MENTORING, INSPIRATION + MAPPLETHORPE

The FT’s* exploring mentoring and how artists learn w/ the sponsorship of Rolex and the two articles so far on participants in the program have been good.

Martin Scorsese talks about how he works, what movies inspire him and how he was treated when he was trying to learn the craft of movies.

Kate Valk describes the interesting and masked approach The Wooster Group takes to theatre as they develop performances.

Peter Aspden has been knocking out excellent columns. This week he talks to Martha Wainwright about interpreting Edith Piaf, Wainwright’s musical family and how she maintains her individual drift.

Several weeks ago (yes, I still have a pile of newspapers I’m working through), Peter Aspden wrote aboutPatti Smith now, and her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe then. I remember seeing “The Perfect Moment” Mapplethorpe exhibit – there was a clarity and an aggression that made them more vivid than any other photos I’d seen to that point. I think that’s when I realized photography could be art.

*Financial Times, my current newspaper of choice.