“I was recently involved in a debate concerning the fact that many people appear to make value judgments on art based on knowledge of the artist’s personality, beliefs, and life choices. In other words, someone may or may not view a work of art in a positive manner based strictly on what he or she knows about the personal life of the artist behind the artwork. It spurs me to ask, does the personal life of an artist play a factor in how you view his or her artwork for better or for worse? Sometimes it does seem that people critique art solely on what they know about the artist in question instead of focusing on the art itself. ”

From Artists’ Personal Lives: Does it Play a Role in How You View Their Art? by Brian Sherwin