I've been watching a lot of biographical films on male artists from last century, & have become increasingly frustrated at the artists portrayed in these films. It seems as though there is this prerequisite of being an arsehole to make it as a successful male artist. Schiele, Modigliani, Pollock, Basquiat- were all portrayed as these giant egos that treated those close to them hideously.
Schiele: Leaves his muse for another woman, accused of paedaphilia, dies of spanish influenza..
Modigliani: Nasty, arrogant drunk, dies of tubercular meningitus-contributed by life of poverty, alcohol & drugs. Results in wife also killing herself along with their unborn child...
Pollock: Hopeless drunk, leaves his devoted wife for young filly and then drives into a ditch killing them both.
Basquait: Heroin & ego...so on & so forth..
I refuse to believe that to make it in the art world you have to treat everyone around you like they are worth less than you and be a self destructive individual. Andy Garcia did an interview after playing Modigliani & said, 'think of how many paintings he did not create because he was busy recovering from the extraordinary hangover or detoxification of the previous three nights or whatever. So you think of how many days he was not able to paint because of his condition. That's the tragedy. He was a very self-destructive individual and yet he did manage to get the work done as much as he did. You think with that kind of lifestyle, how much can he really get accomplished? Unfortunately he died when he was 35 years old… You've got tuberculosis and you're drinking and smoking hashish and doing cocaine and opium. How long is that going to last?'
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| Modigliani |
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| Schiele |
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I do agree that all artists have something slightly tortured within that they have to turn to art to express, but I do not agree that you have to have a huge ego, be self destructive to the point of stupidity and disrespectful of the lives around you.
Maybe I'm just ranting because I have the flu and are feeling slightly grumpy and annoyed at everything..
