During my recent meander through LACMA I decided to briefly reflect in a “bloggy” kind of way on three icons of 20th century art. Three major artist whose work has helped shape how we see and consume (I mean that in a commercial/financial way of course) art but whose stature has been questioned recently as purveyors of questionable personal judgement or simply bad behavior. Perhaps these qualities enhanced their artistic aura and hence give the work an edge and might even help explain their popularity. In a crass way, I am speaking of a misogynist, a manslaughterer and an emotionally detached automaton. I am referring to Picasso, Pollack and Warhol. I, for one am a fan of these artists’ work, as well as their mythic narratives, but I couldn’t help but wonder if their personal lives might at some point force people to reconsider their oeuvre. Will the art market ever price in the emotional and personal costs left in an artists’ wake?
Featured Image: Pablo Picasso, Man and Women 1969, oil on canvas
