Blog Post: George Kubler - The Shape of
Time
In this piece, Kubler discusses the
traits of great artists. He touches upon the differences between talent and position
in sequence. Talented pupils begin at a young age, and their skill out-shines
their peers. While others have a hidden, or talent that has yet to be
discovered. In result, time and opportunity plays a great deal in who is deemed
talented.
The point I found to be most
interesting is when Kubler pointed out that the artist used to be a rebel and
an entertainer, and now they are not. To be a rebel, one must take effort away
from their work, which artists are not willing to do. And, entertainers have
professional common goals that an artist is excluded from. The artist is lonely,
and works as a craftsman of “wonderful and frightening” surprises for his
immediate circle.
I found this point in the text to
be the most interesting because he is explaining the growth of the artist, and
how artists have a small and lonely immediate circle. He mentions before that
art is an invisible chain, almost always based off tradition. And, though an
artist’s work is almost always to amuse the audience, all-important audiences
come from a lonely class. This reminds me of many musicians and actors that
lived to entertain others, but lived a very lonely life. For instance, Michael
Jackson spent almost the eternity of his life amusing an audience, yet his life
was lonely. Kubler says that an artist is no longer an entertainer, nor a
rebel. In result, they are lonelier than ever.
