3 ms·

After years, this is what I’ve come to. Conflating an artist with their art is always a mistake. Great works of art transcend the artist, and frankly, the art

After years, this is what I’ve come to. Conflating an artist with their art is always a mistake. Great works of art transcend the artist, and frankly, the artist usually doesn’t understand the work any better than anyone else. If you ask a writer or painter or musician … especially musicians/lyricists what their work is about you will always get a disappointing answer, if the piece is any good. They don’t know what it is, where it came from, they just manifested it.

itisit 5y ago
> They don’t know what it is, where it came from, they just manifested it. I don't think this rationale is going to restore The Cosby Show's syndication glory.
overgard 5y ago
Yeah, especially when the artist is super complicated. Like, I'd rather enjoy Michael Jacksons music without having to bring in the weird questions about who Michael Jackson was
- jay_kyburz 5y ago
  I'll always enjoy the work of H.P. Lovecraft. I don't care who he was. I think it would be a different if I was actually giving that person money. If I'm funding somebody, I want to know where my money is going.
  - musicale 5y ago
    > If I'm funding somebody, I want to know where my money is going HP Lovecraft's estate is presumably funding the continuing elder rituals that will eventually resurrect him from his sunken tomb at R'lyeh.
TameAntelope 5y ago
It's often disappointing, I've found, to hear an artist talk about their own work. The artist rarely, if ever, lives up to my expectations of them, as the creator of something I like. Instead, I've started to look at artists as separate people, who are capable of creating work I like, but otherwise I try to think of them as entirely separate, and hope I can come to appreciate/like them for who they are, beyond just, the "vessel" for the art I like.
goto11 5y ago
This is is critique of the comics by Frank Miller. The things she talks about are all there in the books.

itisit 5y ago

> They don’t know what it is, where it came from, they just manifested it. I don't think this rationale is going to restore The Cosby Show's syndication glory.

overgard 5y ago

Yeah, especially when the artist is super complicated. Like, I'd rather enjoy Michael Jacksons music without having to bring in the weird questions about who Michael Jackson was

jay_kyburz 5y ago
I'll always enjoy the work of H.P. Lovecraft. I don't care who he was. I think it would be a different if I was actually giving that person money. If I'm funding somebody, I want to know where my money is going.
- musicale 5y ago
  > If I'm funding somebody, I want to know where my money is going HP Lovecraft's estate is presumably funding the continuing elder rituals that will eventually resurrect him from his sunken tomb at R'lyeh.

TameAntelope 5y ago

It's often disappointing, I've found, to hear an artist talk about their own work. The artist rarely, if ever, lives up to my expectations of them, as the creator of something I like. Instead, I've started to look at artists as separate people, who are capable of creating work I like, but otherwise I try to think of them as entirely separate, and hope I can come to appreciate/like them for who they are, beyond just, the "vessel" for the art I like.

goto11 5y ago

This is is critique of the comics by Frank Miller. The things she talks about are all there in the books.