Nick
Catalano is a TV writer/producer and Professor of Literature
and Music at Pace University. He reviews books and music for
several journals and is the author of Clifford
Brown: The Life and Art of the Legendary Jazz Trumpeter,
New
York Nights: Performing, Producing and Writing in Gotham
, A
New Yorker at Sea,, Tales
of a Hamptons Sailor and his most recent book,
Scribble
from the Apple. For Nick's reviews, visit his
website: www.nickcatalano.n
Readers
might ask themselves if they’ve ever heard of the following
figures. Composers: Gerald Finzi, Max Bruch, Francesca Caccini,
Johann Hummel, Dora Pejacevic, Cecile Chaminade. Renaissance
Painters: Del Piambo, Gaddi, Altichiero, Orcagna, Pontormo,
Patinir. Classic writers: Gilman, Zweig, Zamyatin, Mitford,
Bassini, Fontane, Marai.
If I were a betting
man I would wager that very few people reading this list would
recognize more than one or two of the names. And yet even
cursory critical reading reveals these artists to be brilliant
talents worthy of comparison with their better known peers.
So what exactly goes into the evaluation of an artistic reputation?
Quality in any
art is elusive. Art appeals to the individual senses, pleasures,
feelings and emotions. Recognition of outstanding art too
often depends on variables external to the work itself like
its attribution, the artist’s body of work, geographical
origin, and the work’s relationship to correlatives
in the genre. Recognition and value are determined by a network
of ‘experts’ -- critics, historians, curators,
collectors, art dealers, media commentators and other self-styled
authorities. And in many prosperous countries reputation and
notoriety often depend on mere celebrity or momentary publicity.
History teaches
that enduring greatness in art is really only observable when
substantial time has elapsed and instantaneous and insignificant
critical commentary has faded. If the art work is, generations
later, still treasured by huge audiences everywhere then,
at least, it has some longevity and much early critical commentary
needs to be dismissed.
But in this an
imperfect and often convoluted process, reputations are often
embellished, sunken, distorted, or as the cases of the artists
mentioned above forgotten.
Irony
abounds and inconsistency reigns. "The Man with the Golden
Helmet," an 18th century painting attributed to Rembrandt,
was Berlin’s most famous artwork for decades. Once evidence
emerged, in the 1980s, that the painting was not by Rembrandt,
it lost much of its artistic and economic value, ‘even
though the artwork itself had not changed.’ In the early
70s ersatz writer Clifford Irving got McGraw-Hill to pay in
excess of $700,000 for his biography of reclusive millionaire/aviator/producer
Howard Hughes. Soon after the entire project was revealed
as a hoax; Irving quickly admitted his offense and served
a year and a half in jail. But because his name was paraded
across the media for months, he emerged a ‘celebrity’
and obtained considerable status and even respectability as
a writer for many years.
The distortion
and ironic process of artistic recognition morphs into the
wider spectrum of much historical fact in all areas falling
prey to the interminable encroachment of mythology.
How many times
do you encounter a situation where you thought something was
factual and beyond doubt only to discover that your knowledge
was incorrect. Examples all over history abound: Dr. Guillotine
was not the inventor of the infamous instrument used to execute
victims during the French Revolution. Three hundred Spartan
soldiers alone did not hold off the Persian hordes at Thermopylae;
they were aided by some 5000 troops from many other towns
in Greece. The island of Manhattan was not purchased for $24
but actually 60 Dutch guilders or roughly $1000 in today’s
currency. Thomas Edison did not invent the light bulb; he
improved the gadget that over 20 other inventors had previously
developed.
The
process of spectacular historical discoveries becoming mythologized
is long in the tooth. John Milton, the legendary poetical
genius who wrote Paradise Lost, naively chose the
ancient earth-centered Ptolemaic theory of the solar system
in his famous epic. Even though Nicolas Copernicus had proven
and Galileo had added incontrovertible evidence of the heliocentric
facts over 100 years earlier, Milton strongly motivated by
powerful religious authority could not bring himself to accept
the new factual astronomy. When Charles Darwin published On
the Origin of 
Species
in 1859 scientists in universities everywhere endorsed his
theory.
The notions of
natural selection and evolution had been studied and explored
for many years and Darwin’s publication served to underscore
thinking that had long been in vogue. It was only decades
later that creationists, spiritualists and religious adherents
began to raise objections and deny the evidence. And, incredibly,
their denials and proclamations took root and, even to the
present day, have gained credence among millions who would
rather believe untruth rather than accept rational, proven,
scientific evidence.
After
countless analyses by impeccable sources the notion, initiated
by Donald Trump, that the 2020 presidential election was “stolen,”
has been summarily refuted. But millions of Americans will
not accept the facts. The publicized success of COVID vaccines
has been repeatedly underwritten by scientists everywhere
and reliable government authorities. But, again, millions
of Americans refuse to accept reputable evidence.
The tradition
of inevitable mythologizing in most human contexts is inextricably
tied to the essences of human nature i.e. emotions, imagination,
senses, all of which unfortunately undermine rational thinking
so often. How then can truth emerge and wisdom be attained?
The pitfalls encountered
in our learning experiences are many. Too frequently people
have inadequate understanding of how scientific knowledge
is achieved. Unjustifiably huge expectations, and impatient
desires accompany announcements of scientific discovery. Few
can grasp the slow imperfect progress that science takes and
are quick to dismiss progress of any kind. Unless there are
immediate and accessibly complete answers to a problem many
will walk away thinking that the scientists have failed. Cancer
is a major worldwide tragedy. But when great strides were
made in the treatment of leukemia, lymphoma and related blood
cancers, the response was tepid. Brilliant scientists working
around the clock produced the principal COVID vaccines in
just a few months and yet their identities and discoveries
are buried in tons of controversial and often mythologized
news stories.
For many only
exposure to any phenomenon whether it be artistic creation
or scientific discovery, that is studied with tried and true
philosophical, mathematical, aesthetic and scientific methods
in solid academic institutions can develop intellect and enhance
wisdom. Unfortunately, far too many early schooling and college
or university curricula are watered down versions of real
education. Cursory examination of a college freshman’s
schedule will often show no math or science requirement, no
foreign language requirement, and no philosophy courses tracing
the progress of human civilization, no training in logic,
and no courses in ancient history . . . and tuition at these
institutions is beyond astronomical.
One of the reasons
why people accept and support fake news, unsubstantial commentary,
prejudicial opinionizing and false advertising claims is because
in school they have not been taught to think properly and
rationalize. Many substandard schools should shut their doors
and parents must learn to shun the exaggeration and distortion
inherent in their advertising claims. The search for quality
higher education is becoming quagmired by such items as attractive
dormitories, exotic food menus, excessive leisure activities
and idiotic courses. There is a school in Florida that grants
baccalaureate degrees for tennis playing and another that
awards degrees in circus management.
The return to
classically structured education is imperative if our societies
wish to flourish.
