Should We Separate the Art from the Artist? (thetyee.ca)

submitted 2 days ago by maam@feddit.uk to c/canada@lemmy.ca

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[-] Cardinalis@sh.itjust.works 25 points 2 days ago

Gopnik talks about moral and artistic values while completely ignoring the moral implications of financially supporting a living artist and their problematic behaviour.

[-] Kichae@lemmy.ca 23 points 2 days ago

I mean, there's a real difference between separating the art from the artist and separating the commodity from the producer. One is about enjoying or appreciating a work, while the other is about buying or funding it.

Capitalism looks to forcefully equate the two, and that's really a more important discussion, but it's not the same thing.

[-] Cardinalis@sh.itjust.works 14 points 2 days ago

You’re entirely correct that there are two (well four) different concepts in play.

But I feel addressing the first without addressing the second is dangerous in our current social context.

Too many of us are naturally inclined to ignore the political/moral implications of our consumption.

That said, I understand that truly ethical consumption is nearly impossible within the existing system and that people did not choose to be trapped in this system.

[-] HopeOfTheGunblade@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 2 days ago

Sure, no ethical consumption under capitalism.

Within the set outside of the pure ideal, there are still gradations of more and less ethical. Where entertainment is concerned, it is hard to accept people shrugging because capitalism, when there is more media being produced on this planet than any human being is ever going to have the time or ability to run out of.

We do not get to decide whether we are going to enrich the top ten thousand or so people at all ever because we do have to exist in this world, but I think there is something to be gained in exercising your ability to make ethical choices where it does not mean the difference between eating or heating or meds, or not.