Is the Artist Selfish?

Forums: Philosophy
Email this Topic • Print this Page

Is an artist who leaves his family so he can pursue his art selfish?
Does it matter if s/he becomes a "successful genius" in art one day?

Here's a summary of "Moon and Sixpence" by W. Somerset Maugham:
"The novel is based on the life of the French painter Paul Gauguin. The main character, Charles Strickland, gives up a comfortable life of a financier, abandons his wife & family, and moves to Tahiti to pursue his passion for painting. Strickland is a man possessed, who is willing to sacrifice his well being and that of his family to fulfill the call of his inner voice to paint his vision of the world."

On the one hand, some call Gaugin a true genius artist who had the courage to follow his art dream, etc.

On the other hand, some call him a selfish creep who ran out on his family, using art as an excuse.

Is it selfish for the Artist to abandon all for the sake of their art?

Topic Stats
Top Replies
Link to this Topic

Type: Discussion • Score: 0 • Views: 3,572 • Replies: 41

No top replies

Selfish!
Yes, it's selfish.

0 Replies

I agree. He was grossly selfish. But I am glad he was. That makes Gauguin's selfishness, like that of the Buddha who also left his family, beneficial to the world in the long run. If we could, we should make reparation to their wives and children (well, the Buddha's family never suffered poverty). Life is never black and white. Many captains of industry, creators of great art, scientists and scholars are so dedicated to their missions that they sacrifice the needs of their familiies. People should marry mediocers, like me, if they want the security of an altruistic mate.

0 Replies

Let us not forget the artists with more temperment than talent who abandon--or mistreat--their families in the name of Art.

I've known a number of would-be poets and painters whose only tangible accomplishments have been ruined lives.

0 Replies

And what about how Picasso treated the women who supported him & were the subject of so much of his Art? Shocked

I almost wish I didn't know .....

0 Replies

Many artists are totally selfish. And believe that they are justified because they are artists.
Speaking of Picasso, Frank Lloyd Wright was a great artist but a lousy human being as well.

0 Replies

It is selfish for anyone to abandon their family in pursuit of a dream, but people abandon their families every day for less.

Artists are typically self-indulgent, and often careless. Some people love them for their wrecklessness then want them to be consistent, once married.

Repent at leisure.

0 Replies

boomerang wrote:

It is selfish for anyone to abandon their family in pursuit of a dream, but people abandon their families every day for less.

So true

0 Replies

why am I (my self) here?
selfishness / selfness / selflessness

the answer to the question of the artist depends on how you view the question of why am I here? what am I born to accomplish. what is the more selfish act staying or going?

another question is which choice is more honest and has more integrity and truth?

0 Replies

Noddy24 wrote:

Let us not forget the artists with more temperment than talent who abandon--or mistreat--their families in the name of Art.

I've known a number of would-be poets and painters whose only tangible accomplishments have been ruined lives.

This brings an interesting point.

Does it matter if the artist is a talented genius or has little or no skill? Some say its almost okay, if the person is a genius, etc.

But what if the person is a mediocre artist who thinks s/he may have genius potential? Is this somehow less okay?

Somehow, it doesn't seem like their level of skill/genius should influence whether it is the right or wrong thing to do.

Isn't this analogous to having different rules for star athletes, etc.?
Just because someone happens to be extremely gifted at something, I'm not sure this gives him/her the right to act differently toward people, especially loved ones?

But I've heard it said: "Yes, I thought he was selfish, until I stood in front of one of his paintings. Then I understood. He had to do the selfish thing."

Can any masterpiece be that great?

0 Replies

Quote:

Many artists are totally selfish. And believe that they are justified because they are artists.
Speaking of Picasso, Frank Lloyd Wright was a great artist but a lousy human being as well.

hehe...not to mention a lousy architect. the house he built for my grandmother is falling apart.

0 Replies

Perhaps the idea is that if someone has a gift, an extraordinary gift to share with the world, such as a Gauguin or a Picasso or F W Wright, then it's understandable to eventually leave one's responsibilities behind to share their gift. But it's got to be extraordinary. That's what makes it 'OK'.

0 Replies

stuh, how old is the house he built for your grandmother?

0 Replies

Good questions, Extra Medium. They require some thought. See you tomorrow.

0 Replies

So Gaugain was selfish. And Oscar Wilde was gay. Wagner was anti-semitic. Beethoven was impossible to get along with. Van Gogh had fits every three months and was a pauper and an absinthe drinker. Poe was a drunk and a drug addict.

So are we not to look at a painting, listen to a symphony, see a play, or read a novel unless the creator of these arts led a life that we personally approve of. They'll be little, if any art suitable for people with our moral standards, and maybe we'll be limited to watching Christian television's, "The 500 Club." Pat Roberston will be thrilled.

0 Replies

I have to agree that the best art often comes from a place of pain and complete self-indulgence. Selfish? Yes. Necessary? Yes, for a lot of artists. As for the mediocre artists who use their craft as an excuse to be a gobshite, I need only mention Picasso's younger, less gifted brother, Picnoseo.

0 Replies

0 Replies

Coluber, that's right. I will repeat a principle I've presented twice now over the years. If a bad man cannot produce good art (because of his badness) then it logically follows that a good man cannot product bad art (because of his goodness). And that is nonsence.

0 Replies

Thanks, JL. I like the way you put that.

Flawed people produce divine art. The divine is in all of us. Sometimes it takes a painting or piece of music to point it out. I see it in nature.

0 Replies

The work stands on its own merits, and has nothing to do with what sort of person did it. Good work doesn't excuse bad behavior, its just good work.

0 Replies

Is the Artist Selfish?

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know