Do we have to like you to like your art? [97]
How much does the artist persona matter? This week’s episode was inspired by two different listener questions. Cathie asked whether likability matters when it comes to appreciating art (for example, does it matter that Gauguin might not have been the nicest person?). Meanwhile, Pam asked how much she has to reveal about herself in order to sell her work.
Our discussion begins with great artists who were, let’s say, less than perfect. Does the fact that Caravaggio committed at least one murder mean that we can’t appreciate his art? If he had been alive today, would he have been shunned by galleries and collectors, thus depriving us of his work and influence? And how much does it matter if we find out that our favourite artists have traits and habits we don’t like?
We then go onto to discuss the importance of persona when it comes to selling our own work. How much – if anything – do we need to reveal? How honest do we need to be? Is it enough to simply show our work – or do we need to show more of ourselves? And what are the key messages we should be sending?
Mentioned:
Alice’s Connected Artist Club https://alicesheridan.com/artists/
Maggi Hambling documentary https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000nx23
Mary Wollstonecraft statue https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/nov/10/mary-wollstonecraft-finally-honoured-with-statue-after-200-years
If you have a question you’d like us to discuss, click here to send it to us
If you are enjoying the podcast this is an easy and inexpensive way to help support it and ensure it continues. The demands of making it each week can be challenging. Your support is allowing us to hire some editing help. If you’d like to help out with a one-time or a monthly donation, you can “buy us a coffee” us at Ko-fi.com
Contribute to the podcast here:
Follow Alice on Instagram @alicesheridanstudio
or Louise @louisefletcher_art
Credits
“Monkeys Spinning Monkeys” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
You were lucky Louise that Van Morrison performed well, I absolutely love his music so went to the gig on a high note, he was lazy and arrogant and put 0% of effort into it. You must of been shocked to witness Van Morrison being unpleasant, as his music is the opposite. Astral weeks is just masterful.
Lou Reed was the second worst concert I went to, he was stoned and not feeling it, not even singing, talking, I have since read his biography and at that time he was going through his ass hole period.
Hello both of you. Oh my….this 97 episode is one of your absolute best. Loved it beyond words. So many things apply to me. Thank you so much. Good wishes, Anne.