Connie’s fortnightly column on student life, published on Fridays…
I was at the pub the other day making small talk- unusual for a student, I know. I slipped into a conversation that I liked listening to Kanye West’s music. The person opposite gave me a disapproving look. At first I thought they were just appalled with my music taste, but it soon became clear they were appalled with me. I whipped out the classic defence : “Oh I know, he’s done some horrible things and I don’t agree with any of it. But you can separate the art from the artist, surely?” They looked very unimpressed and it suddenly occurred to me that I might be a horrible person with no morals. My whole argument soured like milk left in the sun as I woke up the next day to a bombardment of Kanye’s vile tweets. I cringed as I read them, and the disgust and embarrassment they created stirred up the perfect concoction for hangxiety.
So, as any guilty person would, I turned to my nearest and dearest the next day to get their opinions. Close friends weighed in with “Kanye’s been on my spotify wrapped for the past 5 years. I know he’s a terrible person but I love his music” and “Have they not listened to Graduation????” It was comforting to know I wasn’t alone in my belief that the art and artist can be separated. But then I realised I’d voluntarily entered an echo-chamber by only asking my friends for their opinions. If I wanted to thoroughly consider this moral dilemma I needed to be challenged and seek out opposing perspectives. I decided to ask students around the University of Sheffield campus what they thought.
A third year law student made a very powerful point: “Separating the art from the artist is a privilege only those who aren’t negatively impacted by the artist can enjoy”. Those who aren’t personally affected by the artist’s behaviour may have the luxury of solely focusing on the art while those directly affected can’t as easily compartmentalise the two. The association with the artist may leave a taste in their mouths too sour to forget. A journalism student I spoke to exemplified this concept. She described how she could listen to Kanye but not Rex Orange County; the accusations against him “resonate with (her) on a personal level and endorsing his work feels wrong”. She acknowledges how her picking and choosing when she separates art is hypocritical, but I believe it should all be down to personal preference. It’s important not to hold everyone to your standards or cast judgement on other people’s choices.
A second year engineering student provided an interesting take stating that “there is no shortage of good art in the world. So why would I support problematic people who don’t deserve their platform or success?”. She made a good point- there are plenty of artists out there who better align with our values, and surely we should choose to support them over immoral creators? But arguably, this oversimplifies the debate. People identify and connect with art for many, often personal, reasons. For instance, if Harry Potter became a form of escape for a child getting bullied at school, do they have to pick a new favourite book because JK Rowling is transphobic? There are thousands of books they could read instead, but what if they connect with Rowling’s work the most? And right now Neil Gaiman has broken the hearts of so many fans due to multiple sexual abuse allegations surfacing. Should his unarguably brilliant books such as ‘Coraline’ and ‘The Ocean at the End of the Lane’, as well as his award winning shows, be consigned to the dustbin? Should we denounce Elvis’ work because he started a relationship with a teenage Priscilla? If we think of art as its own entity, once created it exists independently and therefore separately from the artist. Art can stand on its own merit as it offers value and beauty to the world in its own right.
Allowing dodgy artists to profit by purchasing their work was another point raised by a first year History student. She argued that “supporting the art will always financially benefit the artist and therefore you can’t separate the two. You’re virtually rewarding their behaviour”. If you’re directly lining their pockets, you can no longer say you’ve separated the art from the artist. Instead, you’ve arguably become complicit by enabling them and sustaining their career. There are layers to this moral dilemma, passive support has less repercussions and direct support is harder to justify. The only way to mitigate this would be to explore ways of appreciating the art that doesn’t financially aid the problematic creator. For instance: buying second hand books, streaming music rather than buying the album, and deciding there are other concerts and merch you’d rather spend your hard earned money on.
A first year geography student said “I’ve never fallen into the trap of romanticising artists. If I like their songs, I won’t convince myself that I know them personally. And enjoying their art doesn’t automatically mean I like or even slightly know the artists”. I found myself nodding my head in complete agreement with this student. I’ve always liked Kanye’s music but I’ve never been a Kanye fan. I’ve never done a deepdive into his childhood or personal life, to be honest I don’t care. I’m not big on celebrities. I think it’s good to separate art as people build parasocial relationships with artists. Whether you’re glorifying or demonising them, it’s important to remember that as much as you may feel connected to their ‘image’ you don’t know the first thing about the real them. Once you accept this, it won’t be as disappointing when they step out of line. I do not believe that artists should be put on a pedestal simply because they’re talented; their success has nothing to do with who they are as people.
To a degree, art will always be tied to the artist as it’s a product of their expression. However, due to art’s interactive nature, the art becomes separate from the artist the minute an audience interacts with it. Art is unique and is curated to the beholder as a result of different peoples interpretations. Therefore, I believe that you can separate the art from the artist.
Image Credits- Unsplash
