Every once in a while, you run into those things online, where someone is declaring that a Famous Author has been “cancelled” by overzealous <choose your faction> who don’t understand that things were different in The Past. And we’re told that we can’t judge the art of Yesteryear by today’s standards. There’s more, but I’m sure you all recognize this kind of rhetoric.
I saw one recently (you probably guessed) and it got me thinking. How are contemporary people to judge the artists of the past? It is truly possible to separate the odious views of a creator — for instance Wagner, whose anti-Semitism is well documented — from their beloved artistic works?
CAN we separate the artist from the art, and if we can, SHOULD we?
I can only speak of my own experience, which is that my written works are deeply personal. They embody my thoughts and philosophy, and often question the way things are in society. If my books are a statement to the world, I cannot consider them separate from the rest of me.
Maybe it’s different for other writers and artists, who are more connected to traditional publishing. There are deadlines to meet and trends to chase, and they may quickly produce work to suit different markets. So for them, they may not be trying to make a statement in the same way.
I would suggest, though, that the words they write still spring from somewhere within them. And if there’s something in those words that deserves to be questioned, it’s kind of a cheap dodge to claim that the art is somehow separate from the artist’s identity.
That’s just my thought. I’d be interested in hearing what any of you think about this.
Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my web site, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.
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