| The Art of Compromise by Edward C. Truax
Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo cared not for each other’s company. Even St.
Peter’s Basilica could not allow enough space for the two geniuses. In the city of
Florence, Italy, stands a Signora which might have housed the two masters’ work.
Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo were commissioned to paint opposing walls which were to
depict two historic battles. Leonardo’s work ended in disaster when an attempt at
recreating an ancient painting technique resulted in the mural melting from the walls
under the intense heat which he had calculated would be necessary to paint in. For reasons
which remain unknown, Michelangelo never finished his work. Sensitive echo and sound tests
suggest that beneath the present paintings rest entombed evidence of the failed attempt of
the two dueling masters.
Likewise, Paul McCartney and John Lennon reached a time when the two dissolved the bonds
which previously had joined one to another in cooperative or co-operative artistic
expression. Yet Mick Jagger and Keith Richards seem to be engaged in a three decade plus
cadence of thumb printing some of the most significant rock and roll music of our time.
Examples are endless. Whether it be four boys from Liverpool or a group of kids who start
jamming under the name of Creedence Clearwater Revival, creative people find each other.
What then is the essential element to bonding and longevity? Rolodexing through cliches,
we find village wisdom in phraseology...opposites attract, birds of a feather flock
together, two peas in a pod, black and white, day and night, you say potato and I say
patoto, why can’t we just agree? In the abstract of argument, insights are illusive.
Better we consider the chemistry of explosion as opposed to that of bonding. Both share an
element known as a catalyst, a substance or property within the whole that either unites
or divides. Great tragedies are written around what is termed fatal flaws, foreshadowed by
omens or indicators of that which is yet to come. Could history wrongly assign blame to
actions rather than reactions?
Example—Was Leonardo da Vinci’s disregard for sculpture and his mockery of
Michelangelo’s labors, in what was then considered "the lesser work of
stone," sufficient to self-exile the two from each other’s company? Da Vinci was
a genius who wrote from left to right and backwards in order to slow his mind down. His
blueprint of an airplane gives testimony to the reach of his mind’s expanse. Surely,
one would think that Michelangelo’s sculpture and absolute command of the stone would
elevate his work to equal the masterpiece of that bestowed to oil and canvas. History
records Leonardo as being arrogant and set in his ways, thus, unable to work with
Michelangelo. Yet, what about Michelangelo demanding that the Pope ride to him to discuss
commissioned work? Folklore among art history scholars carries a story of Leonardo (known
to possess tremendous physical strength) bending a rod of iron and handing it to
Michelangelo with the challenge that he bend it back. Michelangelo refused by asking da
Vinci... "Why should I straighten out what you messed up by showing off?" The
long and short of it is that both had monster attitudes.
Observation teaches us that the Rolling Stones generally practice solo in studios and then
rendezvous for recordings—Jagger, with his lyrical craftsmanship, and Richards, as
the undisputed champion of chords and composition. This gives their music the
characteristic quality of sounding very live and unrehearsed. Just close your eyes next
time you hear Brown Sugar or Ruby Tuesday, and you can imagine them playing in front of
you. Unlike their 1960’s counterparts, the Beatles, the Stones seem to have found
practical application to the old Marxist slogan "From each according to his ability,
to each according to his needs." While McCartney and Lennon got bogged down in turf
wars over creative control (the testosterone thing), Jagger and Richards seem to be able
to do the "hey hey, you you, get off of my cloud" number and keep on rolling.
Jagger is seldom seen with a guitar, yet is reported to be respectable on one. Richards
does basic back-up vocal and mainly bangs with his Stratocaster. Chances are that Keith
Richards was right when he said that old age will someday force the group to unplug.
By definition, the keys or chords of composition are brought into existence by the need to
differentiate for purposes of construction. Do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do. Without this scale,
each in its proper place, all music would sound like a single gong. Red, yellow, and blue
are known as the primary colors, bold and contrasting in comparison, yet mixing to reflect
every other shade of the light spectrum. Basic lessons in watercolor teach us how to work
in secondary colors by mixing predetermined amounts of the primaries. Is there a natural
order to communication? Maybe so. There appears to be a George Harrison place and a John
Lennon role. Yet, if we consider Harrison’s supporting role in the group to be
submissive, then what do we make of the fact that he was the first to assert himself and
leave the Beatles to record with others? Still waters run deep, indeed. A hierarchy just
may consist of equal parts of the whole.
Isn’t it ironic that when teaching an assembly how to work together, it apparently is
necessary to break the attendants into sub-groups in order for them to make practical
applications of their lessons in working together? Smaller groups who identify themselves
as "anti" or "against" something make for better collectives. The
Chinese have a proverb for this bonding. It reads, "An enemy of my enemy is my
friend." Yet, if this is the basic structure or foundation of working together, then
doesn’t this define our accomplishments by a rather bland and morbid motivator? The
village demands that all oars be pulled through the water together for the ship to be
efficient. Common sense tells us that we are social creatures, drawn into villages by our
need to interact and dwell in a community effort. Whether it be Leonardo and Michelangelo,
or Paul and John, the work suffered because of basic human immaturity; a lack of respect,
getting caught up in the spotlight of the moment, and forgetting that the finished product
defines those who created it.
Sure, you can’t paint with too broad a brush, and this may be an oversimplification
for purposes of analogy, but attitude has one hell of a lot to do with altitude. If
you’re going to work with other people, don’t forget about that "wind
beneath your wings" thing. The above mentioned artists were among the very very
fortunate. In spite of their egos, they were able to contribute. It takes two logs to make
a fire burn. How sad that the Beatles never reunited, and the Sistine Chapel does not
contain the work of two of the world’s greatest minds. |
