Leonardo's words re mentoring: "He is a poor student who does not improve upon his master." WC
--- On Thu, 11/20/08, Chris Miller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > From: Chris Miller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: Improving taste > To: [email protected] > Date: Thursday, November 20, 2008, 8:09 AM > If a word goes back to Homer -- I am happy to concede that > Homer made the > proper usage of it then, now, and forever. > > But the topic under discussion here is "improving > taste" -- and it's my > assertion that mentorship -- or -- OK --- a certain kind of > mentorship -- has > been very important in some of the arts. > > But only for some of them. > > For example -- it appears to be rather marginal to the > practice of modern > abstract painting -- where a recognized master, like > William, may or may not > have had mentors (it depends upon what day we ask him). So > it's not really > that important - he certainly does not claim to have > mentored anyone else - > and it's strongly opposed by the ideology of Modernism, > isn't it ? If art is > always supposed to be changing with the times, what's > the point of mentoring ? > What's the point of taste ? (and - to be honest -- > what's the point of an art > school?) Mentoring and taste are just old-timey ideas that > must be abandoned > by progressive thinkers. > > While in Japanese ceramics -- actually, in any Japanese art > -- it's considered > essential -- just as it is in the performance of European > classical music and > the revival of Classical Realist painting. > > It was probably also essential in those arts where we > recognize a shared > standard of taste -- as among all the sculptors who worked > at Chartres or > Khajuraho. > > We can't say that mentoring is required for high > achievement in the arts > because there are notable exceptions -- like Manzu, the > great Renaissance > sculptor of the 20th C. His only teacher appears to have > been himself. But > since mentoring meant nothing to him -- even though he > taught at art academies > for many decades -- his style died with him, and I've > yet to find anyone who > claims him as a teacher. > > ************** > > > > > > > > I guess that's one way to use "mentor," and > your way can be just as good as > anyone else's, including the established > "meaning" (sorry, Cheeerskep). > > Mentor was the wise older man whom Odysseus ask to guide > and protect his son, > Telemachus, when Odysseuys left his family in Ithaca to > fight in the Trojan > war. The term is now used to designate a trusted friend and > counselor. > > You make a mentor sound like a drill sergeant picking out > the best of the > recruits, or a teacher choosing a star pupil. > > ____________________________________________________________ > Compete with the big boys. Click here to find products to > benefit your > business. > http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2231/fc/PnY6rc1pOzCqyqvCFWt5IkgClgpNFv > 8LzISvBIKTb2f0PfXywfXxi/
