Thought for Wednesday, Sep 23, 2009

Golden Oldie

Another example of what might help define talent takes us
back to Polyclitus, the famous sculptor in ancient Greece.
Polyclitus, it is said, once sculpted two statues at the same
time: one in his living room, in public view, and one in his
bedroom, which he worked on privately and kept wrapped
in a tarpaulin. When visitors came by, they would comment
on the public work, saying, "The eyes aren't quite right" or
"That thigh is too long," and Polyclitus would incorporate
their suggestions. All the while, however, he kept the other
statue a secret. Both works were completed at about the
same time and were mounted in the city square in Athens.
The statue that had been designed by committee was openly
mocked and ridiculed. The statue he'd done by himself was
immediately proclaimed a transcendental work of art. People
asked Polyclitus, "How can one statue be so good and the
other so bad?" And Polyclitus answered, "Because I did this
one and you did that one."

-Kinky Friedman
Texas Monthly
November, 2003