Parmesan cheese is categorised by its age. 12 months matured, 24 months matured, 36 months matured and so on. Each age has a different flavour, texture, purpose, and monetary value. You can’t make a 36 month parmesan cheese in 12 months, or 24 months, or even 72 months. 36 months is the necessary time for 36-month parmesan.
Sometimes, making art is like making cheese. The work I make today, I couldn’t have made 5 years ago, 3 years ago, 1 year ago. Now is the right time for this work. Some ideas have been percolating for 10 years, and yet still remain unmade – perhaps I don’t have the technical skills, or the confidence, or I’m doing other things in my life that means that idea isn’t possible right now.
The important thing about parmesan, like art, is that we recognise the advantage in its maturation instead of feeling impatient, frustrated or deflated that our cheese isn’t ready yet – some things need the time and it could be no other way.