Separating Art From the Artist

Split Portrait: Picasso | MAC Art Galleries (macfineart.com)

     Can you separate the art from the artist? This age-old dilemma has once again come into light with the news that Dave Grohl, drummer for the band Nirvana and founder of the band Foo-Fighters has not only cheated on his wife but has had a child through his affair. Currently he is separated from his wife and three daughters and claims he plans to support and be present in the life of his new child. People are outraged that a disaster like this has come to light yet again, and another amazing artist that was admired world-wide has been revealed as a bad person. 

    It is an important theme within art that who the artist is informs the art itself. This brings into question whether or not it is possible to ethically consume problematic authors. In a world where famous artists actions are broadcasted to the public, should it be responsibility and practice to research an artist before buying from them, should stores refuse to sell art by bad people? Throughout history, an innumerable number of famous artists have been bad people. For example, George Orwell, Johnny Cash, Ernest Hemingway, J.K. Rowling, and Pablo Picasso. It can be argued that buying art secondhand is a way to reduce the artists profit from consumerism. Is it worth the trouble, though, if others continue buying from the artist directly? It certainly shouldn't be necessary to get rid of work bought from a problematic author. In a perfect world, we would be able to know outright whether someone is a good or bad person, but questions like these also bring into question personal beliefs and values. 

    It is important to be aware of the impact you make when consuming art and who you are supporting. It's like when you make a donation, you don't want to support a charity that has been outed for fraud. While being aware is a good way to ethically consume art, it is impossible to be perfect. There are millions of definitions on what conscientious consumerism is, so find one that aligns with your values, and do your best to adhere to it.