Can You Admire The Art Regardless of the Artist?

[killers2]

The reason I am asking this question is I was enjoying a Bill Cosby comedy special earlier.. I was laughing pretty constantly during this special and at times during my viewing I wasn't even considering all these allegations that have come about involving his alleged rapes of women.  My question is can you enjoy the art of a person even though you believe the artist is a potential monster?  Here's another example.  Say you saw the most beautiful painting of your life.  Someone then tells you that Adolph Hitler was the artist.  The painting is still beautiful, but your opinion most certainly would change wouldn't it?  By the way this comedy special was great, but I do believe Cosby is guilty of at least some of these accusations. That's just my view, I do understand innocent until proven guilty though.   

[paints]

I think art comes from what's inside you.
So, if Hitler painted something beautiful, it's because there was something beautiful inside him.
But because he chose the dark side, he was not a good person.
The art remains, even though the artist was an ugly soul.

Same with Cosby. He has all this funny stuff inside him, and can make us laugh, but he still has the dark side.

Enjoy the art, for arts' sake.

[countrygirl12]

I don't really admire art period.  But if I don't like a person I probably won't like a painting or something they do.  I also do not call acting an art.

if I saw a painting and thought it was pretty and then found out Hitler painted it then yes it would change my view of the painting.  I would not want it in my house.  As for Bill Cosby, I do not believe the allegations against him.  He may have had sex with all those women but it most certainly did not drug and rape them.  They all made a choice.  They were having sex with him for money.  Why get mad later and try to ruin his life.

paints, there was nothing beautiful inside of Hitler.  He was a demon.  As for Cosby, if it were proven he really did all this stuff then no I would not watch him, think he was funny, and would throw away the DVDs I have that have him on them.  I have quit watching a program, aka supporting actors, when I found out certain things about them that were against things I believe in.

[Shandara09]

I can still appreciate the art, but a lot of the time it's still in the back of my mind about my dislike for the artist.  This is more of an issue for actors or someone that I'm watching.  For painters or writers, it doesn't stay in my mind as much, since I'm not looking at them.  I'm less likely to watch something if it centers around only them, like in a comedy show. 

[timvolley]

it is sad how people sometimes do the wrong thing to put them in the limelight but I liked the Bill Cosby show when I was growing up.

[reiddb]

That's an interesting question.  I'm not sure.....

[Tresbn00]

I am not quite as open minded or forgiving.  I go out of my way to boycott any celebrity that becomes involved in illicit behaviors and/or politics.  I do not even care if we share the same political view.  Celebrities have chosen their vocation and should not use their popularity to get people to follow political views. I think that celebrities need to keep their opinions to themselves when it comes to news stories as well (that includes presidents). I will not go to certain restaurant chains because they have made their beliefs be known in public in such a manner as to try to sway the public into thinking in a different manner.  I rarely watch television/news because there does not appear to be an unbiased venue left with which to get news that is not used in a propaganda like campaign.

[paints]

I don't really admire art period.  But if I don't like a person I probably won't like a painting or something they do.  I also do not call acting an art.

if I saw a painting and thought it was pretty and then found out Hitler painted it then yes it would change my view of the painting.  I would not want it in my house.  As for Bill Cosby, I do not believe the allegations against him.  He may have had sex with all those women but it most certainly did not drug and rape them.  They all made a choice.  They were having sex with him for money.  Why get mad later and try to ruin his life.

paints, there was nothing beautiful inside of Hitler.  He was a demon.  As for Cosby, if it were proven he really did all this stuff then no I would not watch him, think he was funny, and would throw away the DVDs I have that have him on them.  I have quit watching a program, aka supporting actors, when I found out certain things about them that were against things I believe in.

Sorry, countrygirl, Hitler was just a man.  As for what was inside him, you don't know, and neither do I.  But some of his artwork was beautiful.

As for Cosby, he gives me the creeps.  I can listen to his old recordings, and find them funny, if it's audio only.  I can't watch him.