Can you separate the artist from their work?
The problem with winter when the sun doesn't show itself (rare but it's been dull and rainy for quite a few days) is that my study gets very cold and my heater struggles to make an impact. We don't have central heating, this is New Zealand, land of the 'she'll be right and central heating is for wimps' but we do have a wonderful log burner which
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Very true and that means that separation, even after death is likely to be impossible. However, I think some would say that some of Rolf Harris's art is of value aside from the novelty of being done by him. As to Woody Allen, who knows, but as I've never much liked his work if matters little to me. And that is probably the difficulty, who decides upon the value of a work of art? I am told Wagner is superb, but I personally can only take so much and would prefer to listen to Queen any day, a rock band that has become a Classic in many, many ways and may well be remembered for decades to come. :-)
Of course, if I had my way, all artworks in every medium would be sold without biography. I think that would make music in particular very drab but concede that it would also make it a lot easier to judge on merit.
What worries me is that artwork done by highly unlikable personalities will be written out of the history books because some arbitrary group of people decide that it is not of merit.
My initial proposal was to say that art can only be judged on its own merit after the death of the artist, which is in many ways almost what you are saying.
Thank you very much for you really interesting and thought provoking reply.
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