to break out of
this rut. That is what the young do better than the
ageing artist/maker. Not exclusively, but often. They
also are not constrained by external parameters such as
reputation, style and public opinion in the way the
older professionals are.
Creativity never runs out, but artists often become
turgid as they age. Certainly not always, but often
enough to make the exceptions like Turner stand out of
the crowd. To have fire in your guts, when there is
snow on the roof is a pretty exhausting state to be
in... Most opt out and begin a contemplative period in
their lives... They tinker with their past and become
gracious teachers, no more the hell raisers of their
youth when the artistic self was at its height of
achievement.
Janet Kaiser
The Chapel of Art . Capel Celfyddyd
HOME OF THE INTERNATIONAL POTTERS' PATH
Criccieth LL52 0EA, GB-Wales Tel: (01766) 523570
E-mail: postbox@the-coa.org.uk
WEBSITE: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
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