Let me tell you the weird story of
Eric Gill.
Gill was a renowned British sculptor and designer who did most of his work in the early 20th century. He completed many architectural sculptures and designed several type fonts, creating large, high profile works for central London buildings, including both the headquarters of the BBC and the forerunner of London Underground. His mammoth frieze The Creation of Man was the British Government's gift to the new League of Nations building in Geneva. He also wrote frequently on religious and social issues.
After he died, it came to light that old Eric had taken great pleasure in having sex with his teenage daughters, his sisters and occasionally his dog (as well as presumably his wife).
Anyway, what got me thinking about Gill was Justin Roiland, co-creator of Rick and Morty. Folks, I fucking love Rick and Morty. However, it has recently come to light that Justin
is awaiting trial on domestic abuse charges of a fairly serious nature. He has pleaded not guilty.
Or you could mention Bill Cosby, who was a beloved entertainer in my childhood and whose name is now synonymous with sexual assault and rape.
R Kelly is another example, singer, songwriter and convicted sex offender and racketeer. You may not have known about Gill but I'm guessing you knew about Kelly yet when Ignition comes on the radio, do you turn it off? I don't. It's a banging tune. Am I going to stop watching Rick and Morty if Roiland is convicted? I don't think so. I'm not sure, though.
I think if we investigated the lives and times of many great artists, we would find countless skeletons. Michael Jackson, Woody Allen, Pablo Picasso. Jerry Lee Lewis, who died recently, married his 13 year old cousin. John Lennon admitted he used to beat his wife.
So is it a case of turning a blind eye, or can we in good conscience separate the art from the artist and enjoy their output while condemning their actions?