Separating an artist from their work is something we often times have to do. This could be because of an artists political standpoint or even something he/she has done. This is often met with questions like “Should I even be a fan of this work?” or “Does viewing this work somehow tie me to what the artists have done?”. However, you approach this it almost seems impossible to completely unknow everything you’ve heard about the artist.
A great example of somebody like this is Jackson Pollock, an artist who is infamous for his drinking, smoking, and cheating. He often cheated on his wife along with heavy drinking. He didn’t Treat his wife incredibly great and had several affairs on her. However, she decided to support his work and stay by his side even though he did all of this.
When viewing his work you have to remind yourself of how he was and who he was. This often times makes me not even want to view the work at all. So when knowing this back story in artist we find ourselves asking “Do we Separate them?” the answer to me is no. We nust hold the actions of the artists accountable with the work.