The Darkest Angel

3y

I used to think you can when I was younger but as someone who recently got into philosophy I say no because art itself is an expression of the artist. That what makes every piece of art so unique. They don't exist in a vacuum even hypothetically they can't. You can never truly understand and appropriate your favorite movies, paintings, songs, books, etc without first understanding the motivations behind it, the goals an artist has, the process and time they went through and took to make it. The works that came before it also help tell the bigger story. You would have to be a casual mindless consumer to just take it in as a product and not as the extention of a person that it is. If you do that I don't blame you because thats how most people are.

One thing is you don't have to do mental gymnastics to defend or undermine the actions they did. It's more honest if you just come right out and admit you don't care enough

Soulo

3y

Bro listen if I like an artist enough I would listen even if they were f***ing hitler

Kr0niic

3y

Yes keep thread open for 100 pages

The Darkest Angel

3y

I used to think you can when I was younger but as someone who recently got into philosophy I say no because art itself is an expression of the artist. That what makes every piece of art so unique. They don't exist in a vacuum even hypothetically they can't. You can never truly understand and appropriate your favorite movies, paintings, songs, books, etc without first understanding the motivations behind it, the goals an artist has, the process and time they went through and took to make it. The works that came before it also help tell the bigger story. You would have to be a casual mindless consumer to just take it in as a product and not as the extention of a person that it is. If you do that I don't blame you because thats how most people are.

One thing is you don't have to do mental gymnastics to defend or undermine the actions they did. It's more honest if you just come right out and admit you don't care enough

honey beats

3y

This is a topic I've been thinking about a little lately

Often when an artist does something that's generally considered immoral or unethical etc. we tend to transfer our despise from them onto their art.

It's been happening in rap music for years. XXXTENTACION was paying for mistakes from his past for his whole career, whenever Tory Lanez releases something first comments are about the Megan situation, and so on...

But looking at the art in general there's a pattern of creating your best works while being in the darkest places.
Some beautiful paintings, songs, books wouldn't have been written if the artist wasn't damaged in some way.

The biggest creations come from the most damaged people

Shouldn't we acknowledge the fact that damaged people can create great art? And go a step further... separate their personal actions from the art in a way where we can, at the same time, enjoy their creations and strongly stand against their actions?

I guess in music it's harder to separate the art from a musician because no matter where we listen to their music (unless we illegally download it from the web) we simultaneously financially support them. We pay for Spotify, YouTube pays them for the ads we watch on their music videos etc.

It's also interesting from a bit opposite perspective where we tend to glorify and celebrate artists that we don't even know in real life. We know them only by their art yet we're willing to justify all their actions and, even more, follow those actions and try to be like them.

What are your thoughts on this? Should an artists be a whole with his art or should we be able to separate the person behind the art from their creations?

Jihyo

3y

People bring up the r kelly example a lot and I don’t really get it

Why are you thinking about minors when you listen to step in the name of love? Or forever, feelin on your booty, I wish, if I could turn back the hands of time, etc.

I really don’t get it. When I listen to music I try to apply it to my own life experiences and see how I relate to it. What r kelly did on his own time has no effect on how I listen to his music.

Q3D

3y

If listening to a song called Feelin on your booty made by a serial pedo rapist doesn't make you at least feel a little bit weird idk what to tell you

Nozuka

3y

Nope

Separating the art from the artist is just a coping mechanism to justify s***ty things your fav has done so you can keep liking them without feeling guilty

You gotta take the good with the bad

honey beats

3y

World is full of disgusting people and dark places but the art it creates can be beautiful and maybe even important to see

honey beats

3y

So If the world's most beautiful painting was created by a guy who was a murderer and then we realize the painting is heavily influenced by his darkness you think we should just act like because the artist was a monster we cannot acknowledge his pain created a masterpiece?

We're talking about completely separating the art from the artist so enjoying his painting doesn't equal glorifying his actions or saying he's forgiven for his actions

How is that a coping mechanism?

Jihyo

3y

Why? Where does he say anything even that would incite a single though about children. It’s weird to me if you have those thoughts listening to that song

I’m only thinking about feeling on 18+ cheeks.

Idk maybe it takes a certain amount of logical thinking and mental fortitude to see things that way

venus

3y

That’s up to you

Q3D

3y

But by acknowledging his pain created a masterpiece you're litteraly not separating the art from the artist lol