Can you separate art from the artist ?

That is to say, can you appreciate art for its own sake, even if its artist is revealed to be despicable personally, for example, someone who was an excellent musician, actor ot producer but committed sexual assault, cheated on partners, was openly anti-Semitic or racist ?

If some ills are more acceptable to you than others, where do you draw the line ?

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bowman81 · M

I generally don't fixate on the artist. I hear a song and I like it or not, perhaps remember the name of the song, but rarely remember the artist. Oh sure, there are some who are famous but ...... truth be told 5 years later I remember the song but not whatshisname who sang it.

I do believe, there are some whose private life taints my appreciation of their work. Michael Jackson is one, although honestly, I never cared for most of his work and don't understand all the "great artist" rep he gained even before his notoriety. It is even easier to dismiss it now. I never liked his work in the first place, detesting his private life just seems to be piling on.

bijouxbroussard · F

@bowman81 That’s how I felt about Ted Nugent. Didn’t particularly like his work, so boycotting him because I perceive him as a racist was no great loss.