NYTimes.com: Can we now do away with the idea of “separating the art from the artist”?
Whenever a creative type (usually a man) is accused of mistreating people (usually women), a call arises to prevent those pesky biographical details from sneaking into our assessments of the artist’s work. But the Hollywood players accused of sexual harassment or worse — Harvey Weinstein, James Toback, Kevin Spacey and Louis C.K., to name a few from the ever-expanding list — have never seemed too interested in separating their art from their misdeeds. We’re learning more every day about how the entertainment industry has been shaped by their abuses of power. It’s time to consider how their art has been, too.
3 comments:
I have always thought that the idea of separating art from an artist is entirely ridiculous. After all, aren't we always told that both the creation and consumption of art are deeply personal experiences?
People who say this are not artists in my opinion. They do not understand the fundamental nature of creation that comes from ones soul and personal experiences and not from this void that people would like to have us think it does. Art is so deeply rooted in our experiences as artists, even if it isn't on purpose.
This phrase is utilized to convince people to not hold these men accountable and to continue to give these men privilege with their spending power. In my opinion this is phrase is a tool of rape culture and capitalism combined to convince people that these violent men are not fully guilty and thus still deserve our money. I hope that America starts to reject this narrative as soon as possible.
While I do not think that classifying one as an artist has any correlation with their behavior, I do believe that there is an important connection between an artist and their work. Art is based off of who one is, their personality, their background, their unique experiences. Art is what makes an artist, an artist and, in turn, an artist makes art, art. I refuse to negate the actions of people like Harvey Weinstein, Louis CK, and Kevin Spacey just because they created good work or were funny. What they did and are doing is horrendous and they need to face the repercussions for the damage they caused and serious issues need to be addressed in regards to the rape culture that has been so heavily ingrained into our society. But I will refuse to deny that there is no connection between the artists, if we should even reference them such, and their art.
I found this article extremely thought provoking and clear. There is no way that you can argue the artist is separate from the art because as Susan Tsu says, “Your art reflects you as an artist and as a person.” This statement could not be more true for people like Louis CK and Kevin Spacey. Just as the article mentions, when you look at the plot points in Louie and movies like American Beauty the connection between the artist and the art becomes very clear. Often people argue that, “Just because someone is a bad person, doesn’t mean that fact invalidates their art.” Even though it’s difficult to renouce something you once loved, the artist’s actions does hurt the art because of the way that the artist harmed others in the process of making it.
At one point the article stated “Men like Louis C.K. may be creators of art, but they are also destroyers of it. They have crushed the ambition of women and, in some cases, young men — boys — in the industry, robbing them of their own opportunities.” I think that statement is the biggest reason to blacklist these predators from the industry, not only are they hurting young artists, but they are also ruining young careers and harming the industry overall.
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