Saul Steinberg and Erik Erikson

Finger Print Landscape gallery_fingerprintland
1950 (Via)

She met the artist Saul Steinberg in 1958. When she went to his home to make a portrait, Steinberg came to the door wearing a mask that he had fashioned from a paper bag. Over a period of several years they collaborated on a series of portraits, inviting individuals and groups of people to pose for Morath wearing Steinberg’s masks. (via)

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Saul Steinberg wearing one of his masks, c. 1961. Photo by Inge Morath.

June 15 is the birthday of Saul Steinberg and Erik Erikson.

The Erikson life-stage virtues, in the order of the stages in which they may be acquired, are:

  • 1. hope – Basic Trust vs. Mistrust – Infant stage. Does the child believe its caregivers to be reliable?
  • 2. will – Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt – Toddler stage. Child needs to learn to explore the world. Bad if the parent is too smothering or completely neglectful.
  • 3. purpose – Initiative vs. Guilt – Kindergarten – Can the child plan or do things on his own, such as dress him or herself. If “guilty” about making his or her own choices, the child will not function well. Erikson has a positive outlook on this stage, saying that most guilt is quickly compensated by a sense of accomplishment.
  • 4. competence – Industry vs. Inferiority – Around age 6 to puberty. Child comparing self worth to others (such as in a classroom environment). Child can recognise major disparities in personal abilities relative to other children. Erikson places some emphasis on the teacher, who should ensure that children do not feel inferior.
  • 5. fidelity – Identity vs. Role Confusion – Teenager. Questioning of self. Who am I, how do I fit in? Where am I going in life? Erikson believes that if the parents allow the child to explore, they will conclude their own identity. However, if the parents continually push him/her to conform to their views, the teen will face identity confusion.
  • 6. love (in intimate relationships, work and family) – Intimacy vs. Isolation – Young adult. Who do I want to be with or date, what am I going to do with my life? Will I settle down? This stage has begun to last longer as young adults choose to stay in school and not settle.
  • 7.caring – Generativity vs. Stagnation – the Mid-life crisis. Measure accomplishments/failures. Am I satisfied or not? The need to assist the younger generation. Stagnation is the feeling of not having done anything to help the next generation.
  • 8. wisdom – Ego Integrity vs. Despair – old age. Some handle death well. Some can be bitter, unhappy, dissatisfied with what they accomplished or failed to accomplish within their life time. They reflect on the past, and either conclude at satisfaction or despair.
  • Gandhi’s Truth On the Origins of Militant Nonviolence by Erik H. Erikson –

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