Re: Long: Art, life, history, morality and other dull topics

[skipperway@aol.com (Skipperway)]

"1) Do we judge artwork on the basis of it's own merit as an object?  Or
on
the merit of the life actions of the person who created it?"

     In Soviet Russia the latter was of prime importance.  Of course, this
tended to quash the greatest writers, artists and thinkers and left a
relatively dreary landscape of mediocre, party-line artists.  I am
incliend to believe that  "great art" transcends the artist and his/her
beliefs.
     Nevertheless, Shakespeare, who is revered as THE English language
dramatist and an undeniable genius, also had his moments of racism and
sexism.  I would prefer to judge art by the merit of the work, but it's
not always possible to distinguish bewteen the work and the creator.  The
work is informed by the artist's beliefs.

-Shelley