Quote:
Originally Posted by MartianMage
I know this is not a Madoka discussion thread but hey I believe this is relevant to the subject. I mean hey, if one can simply dismiss Madoka as simply "popular" and doesn't qualify as a masterpiece then I don't know what people are exactly looking for in a masterpiece. It's got tons of awards and garnered so much critical praise. What else are we looking for here? Again: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masterpiece |
The test of time. A masterpiece outlasts popular opinion.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Akito_Kinomoto
Yet if the final call on the work's quality is largely outside the writer's control then what's the point of striving for excellence?
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Professional pride. That is
critical. You create because you
enjoy doing it well. Good work is its own reward. I do not know of any master artist who craves external validation. He appreciates support, certainly, but he doesn't need it as a motivation to create.
He wouldn't be an artist otherwise. If he needs that validation to feel secure, then he's really no more than an attention seeker. That's somewhat immature, if not infantile.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Akito_Kinomoto
Someone regarded as a great creator will probably aim high again but could end up failing while an unambitious director might suddenly be the life of the party.
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Yes indeed. That's why time is an essential factor for consideration. Time will not be kind to the flash in the pan who was once the toast of the town. Conversely, time tends to be very much kinder to the undiscovered genius who died a pauper.
They do say that artists become famous only after they die...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Akito_Kinomoto
It goes back to being an accident again regardless of whether or not it was the author's intention. Huh.
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I think we're belabouring the point. Great art is never an accident. All artists worth their salt aim to be great. Whether they will be remembered for posterity, on the other hand, is out of their hands. In the vast majority of cases, a master artist doesn't care much if he is immortalised. He would be very concerned, though, about achieving that one piece that he can be completely proud of before he bites the dust.