The exhibit emphasizes Turner's late work, from 1835, when he turned 60, until his death 16 years later. According to the curators, it was during this final stage of his life that Turner produced some of his "most audacious and innovative pictures." He experimented with canvas formats and pioneered free and spontaneous techniques in both oil and watercolor. That doesn't sound like an artist who has lost his game to senescence.
In December 2014, I was fortunate to be invited by a friend to view "Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs" at the Museum of Modern Art in NY. The curators considered this body of work "a brilliant final chapter in Matisse’s long career." The simple-looking cut-outs "reflect both a renewed commitment to form and color and an inventiveness."
For anyone who thinks becoming a senior automatically spells diminished creativity, here's an encouraging quote from The Success and Failure of Picasso, by John Berger:
There is not, I think, a single example of a great painter--or sculptor--whose work has not gained in profundity and originality as he [or she] grew older.
How do you experience your own art-making as you age? Are you frustrated by certain limitations or do they stimulate you to find new ways of approaching your art?
Which artists do you admire for their work later in life? What is it about that artwork that captures your attention? What feels different from earlier work?